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schrawbry-juice · 4 years ago

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Wheel of the Year:

Yule:

Also called: yuletide, yulefest

Date (n): 22 December*

Date (s): 21 June*

Duration: 12 days

Celebrates: winter solstice, rebirth of the Sun

Origin: Germanic

Colours: red, green, white, gold

Time for: new beginnings

Deities: Alcyone, Demeter, Dionysus, Baldur, Frau Holle, Frigga, Hodr, Odin, Bona Dea, Mithras, Saturn, Cailleach Bheur (Beira), Holly King, Horus

Plants: evergreens, holly, mistletoe, birch, ivy, oak, yew

Celebrate by: make yule logs, hang wreaths, drink, express gratitude to the universe

Notes: Yule is the first sabbat of the witches’ new year.

Imbolc:

Also called: N/A

Date (n): 1 February

Date (s): 1 August

Duration: until sundown of the next day

Celebrates: halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox

Origin: Celtic

Colours: white, silver, green

Time for: rebirth, hope, hidden potential

Deities: Aphrodite, Eros, Gaia, Hestia, Pan, Ceres, Faunus, Venus, Vesta, Brigid, Cerridwen, Aenghus Og, Bast

Plants: blackberry, coltsfoot, ginger, rowan and willow trees

Celebrate by: make Brigid Crosses and Bridey dolls, bake a cake, plant seeds, light candles and make wishes

Notes: Imbolc was originally a pagan festival associated with the goddess Brigid, and that it was Christianised as a festival of Saint Brigid, who is thought to be a Christianisation of the goddess. Fire festival.

Ostara:

Also called: Eostre

Date (n): 21 March*

Date (s): 21 September*

Duration: the day of the equinox

Celebrates: Spring Equinox

Origin: Germanic

Colours: bright green, yellow, purple

Time for: balance, action, beginnings, hope

Deities: Freyja, Cybele, Osiris, Ostara (Eostre, Western Germanic)

Plants: daffodils, primroses, violets, crocuses, celendine, catkins, pussy willow, and birch, ash, and alder trees

Celebrate by: bake cakes and bread, colour eggs, decorate with flowers

Notes: It was from Eostre that the Christian celebration of Easter evolved, and indeed the naming of the hormone Oestrogen, essential to women's fertility.

Beltane:

Also called: Beltain, Beltine, Beltany

Date (n): 30 April – 1 May

Date (s): 31 October – 1 November

Duration: beginning and ending at sunset

Celebrates: halfway point between the spring equinox and summer solstice

Origin: Celtic

Colours: green, red, white/silver

Time for: conception, sexuality, vitality

Deities: Artemis, Hera, Pan, Priapus, Bacchus, Flora, Sheela-na-Gig, Cernunnos, Bes

Plants: hawthorn, oak, birch, and rowan trees, forsythia, dandelion, crocus, tulips, violets

Celebrate by: stay out all night in nature, conceive new projects, decorate with greenery, dress trees, make use of flowers, make Hawthorn Brandy, make Beltane bread, build a mini maypole, plant a wish box charm, go A-Maying

Notes: element of Earth. Fire festival.

Litha:

Also called: Vestalia (Roman), Midsummer

Date (n): 21 June*

Date (s): 21 December*

Duration: day of the summer solstice

Celebrates: summer solstice

Origin: Pagan (not agreed upon)

Colours: all that are significant to you

Time for: opposition, light and dark, fire and water, inner power, brightness

Deities: Apollo, Hestia, Juno, Sulis Minerva (Roman-Celtic Goddess), Aten, Horus, Sunna/Sol

Plants: oak tree, mistletoe, herbs, all flowers

Celebrate by: A bonfire, bake, celebrate outdoors, swim, feast, sing, dance, get married

Notes: elements of fire and water. Disputed origin. Some say the ancients didn’t celebrate it at all. Others say the celebration is imported from Southwest Asia. Nonetheless, modern pagans choose to celebrate it.

Lughnasadh:

Also called: Lammas

Date (n): 1 August

Date (s): 1 February

Duration: 1 day

Celebrates: halfway point between the summer solstice and autumn equinox, beginning of the harvest season

Origin: Celtic

Colours: green, gold, yellow, orange

Time for: abundance, gratitude, sun, light

Deities: Demeter, Ceres, Mercury, Pomona, Lugh, Osiris

Plants: all grains, meadowsweet, mint, sunflower, calendula

Celebrate by: bake bread, collect seeds, give thanks

Notes: Lammas is traditionally celebrated on 1 August, but “in recent centuries some of the celebrations shifted to the Sundays nearest this date.” Fire festival.

Mabon:

Also called: autumn equinox

Date (n): 21 September*

Date (s): 21 March*

Duration: can be celebrated on any or all of the days from 15-30 September (15-30 March)

Celebrates: autumn equinox

Origin: modern pagan, disputed origin

Colours: red, orange, yellow, brown, gold

Time for: balance, masculine and feminine, light and dark, inner and outer

Deities: Artemis, Dionysus, Orion, Odin, Pomona, Diana, Cernunnos, Pakhet, All Gods and Goddesses of the vine

Plants: apples, ivy vines, pine cones, gourds, pomegranates

Celebrate by: pick apples, make apple pie, feast, long walk in the woods to clear your mind, arts and crafts

Notes: none.

Samhain:

Also called: Sauin (Manx Gaelic)

Date (n): 31 October – 1 November

Date (s): 30 April – 1 May

Duration: evening of first day, all the next day

Celebrates: the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter, halfway point between the autumn equinox and winter solstice

Origin: Celtic

Colours: black, orange, purple

Time for: divination, the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest, point of death, is followed by rebirth,

Deities: Demeter, Hades, Freyja, Hel, the Morrigan, Anubis, Osiris

Plants: pumpkin, acorn, apple, hazel, ash, birch, and oak trees

Celebrate by: bonfires, feasting, honour your ancestors and loved ones who have passed, practice divination, reflect on the past and think of new beginnings,

Notes: the last sabbat of the witches’ year. If you’re new to Samhain, I am BEGGING you to google how it’s pronounced. Seriously, you’ll thank me later. As Samhain is the final harvest of three yearly, it is seen as the point of death. Fire festival.

Sources (Skip to conclusion for important info!):

Wikipedia

Witchipedia

Wikipedia (es, Yule)

Learn Religions

Moonlit Priestess

Learn Religions (Yule Deities)

History.com

Wikipedia (es, Imbolc)

The Goddess and the Green Man

Learn Religions (Imbolc Deities)

Note for Imbolc, word for word, here

Wikipedia (es, Ostara)

Wicca Living

Note for Ostara, word for word, here

Learn Religions (Ostara Deities)

Wikipedia (Beltane)

The Goddess and the Green Man (Beltane)

Learn Religions (Beltane Flowers)

Learn Religions (Beltane Deities)

The Goddess and the Green Man (Litha)

Green Haven Tradition

Learn Religions (Litha)

13moons

Spheres of Light

Boston Public Library (Litha)

Learn Religions (Litha Deities)

Wikipedia (es, Lammas)

Wikipedia (es, Lughnasadh)

Note for Lughnasadh, word for word, here

Learn Religions (Lammas/Harvest Deities)

The Goddess and the Green Man (Lammas)

Wikipedia (es, Mabon)

Boston Public Library (Mabon)

The Goddess and the Green Man (Mabon)

Holidays Calendar

Mumbles and Things (Mabon Duration)

Learn Religions (Mabon Deities, 1)

Learn Religions (Mabon Deities, 2)

Wikipedia (Samhain)

The Goddess and the Green Man (Samhain)

Magical Recipes Online (Samhain Deities)

“The Wheel of the Year is an annual cycle of seasonal festivals, observed by many modern Pagans, consisting of the year's chief solar events (solstices and equinoxes) and the midpoints between them.” N and S stand for Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, respectively. An asterisk next to a date means it varies depending on the year and that the date is an estimate. The colours signify Greek, Norse, Roman, Celtic, Egyptian, and Germanic deities. Italian, Hindu, Ashanti, Assyrian, Sumerian, Semitic, Phrygean, Shinto, Zulu, Aztec, Hopi, Japanese, and British deities can be found in the Learn Religions links. Also, I tried my best for Litha, but finding information was so hard! If anyone wants to update that part, I encourage you to message me!

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steve0discusses · 4 years ago

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Yugioh S5 Ep 17: Joey Falling Down for 20 Minutes

It is HOT in my house and so I’m going to do my best but no promises!

It’s a holiday weekend, which usually means I should catch up on work that’s falling behind, but today means that it is too hot to do anything but talk about this weird arc of Yugioh. One where, in case you forgot, we are in an isekai that takes place in an Egyptian pyramid that is in the Northern part of India. Oh, and this isekai was made by Alexander the Freakin Great. Don’t worry about it.

What’s weird about this, is that we are definitely in that anime video game isekai genre, but we are actually in less of an isekai realm than normal Yugioh. There’s no game stats. There’s no game rules. Just these pokemon tubes we shoot at other monsters and we just let them do whatever. Kinda like a reverse isekai if you will.

This arc definitely has more of a Rated G quality to it, it’s trying really hard to capture that Wile E. Coyote feel. And does it hit it? No, not really, which is a shame because we would all like to see an Emperor’s New Groove style of wackiness applied to any show, honestly. But, instead, we get so many dry one liners out of Joey Wheeler who is like side-eyeing the camera like “nyeh, remember when this show was grimdark?”

(read more under the cut)

At some point last episode Joey Wheeler got abducted by this bird, who is a mother of this many children.

I don’t know why anyone in their right mind would be like “yes, Joey is delicious” but these birds will try to eat Joey for the rest of this episode. Some sort of crazy pheromone is going on with his shampoo, and they want all of it.

Faced with the end of this gimmick we are introduced to that convenient tree branch that is in basically every animated show with a freefall in it, but something about Yugioh feels just real enough to make this particular splat....REALLY painful looking.

And after this series of random events, we get yet another convenient plot device.

Usually you have to go out and find your MacGuffin, but in the case of Joey Wheeler the MacGuffin got tired of waiting and just went out to greet him.

Alexander the Great’s free time sure is something else if he just made a magical D&D campaign with monsters and stuff and then just...never used it. He just decided to leave this here for hundreds of years later. Just cuz he was too busy taking over the middle East and romancing just so many people, I guess?

Haunted D&D game for sale, never used.

We are finally introduced with a rule to this game, and the rule is: You will die. Does that mean now their Pokemon run is Nuzlocke?

Man...I think I have used a Nuzlocke joke on this blog here before but like it just really changes the dynamics of Pokemon if they can freakin die and then Ash Ketchum also freakin dies.

Like take this orange “baby” dragon with pecks that are the size of hubcaps. If it freakin dies, so does Joey Wheeler.

Joey of course, can’t truly walk anymore, so it’s a good thing he’s letting baby dragon do all the work.

Meanwhile, in the woods, Yugi is getting attacked by a bunch of trees and that just makes sense.

These Deku trees look so much like something out of a Adult Swim show but I cannot put my finger on what it is. I think it’s that hair. It has strong vibes to something I watched in my youth...but I don’t know what it was at all.

Anyway, trapped in a small corner, Yami gets his second monster to bond with his entire soul, and it’s exactly the sort of thing he’d get really excited about.

This animation of Yami smiling as he stares into the horrific fire he started in the woods to burn so many sentient trees is very on point for Yugioh.

Never let Yami back into California.

Straight up fire season is a few months going now, and I’m already so tired of the endless anxiety that is fire season.

Meanwhile, Joey has gone to a waterfall, most likely in order to ice his crotch from falling directly onto a tree branch.

Coincidentally, he finds yet another MacGuffin. And like, I guess this is because of Joey being lucky, but it’s extremely kid’s show because stuff just keeps happening.

Baby Dragon sets Joey Wheeler on fire again (FREAKIN FIRE) and honestly...how many times are we going to set Joey Wheeler on fire in this show? We’ve had a literal fireball, fire golem, that god card that was just a fire bird, and like...an actual volcano last season?

Is Joey made out of asbestos?

Good thing Kaiba isn’t here to completely disregard this map, but although they’re certainly better about finding out where to go than a Kaiba...they ain’t good at it.

Tea and Tristan spend this whole episode fighting a giant merman. It felt a lot like card stuff so I skipped most of it, just know the big thing was that Tea remembered that her pokemon can heal Tristan. And that was a little weird because Tristan was like “That’s the GOOD STUFF give me MORE OF THAT” and it’s like...would it actually feel a little bit like drugs?

I mean it would, right?

And then, as it looked like they were about to die, the episode ended with a mysterious man using his monster to save them, that’s right, it’s the only other person it could possibly be.

Not Kaiba, I know. We all wish it were, but it appears that Seto got grounded this arc, and when he was like “Roland! We are going to India!” Mokuba and everyone else in that office promptly hid the keys to the wifejet by flushing them directly down Seto’s dragon-shaped toilet.

Instead it’s just Grandpa.

Pretty sure Kaiba’s voice actor went on vacation during this arc, from what I’ve heard.

PS, as you can see--I numbered the episodes wrong. We are on 17 now. I have no idea how that happened. I don’t know where I went wrong. I will probably not fix it.

Like seriously how do I keep misnumbering these episodes, haha.

Anyway, hope y’all have a safe holiday weekend for those that celebrate, and if you want to see fireworks, go to a show done by a licensed professional (not your weird cousin), or get a good score in Super Mario, or watch it on TV. Overall, don’t be the dumbass that burns down half of California! And have a good time!

And if you aren’t doing anything this weekend, or you’re just new to the blog--hello! You can read all of these episodes from S1 Ep1 using this link.

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

#Yugioh #ygo #yu gi oh #episode recap #photo recap #capsule monsters #yugi muto #joey wheeler #S5 #Ep 17 #Tea Gardner #Baby Dragon #a bunch of deku trees #And just like in Zelda they hella died on you #Deku trees are rude

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foxtailapp · 4 years ago

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7 Exciting Ancient Sex Rituals Taking Pleasure to 100

Ancient Sex rituals were more common than you think. Many naively believe that people have led a puritanical way of life in ancient times and tried not to raise the subject of sex. On the contrary, some ancient civilizations openly embraced sex and even organized festivals and rituals in its honor, most of which are now considered sexual perversions.

Top 7 Ancient Sex Rituals

A lesbian holiday in Ancient Greece

The feast of Aphrodisia, the Aphrodite , celebrated in Thessaly, was lesbian and began with erotic flogging. Then the women threw off their clothes and bathed in the sea. Coming ashore, the "horse-goddesses" pleased each other in all possible ways. Men were not allowed to the ceremony.

Bacchanalia in Ancient Rome

Once upon a time, March 17 was considered the most shameless day of the year in the Roman Empire. We are talking about the spring holiday of rebirth - the Roman Bacchanalia. The sexual activities of the Romans were especially violent in the bacchanals. Married women, admirers of Bacchus, seduced young men. Over time, the Bacchantes went so far as to deprive their own sons of innocence.

During the Bacchic orgies, everyone copulated with everyone, including men with men. Anyone who refused to participate in lewdness was killed. The sect consisted mainly of people of high origin. Since the Romans were liberated in matters of sex, practices such as coitus, cunnilingus, masturbation, and fellatio have been passed down to modern times.

Roman sadists, pioneers in ancient sex

In Rome, sexual orgies were often accompanied by sadomasochism. The emperors practiced savage cruelty and terrible torture. Caligula was excited only if he saw the blood and torment of other people. By his order, slaves and servants their hands cut off, were tortured, and sawed in half.

The Roman Emperor Nero would dress in animal skins and attack men and women tied to pillars, raping them. Then his lover, Dorimach, would perform homosexual acts with tyrants.

Cruelty was not only inflicted onto people, but to animals as well. In those days, bestiality was also widespread. The animals were specially trained to mate with females. If the girls or women resisted, then the animal attempted rape. Various animals were trained for such events: bulls, giraffes, leopards and cheetahs, wild boars, zebras, stallions, donkeys, huge dogs, monkeys, and others. All these animals copulated with humans both vaginally and anally.

The fall into sin of the clergy in Europe

The clergy violated the commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery." In 1501, fifty prostitutes attended a festival in the palace of Pope Alexander VI. The ladies danced with the guests, and by the end of the evening, they were completely naked. Chestnuts were thrown at their feet. The prostitutes would pick up the fruits, crawling on all fours. The reward for the one who committed the greatest number of acts with courtesans was precious jewelry.

In 1561, the Italian Priest Pietro Leon was accused of having a connection with hundreds of sisters. He made beautiful nuns undress and swim naked. The sinner watched the sisters and then, getting angry enough, covered the girls in turn .

Feast "Elysian Mysteries" in Ancient Greece

In autumn, the Greeks celebrated the Elysian Mysteries for nine days. A procession of several thousand people, decorated with myrtle branches, marched to the sea to perform bathing and cleansing. Copulation was an integral part of the ritual. On the sixth day, the participants walked from Athens to Elysium, carrying burning torches and ears of the new harvest. There began noisy, merry festivities with abundant libations. Incest was part of the celebration. The priests obliged women to refrain from sexual intercourse for nine days before the mystery. This was advised so that their sexual tension would unleash to the fullest extent possible during the holiday.

Ancient Greece did not know a prohibition on masturbation either. The revered sage Diogenes, according to legend, loved to do this in the public market.

Homosexual relationships were seen as a natural complement to male love and friendship, and such an adult-adolescent relationship was seen as mentoring. Simply because it creates lively affections between the mentor and mentee.

Toys for adults in the ancient world

Archaeologists claim that toys for adults were trendy among the ancients. The oldest stone dildo is estimated to be 26,000 years old. The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra even used a vibrator made of a hollow pumpkin filled with live bees.

Ancient sex practices of Greeks and Romans not only used dildos but also tried to modernize them in every possible way. They invented leather covers for wooden and stone sex toys. According to surviving written sources from that time, Greek women staged a sex strike during the Peloponnesian War because the import of quality leather dildos stopped.

Ancient Sex in China: Sex toys and BDSM

Many in ancient China believed in Taoism where women and men were divided into Yin and Yang - the female and male principles - respectively. The act of making love in this country was called "the art of the bedroom" and was presented as an exchange of energies.

They believed that people should not only preserve Yang but also maximize feminine Yin. Monogamy seemed to be a cultural norm among the poor, while the rich believed that it would lead to serious illness or death. Men did not hesitate to use the services of prostitutes - they were called the givers of Yang .

Virgins were considered the personification of evil on earth because they did not want to share their energy. The Chinese aristocrats considered sadism a way to release negative energy - it was available to both women and men.

Attitudes towards masturbation were quite different between genders. For a man, it was forbidden because it promised unnecessary waste of Yang , while the woman was considered an inexhaustible source of Yin. Women from wealthy families used ivory dildos. Cheaper options were made of noble wood and varnish.

There is nothing shameful in satisfying your desires because it is natural in human nature. The very desire to satisfy ourselves has been present within us for centuries. It is the acceptance of pursuing our desires by cultural norms that changes over time. Therefore, do not try to adapt to modern public opinion. We have a history practicing unusual ways of self-satisfaction and even whole holidays and events dedicated to this. Be yourself, enjoy your life and try new or ancient sex practices. After all, your desires should be a priority for you.

Wanna learn about kink practices of modern times, that you will love?

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fans-of-the-damned · 4 years ago

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👌Name(s)?👏Pronouns?🔐Relationship Status?🌈Orientation(s)?🐉Zodiac Sign?🌌What animal year were you born?💅Do you wear makeup?😳Any way to make you blush?✨Favourite aesthetic?👀Celebrity crush?💝Favourite Colour(s)?🔮Any advice you would have given 10 y/o you?🌅Are you a morning or night person?🍀Whats your favourite season?🍺Favourite drink?🎃Favourite holiday?🎁Birthday?🎗Are you religious?🔗Are you a safe person to talk to about *XYZ*?🚩What country are you from?⚡Ever had a Greek Mythology

👌My actual name? Cassie

👌My Nickname? Kaley, Sea, Laf

👏Pronouns? She/her/they/them

🔐Relationship status? Single as shit (anyone wanna fix that? Lol)

🌈Orientation? Demi Pan Nonbinary

🐉Zodiac? Gemini!

🌌Animal born under? Uhh Dog? (1994)

💅Makeup? Yes, occasionally more for cosplay then every day but I do put some on for dates/events

😳Blush? Oh sheeeet....uhhh anything Sexual really? Like I was a mess reading romeo and juliet but also any kind of compliment or nice words.... basically just be nice and I'm a blushy stuttery mess

✨Asthetic? I'm old I'm not sure what this means 100% but....soft? Comfy? But like....idk...?

👀Celebrity crush? DAVEED DIGGS that man....ooof 👉👈🥰🥰🥰🥰😊😊😊😊💜💖💜💖

💝Favorite color(s)? Purple, blue, green, red and black

🔮Advice for 10y/o me? Ooof don't be a dick? Things get worse before they get better? Look into colleges and programs you want to do before youre a year away from going?

🌅Morning or night? Night, definitely night!

🍀Favorite season? Fall, or spring! Not to hot or too cold!

🍺Favorite drink? Uhhh alcohol: seagrums or white wine non alcoholic: coffee, mint tea or Baja blast mt dew

🎃Holiday? Oof uhhh Christmas but I also love halloween

🎁Birthday? June 16, 1994

🎗️Religious? Yes but actually no tho: lemme explain; I'm Pagen, wiccan to be exact, but I don't follow it close/to any extent (mainly because I can't)

🔗Are you safe to talk to? YES! COME TO ME FOR ANYTHING! IM ALWAYS HERE! (this goes for everyone!)

🚩Country? The fuckin US and I hate it 🤬🤬🤬🤬

⚡Ever had a greek mythology? Uhhh? What? Obsession? Yes but I also had one with Roman Norse and Egyptian myths as well(I just love mythology and the mythos in general)

#asks #Eliza(rd)

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bountyofbeads · 5 years ago

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Coronavirus Live Updates: Beijing Sets Stringent New Quarantine Rules https://nyti.ms/2P8fTVJ

Coronavirus Live Updates: Beijing Sets Stringent New Quarantine Rules

The mandate came as the Chinese government disclosed that hundreds of medical workers who had been helping combat the coronavirus outbreak had become infected and at least six had died.

RIGHT NOW: Beijing demands that all who enter its boundaries isolate themselves for 14 days, or “be held accountable according to law.”

READ UPDATES IN CHINESE: 新冠病毒疫情最新消息汇总

Here’s what you need to know:

Seeking to protect the city from a major outbreak, Beijing imposes new quarantine rules.

Chinese state-run television announced on its website on Friday evening that everyone returning to Beijing would be required to isolate themselves for 14 days.

Anyone who does not comply “shall be held accountable according to law,” according to a text of the order released by state television. The order was issued by a Communist Party “leading group” at the municipal level, not the national Communist Party.

It was the latest sign that China’s leaders were still struggling to set the right balance between restarting the economy and continuing to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the country’s top officials met and issued orders that included a mandate to help people to return to workplaces from their hometowns. Tens of millions had gone home to celebrate Lunar New Year holidays before the government acknowledged the seriousness of the epidemic. They have faced local government checkpoints on the way back to work and then lengthy quarantines upon their return to big cities.

But while national leaders may be worried that travel restrictions and quarantines may be preventing companies from finding enough workers to resume full production, that did not stop Beijing municipal leaders from further tightening controls on Friday evening in the city.

The policy may reduce the chances that people returning from the hinterlands could infect the country’s elite.

The new rules also require those returning to the city to give advance warning of their arrival to the authorities in their residential area. China maintained extensive controls on citizens’ movements under Mao, and some of the institutions and rules from that period have been re-emerging lately.

Even before Beijing issued its new rules, so-called neighborhood committees had been playing an increasingly assertive role across the country, including in Shanghai. They have been demanding that recent returnees isolate themselves for 14 days upon arrival, venturing out for little except food.

On the front lines of China’s war against the coronavirus, doctors face grave risks.

In the hospital where Yu Yajie works, nurses, doctors and other medical professionals fighting the new coronavirus have also been fighting dire shortages. They have used tape to patch up battered protective masks, repeatedly reused goggles meant for one-time use, and wrapped their shoes in plastic bags for lack of specialized coverings.

Ms. Yu is now lying at home, feverish and fearful that she has been infected with the virus. She and other employees at the hospital said a lack of effective protective wear had left medical workers like her vulnerable in Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the heart of the epidemic that has engulfed this region.

“There are risks — there simply aren’t enough resources,” Ms. Yu, an administrator at Wuhan Central Hospital, said in a brief telephone interview, adding that she was too weak to speak at length.

Chinese medical workers at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus epidemic are often becoming its victims, in part because of government missteps and logistical hurdles.

The strength — or vulnerability — of China’s medical workers could shape how well the Communist Party weathers its worst political crisis in years. Li Wenliang, a doctor, died from the coronavirus last week, after he had been punished by the police for warning friends of the outbreak. His death ignited a wave of fury in China, where he was lionized as a medical martyr to officials who put political control ahead of health.

[THE TOLL ON MEDICAL WORKERS: SEE BELOW: The Chinese government has for the first time disclosed the toll the outbreak was taking on hospital employees.]

More Americans could be tested for coronavirus.

Health officials in the United States will begin testing some people with flulike symptoms for infection with the coronavirus.

Patients in five cities will be tested if their flu tests are negative, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said at a news briefing on Friday.

Health officials will use a nationwide surveillance network already set up to track influenza, she said. The five cities are Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

“We need to be prepared for the possibility it will spread,” Dr. Messonnier said.

So far, there have been 15 coronavirus cases in the United States.

Two bloggers who criticized China’s response to the virus have vanished from Wuhan.

They had recorded dozens of videos from Wuhan, streaming unfiltered and often heartbreaking images from the center of the outbreak. Long lines outside hospitals. Feeble patients. Agonized relatives.

Now, two video bloggers whose dispatches from the heart of the outbreak showed fear, grief and dissatisfaction with the government have gone silent.

Videos made by Fang Bin and Chen Qiushi were another manifestation of the dissatisfaction that the government’s handling of the outbreak has unleashed among ordinary Chinese citizens.

A 40-minute video about the coronavirus outbreak propelled Mr. Fang, a local clothing salesman, to internet fame. Then, less than two weeks later, he disappeared.

Friends and family of Mr. Chen, a lawyer from eastern China, said they believed he had been forcibly quarantined.

[ NO LONGER SILENT: The videos reflected a growing call for free speech in China in recent Weeks. SEE BELOW]

Africa has its first confirmed coronavirus case.

The first coronavirus case on the African continent was reported in Egypt on Saturday when the Egyptian health ministry reported that an infected person had been placed in isolation in a hospital.

In a statement, the ministry said the patient was a foreigner but did not specify a nationality. The World Health Organization in Egypt said on Twitter that the person was carrying the virus but had not shown any symptoms.

Several African countries have stepped up screening at airports and other ports of entry in recent weeks over fears that nations with weak health care systems, especially those already battling diseases like malaria and ebola, are particularly vulnerable.

Sixteen countries have the capacity to test for the coronavirus and another 20 will come online by Feb. 20, Dr. John Nkengasong, director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Friday.

China and Africa have become intertwined in the last two decades as China has expanded its political, economic, and military ties to Africa, attracting large numbers of Chinese workers to the continent and increasing the risk of the virus spreading there.

[ ANGST IN AFRICA: Experts worry that the coronavirus outbreak could overrun already-strained health systems in Africa. SEE WEBSITE or My TIMELINE]

As the Summer Olympics in Japan approaches, Coronavirus concerns inject uncertainty.

International Olympic Committee officials on Friday said that the Summer Games in Tokyo would go on as planned, citing discussions with the World Health Organization.

“Certainly the advice we have received externally from the W.H.O. is that there is no case for any contingency plans or canceling the games or moving the games,” John Coates, the head of an I.O.C. inspection team, told reporters. Asked if he was “100 percent confident” that the Games would take place, Mr. Coates said “Yes.”

A spokesman for the World Health Organization said in an emailed statement that the organization was not advising that large gatherings be canceled.

Dr. Michael Ryan, the head of the W.H.O.’s Health Emergencies Program, told reporters at a briefing on Friday that experts were monitoring the situation and no final guidance had been given on the matter.

“It’s not the role of W.H.O. to call off or not call off any event,” Mr. Ryan said, adding that the organization was offering technical advice about risk assessment and response measures.

The Games are scheduled to take place between July 24 and Aug. 9 this summer in Japan, the country that has endured the largest number of coronavirus cases outside China — over 250, including 218 aboard a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama. On Thursday, Japanese authorities announced the country’s first death of a patient who had contracted the virus.

And on Friday, Japan’s health ministry announced that a local government official who earlier this week helped transfer patients with the coronavirus from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Most of the 3,400 anxious passengers and crew of the ship remain onboard in quarantine. More are getting sick — possibly infecting one another — and health officials have raised the possibility of prolonging the quarantine, now set to expire next Wednesday.

The government official, a man in his thirties, helped transfer infected patients from the cruise ship on Monday afternoon, the health ministry said in a statement. The transportation process took about 40 minutes and the man was wearing goggles and a mask.

(SEE MY TIMELINE FOR THE PREVIOUS UPDATES FOR TODAY.)

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China’s Doctors, Fighting the Coronavirus, Beg for Masks

Confronting a viral epidemic with a scant supply of protective equipment, more than 1,700 Chinese medical workers have already been infected, and six have died.

By Chris Buckley, Sui-Lee Wee and Amy Qin | Published Feb. 14, 2020 Updated 1:33 p.m. ET | New York Times | Posted February 14, 2020 |

WUHAN, China — In the hospital where Yu Yajie works, nurses, doctors and other medical professionals fighting the new coronavirus have also been fighting dire shortages. They have used tape to patch up battered protective masks, repeatedly reused goggles meant for one-time use, and wrapped their shoes in plastic bags for lack of specialized coverings.

Ms. Yu is now lying at home, feverish and fearful that she has been infected with the virus. She and other employees at the hospital said a lack of protective wear had left medical workers like her vulnerable in Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the heart of the epidemic that has engulfed this region.

Chinese medical workers at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus epidemic are often becoming its victims, partly because of government missteps and logistical hurdles.

After the virus emerged in Wuhan late last year, city leaders played down its risks, so doctors didn’t take precautions. When the outbreak could no longer be ignored, officials imposed a lockdown on Wuhan that expanded across the surrounding Hubei Province and then swathes of China. The vast travel cordons may have slowed the epidemic, but have also slowed deliveries into Hubei, leaving medical workers short of protective wear.

On Friday, the Chinese government for the first time disclosed the toll the outbreak was taking on hospital employees: 1,716 medical workers had contracted the virus, including 1,502 in Wuhan, and six had died.

The strength — or vulnerability — of China’s medical workers could shape how well the Communist Party weathers its worst political crisis in years. Li Wenliang, a doctor, died from the coronavirus last week, after he had been punished by the police for warning friends of the outbreak. His death ignited fury in China, where he was lionized as a medical martyr to officials who put political control ahead of health.

“Of course I’m nervous about getting infected,” said Cai Yi, head of the division of pain management at Wuhan Central Hospital, the same hospital where Dr. Li had worked. “But if we let ourselves be nervous, then what would happen to the people?”

China’s president and Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping, has praised hospital workers in Hubei as heroes, and mobilized the country in a “people’s war” against the coronavirus. But hospital workers in Wuhan said they often felt frustrated and alone.

Some have scrambled to buy protective gear with their own money, begged from friends, or relied on donations from other parts of China and abroad. Others have avoided eating and drinking for long stretches because going to the toilet meant discarding safety gowns that they would not be able to replace. Younger staff are assigned to the more critical cases, with the expectation that if they get sick they would be more likely to recover.

Even as Chinese officials disclosed how many medical workers had been sickened and killed by the virus, key questions remain, experts said, including how the workers became infected and whether the rate of transmission was slowing. Such omissions could make it more difficult for other countries to assess and reduce their own risks.

“Clearly it would have been useful for other parts of China who are beginning to struggle with this outbreak as well for the rest of the world to have these types of data as soon as possible,” said Malik Peiris, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said it is seeking more information about the time period and circumstances surrounding the infections of health care workers.

“This is a critical piece of information, because health workers are the glue that holds the health system and outbreak response together,” Dr. Tedros said.

Doctors and other hospital workers have also come under pressure not to speak out. But many do, out of desperation.

“For the first time, I felt helpless confronting the system,” Chang Le, a doctor at Hankou Hospital in Wuhan, said in an online message pleading for more medical masks. His plea was deleted by the censors. “It’s only today that I’ve grasped just how hard it is for us front line medical workers.”

The Chinese government has acknowledged problems in medical supplies for Hubei, and repeatedly promised to accelerate deliveries.

Strains in medical supplies may have been unavoidable as the virus spread at a pace that seemed to catch the government off guard. But the sweeping restrictions across China to contain the virus also slowed production and delivery of much-needed medical equipment, said doctors, factory managers, and aid workers.

Pervasive road checks and travel restrictions have held up shipments. Factories have faced difficulty increasing production because workers and raw materials have been blocked by lockdowns. Local governments have hoarded supplies. China’s state-controlled Red Cross has dominated distribution of donations, creating a bottleneck that infuriated hospital employees.

With medical supplies so scarce, many health care workers in Wuhan also said they had to accept substandard gowns, gloves and masks. Outside the Wuhan Fourth Hospital, medical workers waited near a truck as a delivery man in a full-body medical suit handed down boxes of masks and gowns. One hospital worker explained that the gowns were not of a high enough grade to withstand a viral contagion.

“But this is all we could get,” she said. She declined to give her name. “We just have to accept what they send us.”

Life has become a scramble, many said: treating patients for much of the day; hunting for protective gear for the rest. The shortage has forced employees, like Dr. Chang, from the city’s hospitals to appeal for donations of N95 masks — a type of respirator best suited to guarding against viruses — and other personal protective equipment on Chinese social media sites.

Dr. Peng Zhiyong, 53, head of the department of critical care medicine at Wuhan University’s Zhongnan Hospital, said in an interview this week that his team was running dangerously low on full-body medical suits and masks. “We can only get one break during the entire day,” he said. “Just one, to drink water and eat. Because if you leave, you don’t have any new suits to get back into.”

The first time the authorities publicly acknowledged a problem with medical worker infections was on Jan. 20, when an official expert revealed that 14 had been infected by a single patient. Until the government released details on Friday, details were scattershot, emerging in studies and news reports.

Dr. Peng and other researchers wrote that 40 health care professionals at his hospital had been infected in January, a third of the cases included in a study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A 61-year-old doctor died nine days after contracting the virus from a patient, according to a report by the newspaper China Philanthropy Times.

Another doctor had started to show symptoms early last month, before medical professionals knew to take extra precautions, according to the state-run Health Times newspaper. He died this past Monday.

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS outbreak of 2002-2003, infections of medical workers became a source of anger after the government suppressed information for months. These workers made up 15 percent of confirmed cases, according to an expert, Xu Dezhong, quoted by Xinhua, China’s official news agency. About 1 percent of the medical workers infected with SARS died.

The pleas from hospitals across Hubei have inspired an outpouring of donations from Chinese businesses, workers and charities. But the surge in demand for medical equipment has been hard for suppliers to meet, especially under the lockdown.

Officials in the city of Xiantao in Hubei at first told some companies making protective medical clothing and masks that their factories could not reopen until Feb. 14. An outcry followed, and the city’s officials relented on Monday, saying that 73 of the companies could resume operations.

The roads to Hubei are also full of hurdles. In theory, the government has created “green channels” to speed through trucks carrying masks, gowns and equipment. In practice, local officials and police can hold up journeys.

One truck driver recounted being stopped 14 times for body temperature checks when he set out from Wuhan to pick up medical supplies, The Beijing News, a state-run Chinese newspaper, reported.

Guo Fei, a 27-year-old entrepreneur who has been helping to buy and deliver supplies to hospitals in Xiaogan, a city in Hubei, said his team was held by the police for around eight hours in a neighboring province, Jiangxi, when they went there to pick up an order of hygienic gloves. The police seemed to be acting for local officials who wanted to retain the supplies for their area, he said.

“I can accept government controls,” he said, “but not local protectionism.”

Doctors also criticized bureaucracy for clogging up distribution. Many donations of medical supplies must be funneled through the Red Cross, and the organization — understaffed and overwhelmed — has struggled.

In a furious social media post, Dr. Chang, the doctor at the Hankou Hospital, described his experience trying to get 10,000 N95 respirator masks from the Red Cross. He was eventually given more than 9,000 masks of inferior quality, he said.

“I just wanted to cry,” he said at the end of his video message.

Premier Li Keqiang of China, who oversees a policy team for the crisis, said in early February that “unified national management” would help overcome equipment shortages.

Just a week later, China’s Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party’s top most council, said problems with insufficient beds, medical personnel and other medical resources persisted across Hubei. According to official data from the province, deliveries of high-quality masks and other items have accelerated in recent days.

The country’s health facilities are not only facing an acute shortage of personal protective equipment — they may also be using the wrong gear.

Health workers in China generally have been following the W.H.O.’s guidelines to use so-called “standard precautions” which include surgical masks, rather than more expensive N95 masks, to cover their mouths and noses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the other hand, has instructed health care providers to use N95s, which block out much smaller particles than surgical masks do.

Until conditions markedly improve, medical workers will still be forced to make hard adjustments. Dr. Cai, from Wuhan Central Hospital, said he has assigned younger medical workers to treat coronavirus patients to avoid endangering more seasoned employees. “To be honest, if older doctors get infected, their immune system is much weaker,” he said.

Dr. Peng of Zhongnan Hospital said more attention had to be paid to the fate of medical workers. “Because when the country doesn’t have any more medical workers, then what hope is there left?”

______

Sui-Lee Wee reported from Singapore. Elsie Chen contributed research from Wuhan. Roni Caryn Rabin contributed reporting from New York. Amber Wang, Wang Yiwei and Zoe Mou contributed research from Beijing.

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They Documented the Coronavirus Crisis in Wuhan. Then They Vanished.

Two video bloggers whose dispatches from the heart of the outbreak showed fear, grief and dissatisfaction with the government have gone silent.

By Vivian Wang | Published Feb. 14, 2020 Updated 6:16 a.m. ET | New York Times | Posted February 14, 2020 |

HONG KONG — The beige van squatted outside of a Wuhan hospital, its side and back doors ajar. Fang Bin, a local clothing salesman, peered inside as he walked past. He groaned: “So many dead.” He counted five, six, seven, eight body bags. “This is too many.”

That moment, in a 40-minute video about the coronavirus outbreak that has devastated China, propelled Mr. Fang to internet fame. Then, less than two weeks later, he disappeared.

Days earlier, another prominent video blogger in Wuhan, Chen Qiushi, had also gone missing. Mr. Chen’s friends and family said they believed he had been forcibly quarantined.

Before their disappearances, Mr. Fang and Mr. Chen had recorded dozens of videos from Wuhan, streaming unfiltered and often heartbreaking images from the center of the outbreak. Long lines outside hospitals. Feeble patients. Agonized relatives.

The footage would have been striking anywhere. But it was especially so coming from inside China, where even mild criticism of the authorities is quickly scrubbed from the online record, and those responsible for it often punished.

The appetite for the videos reflects, in part, the shortage of independent news sources in China, where professional newspapers are tightly controlled by the authorities. Earlier this month, the state propaganda department deployed hundreds of journalists to reshape the narrative of the outbreak.

But the videos also reflected the growing call for free speech in China in recent weeks, as the coronavirus crisis has prompted criticism and introspection from unexpected corners across the country.

Several professional news organizations have produced incisive reports on the outbreak. A revolt against government censorship broke out on Chinese social media last week after the death of Li Wenliang, the Wuhan doctor who had tried to warn of the virus before officials had acknowledged an outbreak.

Mr. Fang’s and Mr. Chen’s videos were another manifestation of the dissatisfaction that the government’s handling of the outbreak has unleashed among ordinary Chinese citizens.

“When suddenly there’s a crisis, they want to have access to a wider array of content and reporting,” said Sarah Cook, who studies Chinese media at Freedom House, a pro-democracy research group based in the United States.

The disappearance of the two men also underscores that the ruling Communist Party has no intention of loosening its grip on free speech.

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, said last month that officials needed to “strengthen the guidance of public opinion.” While Chinese social media has overflowed with fear and grief, state propaganda outlets have emphasized Mr. Xi’s steady hand, framed the fight against the outbreak as a form of patriotism and shared upbeat videos of medical workers dancing.

More than 350 people across China have been punished for “spreading rumors” about the outbreak, according to Chinese Human Rights Defenders, an advocacy group.

Mr. Chen, a fast-talking, fresh-faced lawyer from eastern China, was already well-known online before the outbreak. He traveled to Hong Kong during the pro-democracy protests last year and disputed the Chinese authorities’ depiction of the demonstrators as a riotous mob.

The Beijing authorities summoned him back to the mainland and deleted his social media accounts, Mr. Chen told his followers later.

But when the coronavirus led officials to seal off Wuhan last month, he raced to the city of 11 million, citing his duty as a self-declared citizen journalist. “What sort of a journalist are you if you don’t dare rush to the front line?” he said.

In his videos, which drew millions of views on YouTube, Mr. Chen interviewed locals who had lost loved ones, filmed a woman breaking down as she waited for care and visited an exhibition center that had been converted into a quarantine center.

He was blocked from WeChat, a major Chinese social media app, for spreading rumors. But he was adamant that he shared only what he himself had seen or heard.

As time went on, Mr. Chen, usually energetic, began to show strain. “I am scared,” he said on Jan. 30. “In front of me is the virus. Behind me is China’s legal and administrative power.”

The authorities had contacted his parents to ask for his whereabouts, he said. He teared up suddenly. Then, his finger pointing at the camera, he blurted: “I’m not even scared of death. You think I’m scared of you, Communist Party?”

On Feb. 6, Mr. Chen’s friends lost contact with him. Xu Xiaodong, a prominent mixed martial arts practitioner and a friend of Mr. Chen, posted a video on Feb. 7 saying that Mr. Chen’s parents had been told that their son had been quarantined, though he had not shown symptoms of illness.

Unlike Mr. Chen, Mr. Fang, the clothing salesman, was fairly anonymous before the coronavirus outbreak. Much of his YouTube activity had involved producing enthusiastic videos about traditional Chinese clothing.

But as the outbreak escalated, he began sharing videos of Wuhan’s empty streets and crowded hospitals. They lacked the slickness of Mr. Chen’s dispatches, which were often subtitled and tightly edited. But, as with Mr. Chen’s videos, they showed a man growing increasingly desperate — and defiant.

On Feb. 2, Mr. Fang described how officials had confiscated his laptop and interrogated him about his footage of the body bags. On Feb. 4, he filmed a group of people outside his home, who said they were there to ask him questions. He turned them away, daring them to break down his door.

In his final videos, Mr. Fang turned explicitly political in a way rarely heard inside China, at least in public. Filming from inside his home — he said he was surrounded by plainclothes policemen — he railed against “greed for power” and “tyranny.”

曾錚 Jennifer Zeng@jenniferatntd

Virtually imprisoned at home, #FangBin, who shot that viral "8 bodies in 5 minutes" video of #Wuhan hospital, says the only reason the police hasn't broken in is the world's attention. He cannot stop speaking out. "If they don't come to me, they'll turn to you." #Coronavirus

9:46 PM - Feb 7, 2020

His last video, on Feb. 9, was just 12 seconds long. It featured a scroll of paper with the words, “All citizens resist, hand power back to the people.”

Despite the worldwide audience for Mr. Fang’s and Mr. Chen’s videos, it is hard to know how much reach they had domestically, said Fang Kecheng, an assistant professor of journalism at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Both men relied heavily on YouTube and Twitter, which are blocked in China.

But unlike the torrent of grief and anger online in response to the death of Dr. Li, news of Mr. Chen’s and Mr. Fang’s disappearances has been swiftly stamped out on Chinese social media. Their names returned almost no results on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, on Friday.

Still, Ms. Cook said the power of Mr. Chen’s and Mr. Fang’s videos, as well as the reporting done by professional journalists in Wuhan, should not be underestimated.

She pointed to the Chinese authorities’ decision this week to loosen diagnostic requirements for coronavirus cases, leading to a significant jump in reported infections, as evidence of their impact.

That decision might not have come “if you didn’t have all these people in Wuhan sending out reports that what you’re hearing is an underestimate,” Ms. Cook said. “These very courageous individuals can, in unusual circumstances, push back and force the state’s hand.”

Mr. Fang, in one of his last videos, seemed struck by a similar sentiment. He thanked his viewers, who he said had been calling him nonstop to send support.

“A person, just an ordinary person, a silly person,” he said of himself, “who lifted the lid for a second.”

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joshiesjourney · 6 years ago

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Pesach II

Part two!

First things first, here’s a vocab list for Passover

This post I would like to structure according to my plans for all holidays:

1. Summary:

Pesach (Passover) is a holiday to celebrate and commemorate the delivery of the jewish people from Ancient Egypt where they were enslaved, following the ten plagues God brought upon them.

2. What it’s based on:

The holiday is based on this story:

The jewish people were enslaved by the Egyptians while they were residing in their land. Moses, a levite, survives Pharaoh’s attempt to kill all newborn Hebrew boys as he is adopted into the family of the Pharaoh. He grows up unaware of his heritage, but when he rises to the defense of a Hebrew man who is being beaten by an Egyptian overseer and kills the overseer, he is forced to flee Egypt to the land of Midian.

God speaks to Moses through a bush engulfed in fire that is not burning and he sends him back to Egypt to lead his kindred out of bondage. He meets up with his brother Aaron, who acts as a speaker. Pharaoh refuses to let them go and increases their work load. Through Aaron, Moses and finally on his own, God performs ten plagues upon Egypt: All water becomes blood, a plague of frogs and then of lice occur, wild animals from all over the world stampede through Egypt, disease epidemics strike the animals, boils strike the humans, hail destroys the land, locust swarms consume what is left and finally the world is shrouded in darkness for three days and nights. The last plague is the death of the firstborn son of every Egyptian household, paralleling the killing of the Hebrew infants.

Moses finally can leave, leading his people out of Egypt, however Pharaoh follows them with his army. The climax of the story is the splitting of the Reed Sea, permitting them to pass through and getting the Egyptians stuck/drowning them (depending on translation and interpretation).

3. How celebrate:

Passover goes from 15th of Nisan to 21st/22nd of Nisan, depending on location and part of judaism.

Leading up to Pesach there is the custom some jewish people follow to remove all chametz (leavened bread) from their house and deep clean it to ensure they follow this mitzvah.

On the 14th (or 13th, if the 14th is on Shabbat) there is the mitzvah for the first born child to fast.

On the 15th (or 15th and 16th in some communities) it is custom to have a family Seder (order, arrangement). Here are some things about the Seder that I learned from this resource:

The seder follows an outline given by the Haggadah. Different haggadot exist and different denominations of Judaism will have different expectations at theirs.

The Steps of the Seder

- Order: the Seder has 15 steps, outlined by the Haggadah, same as the 15 steps leading up to the Temple. It is argued that following these steps brings you to a spiritual goal in the same way.

- The fifteen Simanim (Symbols): The system outlining the Seder is actually attributed to either the biblical commenter Rashi or Rabbi Shmuel Falasse. The steps are:

1. Kadesh - Blessing of the wine and the holiday of Passover, drinking of the wine 2. Urchatz - Rinsing of hands with water but without the bracha over washing hands being spoken 3. Karpas - Dipping a vegetable into saltwater and eating it 4. Yachatz - Breaking of the middle matzah (there are three matzot on the plate), leaving the smaller piece here and hiding the larger for a later step 5. Maggid - People are invited to join the Seder and the Four Questions are asked. The Exodus is retold, the mitzvot that make Pesach special are noted, thanks is given to God and another cup of wine is drunk 6. Rachtzah - Before eating matzah the hands are washed again, this time with the blessing 7. Motzi - Blessing (Hamotzi) of the bread while holding the matzah with all ten fingers 8. Matzah - Eating the matzah in a reclined position, indicating the splendor of this meaningful night 9. Maror - Eating of bitter herbs (generally a bitter veggie like horseradish) in rememberance of the bitterness of exile 10. Korech - A sandwich of matzah with bitter herbs is eaten, combining the bitterness of bondage with the glory of freedom 11. Shulchan Orech - Feasting time to celebrate the night 12. Tzafun - Meaning “hidden”, the matzah piece from earlier is brought out again, eaten as the last food of the night 13. Barech - Grace after meals, Bricat HaMazon is recited, drink another cup of wine 14. Hallel - A song to praise and thank the Lord, drink the last cup of wine 15. Nirtzah - The conclusion of the evening, to work towards new good things in the year to come.

- The Seder plate contents:

1. K’arah - The plate itself 2. Zero’ah - The roasted bone (customarily a chicken bone with some meat. Not eaten. At the times of the Temple in Jerusalem Korban Pesach (Pascal lamb) was roasted and the last thing to be eaten at Pesach) 3. Beitzah - (meaning egg) The Chagigah was customarily brought as the main meat of the Seder, today it is replaced with an egg (a symbol of mourning, for the destruction of the Temple) 4. Maror and chazeret - Bitter herbs, often maror is horseradish and chazeret is romaine salad 5. Charoset - Nuts, apples, wine, and cinnamon (aka allergy on a plate) as a reminder of the hard work the jewish people did in Egypt with brick and mortar 6. Karpas - A non bitter vegetable 7. Matzah - The unleavened bread, either right above or right below the Seder plate

4. Deeper Meaning

a) The Goals of the passover Seder

- Telling the events: It is a mitzvah to remember the Exodus and pass it’s knowledge on to the next generation. This story is said to have been told over and over from the time it happened to today - with even haggadot dating back to the middle ages having been found - It keeps the historic memory alive

- Instilling faith: Not only do you tell the story for history’s sake, you use the story telling to remind each other of God’s existence and presence, highlighting the divine intervention that is considered the basic foundation of the jewish belief in God. Through the Seder this knowledge and faith is handed on to the children. By hearing a story where God controls the world and nature rather than being a passive player or philosophically considering God, the divine presence becomes more grippable, more understandable to anyone. But what does it mean to have faith? It is interpreted here that in Judaism, simply believing is not enough, showing is important. In order to truly have a connection to God, as it is obligatory, you are expected to live it and express it. Judaism, from what I have learned and gathered so far, believes very strongly in actions over words, let alone thoughts. Your actions define how others perceive you and mold your spiritual experience in return. Confirming what you believe with actions feeds the faith in return.

-Experiencing freedom: In this feast, it is obligatory to consider the Exodus as if oneself had been part of it, making the story personal to each individual hearing it. This part, where we are obligated by Haggadah and Talmud to view it as if we personally had been part of the Exodus in spirit and soul, is where the idea of the jewish soul comes from: a concept where it is said that all jewish people, including those yet to be born, were present at Mt. Sinai and that people who are meant to become jewish will feel a calling. (Something that to some extend I believe I experience.) Back on topic, by making this a personal experience this source argues that there are two Exodus’ that occur during the Seder: the historical and the spiritual one that occurs every single year during Passover. It is meant to be an experience of the Exodus, allowing for redemption for all who participate.

- Thanksgiving: In light of the question “what if God hadn’t taken us from Egypt” a grim probability opens up; one where the jewish people dwindle out of existence. It is a sobering thought that inspires gratitude. By acknowledging what was done with Dayeinu (”Would have been enough”) it instills a kind of gratitude that is often missing: appreciation of what you have, even if you wish you had more. Appreciation for the existence of a jewish nation and the spiritual freedom God has given.

b) Making Seder meaningful

- Setting the mood: First of all, hospitality goes above all on Pesach. Customarily the poor and the needy would be invited in, today often a big celebration is made where people from family and beyond are invited. Make it special by using the best cloths, cutlery and plates that are specifically for Passover, reclining to demonstrate the freedom they have.

- Piquing the interest of the children: Quite a few things are different on this night than usual (no blessing before washing the hands the first time, hiding the matzah) and it is encouraged for the leader of the Seder to mix things up to keep the children asking questions, the most important thing of all. A curious child can learn. A bored child will not. This holiday is about passing the story of Exodus, the experience of Exodus on.

- The question and answer format: The question “Why is this night different from all other nights?” begins the Haggadah, it is there to make people question the Exodus. It is obligatory to ask it, even if one is alone, so that people start to think and question. Questions are a void that demands filling with answers, inviting learning.

- Tailoring education: The haggadah speaks of four children; the wise, the wicked and the one who does not know how to ask. They represent four ways of educating the next generation, four ways of learning. It is important to make the Haggadah accessible, picking a language everyone speaks and changing things up where needed.

c) Pesach Sacrifice, Matzah and Maror

Without the Temple, there is no Pesach Sacrifice anymore, so it was replaced with a piece of bone with meat on it. Matzah and Maror however are still very much part of the Pesach experience.

Pesach Sacrifice: It signifies the blood that was used to mark the door frames and make God pass over the Hebrew housings during the Exodus, but it also signifies thanks to God for the miraculous birth of the jewish nation. They chose God’s protection and followed God’s plan, leading them to the state of Exodus.

Matzah: Symbolizing the haste that was present when leaving Egypt, not even having time to let the bread rise. It’s unleavened state, which demands haste and enthusiasm to make rather than passiveness symbolizes striving for good and bettering.

Maror: Symbolizing the bitterness of bondage, Maror reminds of the bad that was left behind. The hardship though did form the jewish nation in the end, creating an environment and a people that were willing to accept the freedom, motivating them to pursue betterment.

d) The Four Cups of Wine

Mirroring the four stages of Redemption (‘I brought forth,’ ‘I saved,’ ‘I redeemed,’ and ‘I took’) the four cups represent the divine presence coming into the world and bettering it, changing it. Even in Eden there were four branches of the river, the number four having a lot of symbolism and significance.

There is a fifth cup that is not drunk during the Seder, the Cup of Elijah. It symbolizes the coming of the Messiah, cumstomarily the door is also opened to invite him in. This is the fifth redemption: the redemption in the future.

#jumblr #Pesach #passover #matzah #seder #holidays

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magnusappreciation2kforever · 7 years ago

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MAGNUS APPRECIATION MONTH IS HERE!

IT’S HERE! THE MASTER LIST OF THE MAGNUS APPRECIATION MONTH PROMPTS!

The prompts start tomorrow! Here’s the master list so you can start brainstorming about what you want to do with each prompt! Don’t forget to check out the rules for participating!

An Introduction:

Okay, I’m going to do a little blurb with each one for inspiration so it’s not just throwing a word at people. Here’s the format of each prompt:

Word: (Date of Prompt) This word could mean this. Or maybe this! Or hey, maybe it’s this AU. Or something completely different. But you don’t have to do any of these... Take how it how you want!

remember that you don’t have to follow the suggestions given with each one word prompt, nor do you have to do it exactly the way it says (for example, if it suggests that you could draw something, you can write instead! it’s okay!). they’re just there for inspiration, to throw around some ideas! have some fun with it, do what you’re inspired to!

also: malec is allowed, even encouraged! just try not to make it all about alec and malec. this is magnus appreciation month, after all!

don’t forget to tag everything (especially on tumblr and ao3) with #magnusmonth or #magnus appreciation month

- @thesorrowoflizards

UPDATE: the 27TH was accidentally left off. This has been fixed. Oops!

FIRST WEEK: 1ST THROUGH 7TH

History: (December 1st) Explore Magnus’s past relationships, or write a fic wherein someone mysterious from his past returns. Or write about how Magnus was present for an infamous historical event, or draw him with your favorite historical figure! Or, hey, something completely different- a Pride and Prejudice AU or an arranged marriage. Up to you!

Flowers: (December 2nd) Has anyone every given Magnus flowers? Has he given someone else flowers? What’s his favorite flower, and why? Is he allergic? Or perhaps go into the deep shit: symbolism and flower language.

Music: (December 3rd) Write about Magnus’s relationship with music and dancing, or make a Magnus themed music video. Write a songfic based around one of your favorite songs and how the lyrics might apply to Magnus. Or try writing something about Magnus singing, or attempting to play the charango…

Fashion: (December 4th) Magnus has quite the style. How did he get into fashion and makeup? How did he learn? Did he have any mishaps? What does he like in particular, what are his favorite outfits? Is there any particular jewelry piece or article of clothing that is special to him? Your choice!

Badass: (December 5th) Exactly what it sounds like! Magnus being a BAMF, whether it be on the battlefield (fistfight, magic, or sword? who knows!) or in a diplomatic meeting, or verbally eviscerating someone for being an asshole. Basically, Magnus kicking ass with your choice of weapon!

Marriage: (December 6th) What does Magnus think about marriage? Has Magnus ever wanted to marry someone? Has anyone every proposed to him, or vice versa? Or hey, maybe you’d rather write a fluffy honeymoon fic or draw a Malec wedding. Up to you!

Cat: (December 7th) You could draw Magnus and Chairman Meow, or write a witch and familiar AU, or perhaps even write about how Magnus got his cat. Or you could draw Magnus’s warlock mark, or write about how he feels about his cat eyes. Anything goes!

SECOND WEEK: 8TH THROUGH 14TH

Birthday: (December 8th) All about Magnus’s birthday! Does he know his actual birth date, or just a general time of year? Did one of his friends give him a date to celebrate or his birthday, or does he refuse to celebrate it all? If he does celebrate, how? With who? If he doesn’t, why? Or, hey, just write a fluffy birthday fic. However you want to take it!

Jobs: (December 9th) What sort of jobs has Magnus had over the years? What sort of jobs could he have? Maybe you could write an AU where he’s an author or a marine biologist, or perhaps at some point in his long life he worked in retail or fast food. Ugh. You could draw him as a cop or a lawyer… Or you could focus on his role as the High Warlock of Brooklyn and all the responsibilities it entails… Whatever interests you!

Queer: (December 10th) Queer themes day! Time to break out those LGBTQ headcanons! Write a high school AU wherein Magnus runs a GSA, or all about Magnus being nonbinary or trans. Anything is possible!* You could go into Magnus’s journey of self-discovery, realizing his bisexuality and gaining the confidence to become the out and proud freewheeling man he is, or you could write about the inevitable discrimination he’s faced because of it. Whatever feels right!

Malec: (December 11th) What it says on the tin! How is Alec different than the other relationships Magnus has had? What did Magnus think when they met, or when they got married? Or perhaps a missing scene in the show, or an AU of your choice. You could draw them together, dancing or on a date or whatever you choose. Anything Malec-themed that catches your mind!

School: (December 12th) You could go with the classic high school AU, or perhaps talk about how Magnus learned to control his magic. Or perhaps in his many years, Magnus went to college- where did he go? What did he major in? What classes did he enjoy? Or you could write about the lack of schooling in his early years… struggling with illiteracy due to his upbringing, or learning to read as an adult. Or, go more light-hearted and draw Magnus at Hogwarts, or some other fictional school from a book or TV show you enjoy.

Hero: (December 13th) Who does Magnus look up to? Who looks up to Magnus? Or you could take it in a different direction and make it a superhero AU! What would Magnus’s powers be? What would he look like?

Angel: (December 14th) Magnus has fallen angel blood, which allows him to activate seraph blades and such (perhaps even take runes? who knows). Not to mention the irony of how shadowhunters treat Magnus and other warlocks because they believe that their shadowhunter blood makes them “better”, when in reality, he probably has more angel blood than them. Or you could go a completely different route and write a wing AU, or draw Magnus as an angel! It’s totally up to you.

THIRD WEEK: 15TH THROUGH 21ST

Friends: (December 15th) Let’s explore Magnus’s platonic relationships. How does he spend time with his friends? How often do they meet up? What do they do together? How did he meet them? Do they have any inside jokes? Or you could draw them together, perhaps even draw Magnus and his immortal friends in another era. Whatever catches your fancy!

Father: (December 16th) You could write a fluffy future fic, or a single dad meet-cute. You could draw a Malec family scene, or even just Magnus with one of his downworlder kids. Or instead, you could draw Asmodeous lurking in the shadows, or write about and explore Magnus’s dark heritage. Or, hey, go a different route. Whatever inspires you!

Dragons: (December 17th) Woohoo! Dragons! You can draw an AU wherein Magnus is a wise old dragon, or is riding one, or write about him facing a dragon demon in canonverse, or perhaps in his life he’s met an actual dragon on some mountain somewhere. Hey, you could even give him a pet dragon!

Warlock: (December 18th) Magnus has a complicated relationship with other warlocks. He’s a leader who has to make hard choices and protect his people. He’s powerful and respected, but also controversial thanks to his relationship with Alec in canon. You could write about that, how he’s protective of his people, write about him interacting with them, or about the politics of his position in the downworld. You could draw him practicing his magic, making a potion, or talking with other warlocks. You could also explore what it means to him to be a warlock- his warlock marks, the discrimination he’s faced, his immortality, his intimate relationship with his magic, or even the circumstances of his birth. Anything goes!

Mythology: (December 19th) Time for those greek AUs, Percy Jackson AUs. and AUs wherein Magnus is a god or a hero from whatever mythology you choose. Or it doesn’t have to be an AU at all- perhaps Magnus is a fan of Egyptian mythology, or has studied Greek myths. Who knows? Only you!**

Kink: (December 20th) You know what this means.

Language: (December 21st) What languages is Magnus fluent in? How many of them? Why did he learn them? What’s his relationship with his native tongue- does he use it often? Was it hard for him to learn English? Who taught him?

FOURTH WEEK: 22ND THROUGH 28TH

Romance: (December 22nd) Let’s talk about Magnus’s romantic relationships. How fast he falls in love, how he feels about intimacy. What’s the stupidest thing Magnus has ever done to impress someone, or get their number? Or maybe you want to write about Malec, or draw them together. Or hey, maybe you ship Magnus with someone else! That’s fine, too.*** Today is all about romance!

Royal: (December 23rd) You could draw Magnus as the badass Prince of Hell, or write a medieval royals AU, or you could even make an AMV with the song “Royals” by Lorde. Whatever works for you!

Death: (December 24th) Draw a tragic death, or write about Magnus coping with the people he lost a long time ago? Or maybe Magnus has a cliché out of body experience after a near-death experience! Or you could go with the potentially much more light-hearted theme of Magnus befriending the grim reaper, or Terry Pratchett’s famous character Death.

Holidays: (December 25th) What holidays does Magnus celebrate and when? How does he celebrate, and who with? Has he been alone in the past, or has he always celebrated with his friends? Does he celebrate with his new family- his husband and children- now? Or maybe he doesn’t celebrate at all. (Keep in mind this doesn’t have to be Christmas, although it can be!)

Bane: (December 26th) Why did Magnus choose his name? What made him choose something that meant “Great Destruction”? Or, hey, make a Batman joke. Either way. Or something entirely different!

Nephilim: (December 27th) Magnus has a complicated relationship with shadowhunters. He’s met good ones- Henry Branwell, Will Herondale, Alec Lightwood- but he’s met far more bad ones. But then, Nephilim are complicated creatures. How do you think Magnus’s opinion of them changes over the years?

Red: (December 28th) The color of blood. The color of angry magic. The color of fire. Passion. Destruction. How does Magnus feel about the color red? Or draw something centered around red- a red seraph blade, or a red pool of blood, or a red silk shirt.

LAST WEEK: 29TH THROUGH 31ST

Healer: (December 29th) Magnus Bane is many things: a leader, a fighter, a friend, a lover… and a healer. Whether it be potions or spells, Magnus has never been one to turn down someone in need. Write something about Magnus helping someone, or using his magic to heal them. Or write an AU where he’s a doctor, or draw him brewing a potion or healing someone wounded. Write about Magnus learning how to make potions or treat wounds. Who did he learn healing magic from? Did Catarina help him master it, or did he teach her first and then she surpassed him? Was he a child when he first learned how to heal, and it was the first time he saw his magic could be used for good? Or did he seek it out as an adult?

Alternative: (December 30th) What’s your favorite Magnus-centric AU? Is it canon divergence or completely different? Is it a Malec AU wherein they meet in wildly different circumstances, or focused on platonic relationships, such as Magnus in the World Inverted befriending Luke… or is it focused completely on Magnus’s alternate life as a painter who’s down on his luck or a CEO trying to do good? Or, of course, something completely different? Any time, any place, any AU.

Ghosts: (December 31st) Literal or nah? Who knows. Maybe Magnus talks to Ragnor’s ghost, or perhaps in another world he haunts an abandoned mansion and scares teenagers who sneak in. Or maybe you want to think all about the skeletons in Magnus’s closet, the people he’s lost who still haunt him… Or a silly Buzzfeed Unsolved or Ghostbusters AU! Whatever you want!

*This does not mean you can erase Magnus’s bisexuality. If I see one more person calling Magnus gay (or straight), I will scream.

**Unless you are Native American (or whatever culture corresponding to the AU you’re writing), don’t be an asshole and use Native American beliefs, or any other existing religions. Ancient greek myths are just that: myths. Native American beliefs (and other beliefs that may apply) are a religion. There is a difference.

***See rules on not shipping incest, abusive relationships, and other such relationships.

don’t forget to tag everything (especially on tumblr and ao3) with #magnusmonth or #magnus appreciation month

#magnusmonth #magnus appreciation month #magnus bane #shadowhunters #malec #harry shum jr

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moonwitch-grimoire · 7 years ago

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Thursday December 21st 2017, Yule & Winter Solstice

Final day of Sagittarius, 6:39 pm, Waxing Crescent Moon

Today’s Post includes:

Yule traditions

old gods vs monotheistic gods

balance of dark and light

wheel of the year

some Yule stuff to do

Blessed Yule and Happy Holidays, brothers, sisters, and angels on earth!

As avowed, today shall begin my chronicles, logging magic knowledge and my personal activities. Where possible i will provide resources, and a lot of my information can be found elsewhere on my blog in other posts!

As usual I didn’t wake up into 4:20, which is a lit more distressing than it is funny, actually, and since I’m lazy, i ordered a pizza and watched the latter half of a Thor movie, WHICH got me thinking about winter and it’s gods!

History Time:

As I’m sure many, but probably not all, of you know, Yule and Christmas and Hanukkah all contend for time in December (though i don’t see why we can’t all just get along) But they all used to be during different times! Yule used to be in mid January, Christmas was late spring, and....i actually don’t know about Hanukkah, so I’ll do some research and get back to you (or you can drop me a line and teach me!) After Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the first century, it spread through the empire, and once it was made the official religion of Rome, people started spreading the good word (for better or worse).

What the priests and monks did was migrate the real date of Jesus Christ’s birth to winter to better line up with the Yule Festival, the Druid Alban Arthuan, and Saturnalia, which had previously been the Empire’s Winter festival celebrating Saturn/Kronos, lasted for 7 days, and let all classes and races interact equally in ancient Rome and it’s colonies. By grouping the ‘Wild Northerners’ festval and the old Roman festival together with the new official religion of the Empire, the Christian church managed to ease a transition of power through the late 1st century and dark ages.

So what does this tell us? Other than a lot of aggressive anti-whatever-religion-i-am-not stuff, multiple festivals were celebrated in winter. It was a time of feasting, peace, and revelry where everyone was seen as equal and good, which is a comforting thought. There was a whole lot of meat to feast on, since feed for the animals was short, there was no war or battles (George Washington is an outlier and should not be counted), and the night was long, which meant everyone was inside around their fires and candles, with nothing to do but eat.

This meant there was singing and dancing, lots of drinking alcohol, laughter and games, and, my personal favorite, story telling. People would gather in the largest house in their village, or in their family’s main house, the town hall maybe, and feast and celebrate. Obviously in places like Egypt where there was no snow, things were a bit different, but as Yule was a mostly northern Germanic and Scandinavian festival, we can comfortably exclude the Egyptian’s (for the moment). This was a time of unity and connection. Check your weapons at the door, give the poor money and food, unite in revelry and sing loud enough the ceiling shakes.

Saturn (or the Greek Kronus/Chronos) was the center of the festival Saturnalia, as he was the titan king of time. Demeter and Persephone would also receive tithes, as Proserpine was in the underworld with old Pluto, and Demeter was moping in the overworld. It was a time of renewal and rebirth, sacrifices for a return of the light and quick return to spring. The Norse Aesir also got their fair share, Loki among them, as he was both the snow they fled and the fire they thrived on. Odin, as cheif of the Aesir and the Allfader was of course top of the list, leading men on the hunt and sitting at the head of the table for feast. Thor and his goats got involved, and everyone prayed and worshiped the sun goddess, in hopes that she would be reborn and return. And the Christians celebrated St. Thomas day and the relocated birth of Christ festival

Traditions:

Yule was chiefly a festival for rebirth, the end of the old year and birth of a new one. As the Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, early cultures who lacked knowledge of a round Earth found the briefness of the sun distressing if not downright terrifying. So they worshiped their sun deities while placating their winter deities and hoped and prayed. Lucky for them the days got longer shortly after after even if the winter carried on.

In order to preserve the power of nature subdued under all that snow, people would bring in evergreen boughs, winter plants and greenery to decorate their homes, which is now the boughs of holly, trees, and garlands we know so well. The survival of life was crucial and these evergreen boughs gave both hope and joy, since everyone knows there’s nothing quite like the smell of a pine tree.

The giving of gifts started relatively simpler than presents, but as a gift of money, food, clothes, or some other item someone needed desperately. Inviting the poor into the homes of the rich to feast and be warm and safe in this dark time was a tithe to your fellow man and to the gods. This was especially prevalent in Scandinavian culture, since Odin was known to walk about disguised as an old man and they who brought him into their home would be richly rewarded on good fortune or more practical payment.

Story telling. In a time where there were little to no roads, freezing weather, and only the rich had horses, donkeys or steeds of that kind, travelers were considered stupid, brave, or both. In the old days, many of these travelers were bards and storytellers. They too were invited in, bringing familiar tales everyone knew but the very youngest, always with a new element or twist, or else tales of far away from different lands. In exchange for a warm bed and a good meal these bards spun tales of the gods, heroes, magic, and adventure.

The gods and God:

Being Omnitheist (a tale for another day), I have a very peculiar look at how the old gods and the Abrahamic gods interact. but looking at it from a step back, we can all agree to some extent that Christianity moved throughout the empire pushing out the old gods to make way for He Who Is Three (the Christian God). For better or worse, those are the facts. However, clearly, we haven't forgotten them and they are still with us. No one is the good guy or the bad guy, no one god is to be blamed for what has happened (though I think some of the tricksters and lords of chaos and conflict are in the line of fire for recent events) And Yule, of all time sis when people should band together in acceptance and love. I guarantee, your personal deity will not damn you to punishment if you hug someone with different religion this holiday season.

The Balance of Dark and Light:

In my opinion, the saddest truth of the universe is that no matter how much we wish it, we cannot have joy without sorrow, happiness without pain, or Light without Dark. The world must stay balanced, not necessarily perfectly balanced in a single position, as this generated stagnation such as the Egyptians experienced. In order for the motion of the world to continue, there must be loses followed by victories allowing the scales of Dark and Light to tip and lean, never upending themselves but never still.

Furthermore, Dark is not always Bad, and Light is not always good, but again, that is a tale for another day.

Yule is a time of balance, of rebirth, it is the darkest time of year when the world is (supposedly) buried in snow and cold, the darkness hounding every moment and shows the end of time. And the beginning. This is a time of unity, compassion, camaraderie. Now is a time for love and acceptance, rich and poor, old and young from every culture, religion, background, race, and place. Soon a new year will come, bringing fresh flowers and sunshine and beauty and light. But for now we band together, Halfway through the dark.

As For Me:

I gave up on Christmas a long time ago. I won’t tell anyone to stop celebrating it and i will not forget what it’s supposed to celebrate but for my Christmas has too many dark memories, now more than ever. But Yule! my souls sings the praises of winter and snow and shadow. Yule is my chosen winter festival, though some may choose to celebrate them all! So tonight, for the first time in longer than i care to admit here’s my game plan:

post this long ass post

set up my alter and light candles for my gods (more below)

cleanse in moon water and smoke, both myself and my space

rebuild and reinforce my wards (Tale For Another Day)

Worship (TFAD)

play (more below)

My alter is actually my bedside table. i do use it as such, however, as soon as i lay my alter cloth there, it becomes a sacred space. Tonight, my alter will have acorns for rebirth, a small oak branch that fell on my head once, a pumpkin from Samhein, a variety of crystals including bloodstone (which is good for yule) and moonstone (because i love it). my candles will be white tea lights, here used for purity and peace, and some moon water and fruit as an offering to the gods of winter, rebirth, snow, and spring.

by ‘play’ i mean revelry in as classic a form as i can. I have chocolate lava cakes in the fridge, there’s pizza in there and my room mate is also cooking. I’m going to listen to some old timey music and watch a couple movies about witch craft and yule magic. I can give out a list of that stuff if y’all’d like to know what i have in mind. I’ll do a little casting on myself. I’ll probably sing and read a bit and maybe convince my friend to go walk with me and play Pokemon GO. That may seem out of the mood, but going outside in the night, feeling the yule energy and saying hello to every tree i pass is something I feel is important. Catching the 10 new Hoenn region Pokemon they just released is just an added bonus.

Above all Yule is a time for rebirth. Now is when you wanna cleanse and rework your wards, shields and protective spells. It’s a time for new ideas and concept, staring a new journey! Now is a good time to start new projects and become a better you. I have faith in you.

If you read this far, you’re a champ! Lots of love this Holiday season and Blessed Yule!

Blessings upon you from whosoever you choose to accept them from and merry meet again!

-Echo Celani

#chronicles #text #yule #winter #winter solcitice #long text post #old gods #long post #under the cut #happy yule #yule festival

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rockyzbm39643-blog · 5 years ago

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Ideas For Fancy Dress Costumes For Halloween

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conoscenze · 8 years ago

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religion.

Thought this could be an interesting topic to write out, considering the variety of religions I have in my group of muses. Personally, I think it’s a very subjective topic, a personal thing, one I wouldn’t necessarily insert into the role playing context---but since I love being realistic, and since people having an opinion / a belief in something & anything is real, I’m going to do it anyways. It adds more backstory, and could even be of use for the development, so why not?

Salice is atheist, and was previously Christian, despite... everything. Her unaware [of her being a necromancer] peers defined magic and everything related to it as satanic and “the devil’s” work, and even then, Salice was untouched by their opinions, not caring about the elders and youngsters judging her for being publicly part of Le Sorelle Magre’s small club. She practiced Christian prayers and rituals, like she celebrated those religion’s holidays because she felt Christian, and because she believed in the thought and the ideals more than in the cult. Salice never went to church because she felt like it, though. It was more so due to her mother, and she complied since she saw it as a simple and innocent act. She was most definitely Christian even though she thought of Protestant ideals are more fit for her belief. Then, at one point, it simply broke. Her faith broke and she stopped believing, like how she stopped believing in Santa as a child. This happened when she was about 20, while she was studying at law school during her first year in England, and it was a rough time. Rough enough for her to stop both caring and believing. She is an atheist without remorse or hatred, but simply conscious that religion is a man made construct she ended up partaking in due to her environment. She doesn’t think of her time in church as wasted, but she does wish she’d been dragged into the events less. In short, her being an atheist has no relation with her being a necromancer. To this day, she is still fascinated by churches (mostly for the aesthetics and architecture) and religious roles such as nuns, monks and priests.

Adona, on the other hand, has a less complicated story than Salice when it comes to religion. She is atheist, and she considers herself to have always been one, since her lack of interest towards religion, praying and in general towards “God”. While she doesn’t exactly resent Catholicism, Christianity, etcetera, she bitterly talks about it when prompted, as she considers it the cause of major wars and social belief which she clashes with hardly. Her being an atheist relates to being a witch, differently from Salice, because it always felt wrong for her to believe in a made-up ominscent character whereas her nature goes typically against this concept. For her it’s fake and deceitful.

Phoebe is religious, and is a catholic protestant, unlike most of her peers, who are orthodox (the most common religion in Russia). As much as she does believe in God and as much as she does visit church often, she is not a fanatic, nor does she rely her faith uniquely in God and religion. She is still a woman that agrees with and studies the laws of science: she is clearly aware that God may be real and the creator, but not to an indefinite extent. However, some of her beliefs are influenced by her religion, even though they’re mostly imposed on her by her grandmother (whom is the very definition of an zealous religious old lady). Phoebe is kind of weak when it comes to handling her grandmother, so she will gladly believe whatever she tells and claims is true. Hell, this old lady managed to convince her that she could be a stalking victim in any case---she can basically say anything to Phoebe and she wouldn’t even complain nor mutter a “but”. To be ironic. Phoebe’s God is not God itself---for her, it’s her grandmother.

Karmina is christian-orthodox, but there’s not much to say about this one. She defines herself as a believer, but it’s just something she convinced herself she is, while she’s factually not. Karmina doesn’t know what lies after death---she probably will never know, considering she is immortal---and even then, she doesn’t put her faith in heaven, nor in hell, and even less in God. For her, religion is yet another human construct created by individuals who wanted to get an easy answer for the most complicated [philosophical] questions, and she doesn’t want to waste her time in following them in this act. However, she does attend church, from time to time, out of habit. She also knows by memory most prayers and rituals, due to the fact that she has been adopted by rich families most of her life, and along with this she had to attend religious matters. Per se, Karmina considers religion a controversial thing, that is in no way useful nor particularily good for humankind’s lives. At the same time, she’s conscious that most art wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for religion.

Kaede is Shintoist, but not practicing. Having lived through terrible, really terrible moments and habitats, most of her friends always assume she’d be an atheist, or that she’d hate God. Quite unexpectedly, she doesn’t. Kaede does believe in God (in this case Kami-sama), although it’s no extraordinary belief of any kind. She just hasn’t found a reason to not believe. Kaede doesn’t often visit temples, and if she does it’s not to pray, but there are a few occasions in which she gives in because of traditions that she can’t ignore, such as New Year’s.

Fujunko, as stated in her bio, is questioning, but probably leaning towards agnostic rather than Shintoist. This just means that she believes in the existence of a superior entity, and will keep believing with uncertainty. If someone manages to confirm the entity’s existence, she will believe its presence, and if they confirm their nonexistence, she will go along with that. She is a shuffler, and frankly enough, it’s the last of her worries. Her family is generally not religious due to the fact that her mother is way more dedicated to her job, like her grandma to her cooking and bonsai, and she herself to guitar playing.

Min-Seo is an atheist. Yet again, there isn’t much to say except that her family has always been thoroughly materialistic rather than spiritual: her father is a music producer, her mother an excellent university professor. They both spend their days working on objectivity---and they have been doing so ever since Min-Seo has been born. Though she does sometimes call out to “God”, she doesn’t do it faithfully, but merely as a way to pretend that someone from above might be watching.

Marzanna is a complicated case. She doesn’t put faith in religion: she is part of religion. As she is a goddess, she doesn’t follow any belief, although she does greatly respect Perun, who is the most powerful deity in the Slavic pantheon and her father. She doesn’t thrive off her own belief. She thrives off on the people’s faith in her existence, which is, alas, very little as of today. When asked she will usually tell people that she is agnostic, since it’s a great and convenient cover-up and excuse in her own belief.

Annaliese, being a nun, obviously is a follower of the word of God. Though she isn’t a fierce believer, Annaliese is faithful. Her choice to become a nun wasn’t entirely half-assed; she did it principally because of her vocation, and partially for convenience. Other than that, anyone who questions her faith is undoubtedly regarded negatively by her part. She might have peculiar interests and preferences, but her belief in God must remain undisputed. Ever since early childhood, beyond her interests in witchcraft and demonology, she has always been convinced that God is real and that it’s up there---her view of it is just a little more personal, so to speak. She considers God as an entity (not specifically male, even if scriptures refer to it as such most of the time) that, among benevolence and good intentions, is also somewhat of a trickster that likes playing with its human children and the various creatures that populate the Earth. Some may say that she has an archetypal view of God, as she often refers to it as an “incredibly powerful human inhuman being”. No wonder about this: she has always been a fan of religions’ mythologies, more specifically ones that tend to give humanity to deities (such as Greek and Egyptian mythology).

Momoko is now an atheist, though she cannot deny that in her childhood she was more or less “Christian”. Though not exactly passionate, her mother often called out to God and often spoke prayers (especially during difficult days and times), and she as well encouraged her children to take part in her faith. Momoko, Akio and Sachiko would be best described as “reluctant, non-practicing Christians”. After a certain string of events, however, Momoko entirely dropped the little belief that she had to directly agree with the fact that God is simply not real, and that singing him a little song or reading him a humble poem won’t change a single thing. She believes in the concepts of fate and doom more, but only to a point. She is mostly convinced that life consists of causalities, and that things such as karma are bullshit.

#ive had this in m y drafts for d AYS #salice || disclosed information.#phoebe || disclosed information.#adona || disclosed information.#kaede || disclosed information.#karmina || disclosed information.#fujunko || disclosed information.#outta violence || ooc.#min seo || disclosed information.#marzanna || disclosed information.#annaliese || disclosed information.#momoko || disclosed information.

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sentrava · 7 years ago

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What’s On in Copenhagen: February 2018

February is a month that nobody in Denmark really likes, but we all put up with it because it’s just a hop, skip and a jump until March, when we’re a mere two months away from May! It’s that kind of thinking that gets you through the winter, folks, so get on board.

But actually, for what is an incredibly short month, there’s a lot going on in Copenhagen. From great concerts (GHOSTPOET IS COMING) to film festivals, you’re bound to find something that tickles your fancy.

Not sure what’s happening in Copenhagen during February? Here’s your complete Copenhagen calendar of events, including all the music, markets, food festivals, parties (lots of them free!) this month:

Thursday 1st February

Henrik Vibskov x Gentle Monster AW18 Launch Party

Get a little pre-weekend party in with this launch hosted by Henrik Vibskov and Gentle Monster, at the Henrik Vibskov Boutique on Krystalgade. There will be free drinks, good tunes, and of course, cool fashion.

Friday 2nd February

Roastery Tour and Coffee Tasting

Love coffee? Then treat yourself to a tour of the Coffee Collective roastery, plus a coffee tasting (called a “cupping”). Tickets are 150 DKK and include a bag of roasted beans to take home. You’ll learn all about their roasting and fair-trade sourcing practices. No reservation needed, just walk up o the counter; it starts at 4:00 and goes to 5:30 pm.

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Saturday 3rd February

Mikkeller & Friends Bottleshop Birthday Bonanza

Beer-lovers, rejoice! It’s the annual Mikkeller Bottleshop birthday party, when they stock their stand full of rare and exciting beers. Quantities are very limited and there’s usually a line, so get there early! This takes place at Torvehallerne, from 10 am – 6 pm.

Sunday 4th February

Flea Market at Studenterhuset

Take a slow Sunday stroll throughout two floors of second-hand goods, mostly clothes and accessories. Entrance is free and the prices are sure to be great! The market is open from 11 am – 4 pm.

Monday 5th – Sunday 11th February

Winter Pride Week

Although the official Copenhagen Pride, complete with Pride Parade, is in August, there will be an exciting series of events to remind us that it’s important to celebrate LGBTQIA+ identities all year round! There will be workshops, poetry readings, exhibitions and more, so be sure to check out their program.

Monday 8th – Wednesday 10th February

Copenhagen Fashion Film Festival

Into fashion but can’t make it to the runway shows? This film festival is just what you need, with films that focus on fashion icons such as David Bowie, Grace Jones, 90s Supermodels and Jane Birkin, among others.

vimeo

Saturday 10th – Sunday 11th February

Flea Market at Remisen

Go browse the many stalls on Blegdamsvej in Østerbro for affordable second-hand clothes, home goods and more. From 10 am – 4 pm both days.

Sunday 11th – Sunday 18th February

Dining Week and Cocktail Week

If you’ve been waiting to test out the latest restaurants and cocktail bars in Copenhagen but the prices are too high, now is your chance! During this week only, a number of restaurants are offering a three course meal for 230 DKK (includes mineral water for two people) and cocktail bars are offering two cocktails for 110 DKK. Enjoy the discounts, plus some great food and drink!

Sunday 11th February

Fastelavn

Fastelavn is a holiday where kids dress in costume, hit a barrel with a stick and get lots of candy. It always comes seven weeks before Easter and is great fun. The best part is, of course, delightful and cream-filled fastelavnsboller.

Fashion Flea Market at Papirhallen

This fashion flea market, hosted by Tradono at Papirhallen, is where you can get great clothes for even better prices. No scouring through bins to find that one gem (although that can be fun too!), this is all about high-quality, well-kept pieces from top brands. Entrance prices vary based on when you arrive, because these items tend to go fast. From 10 – 12, tickets are 50 DKK, from 12 – 3 they’re 30 DKK and entrance is free from 3 – 4. Happy shopping!

Ghostpoet at Lille Vega

Mixing hip hop, spoken word and electro beats, British artist Ghostpoet is creating unique sounds that’ll make you think as much as they get you dancing. See him perform at Lille Vega.

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Tuesday 13th February

Nydanske Kvindekamp at Bremen Teater

The Nydanske Kvindekamp will be holding a performance with Geeti Amiri, Khaterah Parwani, Natasha Al-Hariri and Halime Oguz. The subject is outrage, struggle, and the freedom of all women, regardless of cultural, socioeconomic or religious background. The focus is on women who straddle multiple worlds – Danes who have another heritage, and how that heritage becomes a part of their Danishness, rather than a contrast. This will be an important and thought-provoking night.

Wednesday 14th February

Sofi Tukker at Ideal Bar

Well shiiiiit, February ain’t so bad after all. Get some drinks in ya (water counts, gotta hydrate) and get on the dance floor to the sounds of American electro-pop duo Sofi Tukker. If “Drinkee” doesn’t do it for you, I don’t know what to tell you.

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SOUPTinder at The Caribbean Housewife

Want to meet new friends (maybe find a date while you’re at it)? The Caribbean Housewife is hosting an IRL friendship Tinder event where you can mix, mingle and meet loads of fun new folks! Tickets are 55 DKK, which include a cocktail and a soup. A cosy night for all! From 6 – 8 pm.

Wednesday 14th – Thursday 15th February

Disney on Ice at Forum

Anyone else remember being enthralled by Disney on Ice as a child? It may not be the first ticket you buy as an adult, but for those with young kids (or just those young at heart), this is a fun, silly, delightful evening. Who doesn’t want to see Buzz Lightyear land a triple axel?!

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Thursday 15th February – Sunday 25th February

Copenhagen Jewish Film Festival

This festival approaches Judaism from many perspectives and their chosen films reflect that mosaic approach. Whether you’re interested in learning more about Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion or women’s perspectives in Orthodox Judaism, there’s something for you. All films are at Cinemateket.

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Friday 16th – Saturday 17th February

Copenhagen Gin Fest

Exactly what it sounds like – gin, gin and more gin! Find out about microbreweries, taste some great gins and celebrate the best partner both vermouth and tonic ever had.

Saturday 24th – Sunday 25th February

Chocolate Festival

Um, hi, it’s a festival of chocolate. Chocolate companies from all across Scandinavia and Europe show their goods – and give you a little taste! Chocoholics, this one is for you.

Saturday 24th February

Drag 2 the 90s at Lille Vega

It might be cold outside but it’s heating up on the Lille Vega stage with the Drag 2 the 90s show. The show will be hosted by Megan Moore and includes great acts like Harley Queen (as seen below) and Di Di Cancerella.

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Tuesday 27th February

Oscar Nominated Shorts, 2018: Live Action

See this year’s Oscar-nominated short films, shown every year at Cinemateket. The live action shorts will be shown this month, and animated ones are on the ticket in March.

Wednesday 28th February

Luis Buñuel at Cinemaeket

See two (short) films from the master surrealist, Spanish director Luis Buñuel, at Cinemateket. You’ll see what Roger Ebert called “the most famous short film ever made,” Un Chien Adalou (1929) and L’Age d’Or (1930), as well as an introduction by Danish film director at author Christian Braad Thomsen.

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Ongoing in February

The Ballon Forest on Islands Byrgge

From February 2nd – 28th, you can see an incredible light installation along Islands Brygge. Walk in and out of the glowing orbs and enjoy the atmosphere. This is hosted by Kulturhuset Islands Brygge.

Pharaoh: The Face of Power Exhibition at Glyptoteket

Find out more about the daily life and worship-life of Ancient Egyptians told through their art and artefacts. This exhibition covers the period from 2000 – 1700 BC and is a fascinating look at the legendary pharaohs of that time. On until 25th February.

I Am Velvet Black: Erik Mortensen Haute Couture Exhibition at DesignMuseum Danmark

Running until March 2018, this gorgeous exhibition explores the work of famed Danish couturier Erik Mortensen. Head designer for Parisian fashion house Balmain from 1982 – 1990, Mortensen’s work is as intricate and dramatic as it is elegant. This exhibition will be a revelation for fashion-lovers.

Frost Festival

From 5 – 25 February, Frost Festival is back with loads of ways for you to get through the winter with your smile intact. Be sure to check out The Wave installation at Ofeila Plads and the light therapy bar at Klub designed by Studio David Thulstrup. There will also be some great concerts, such as First Hate, and SMK Fridays, where you can get evening drinks and socialise at the beautiful Statens Museum for Kunst.

Art in the Making at Statens Museum for Kunst

Ever wonder how a masterpiece is made? This exhibition explores the process by which art is made from initial sketches through final results. Artists such as Krøyer, Degas and Rembrandt are included. On from 8th February until May 2018.

If you’re a business or organisation that would like us to add your event to next month’s calendar, please contact us at hello [@] scandinaviastandard [dot] com. Thank you!

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pumpkinfoodproject · 7 years ago

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Passover: Jewish Identity and Family Dynamics

Ah, festivals. Depending on the family dynamics, having the whole family gather would mean enjoying each other’s company while feasting, or elders politely asking about marriage while facing your aunt’s frosty stare because she hasn’t forgiven you for eating all her cookies two years ago.

via GIPHY

And then there’s the special “only once a year” food; you enjoy it but will never otherwise consume it once the festivities are over. Festivals, however, aren’t only just for stuffing your face, they play a bigger role in family dynamics and identity. Say, for example, the Passover.

The Passover is a Jewish festival celebrated on the 15th day in the Jewish month of Nissan. It lasts for seven days and marks the beginning of the harvest in Israel, and is a “celebration of freedom” (Sherman, 2002). The Hebrew word Pesach, which the word Passover was taken from, is formed from the words for “pass over”, referring to the origin story where God passed over Jewish homes and spared their firstborn while killing the firstborn in Egyptian households.

If you’ve watched The Prince of Egypt, you’ll be familiar with the origins of the Passover.

via GIPHY

Enslaved in Egypt for and made to do hard labour, the Israelites were oppressed to the point where they were forced to make their own mortar for bricklaying because the Egyptians figured giving them just bricks would be too easy (Exodus 5: 6-18). In a series of events that led to their freedom and the Exodus, the pivotal point is the very first Passover. God literally passed over houses of the Jews and killed all the firstborn in Egypt, prompting Pharaoh to let the Israelites finally leave (Exodus 12: 29-31).

Before the Passover, God gave instructions (as seen in the strip below) that were to be followed strictly; else the household would follow the fate awaiting the Egyptians. Before the Passover, all articles with yeast were to be removed from every Jewish home. For the Passover meal itself, there are 3 important points, Pesah, matzah, maror, the lamb, the bread without yeast and the bitter herbs, respectively. Pesah represents the sacrifice made so that God would pass over their homes, maror to remember the bitter lives under the Egyptians, and matzah as a symbol of the Jews’ liberation.

Following God’s command from Exodus 12:15, the removal of chametz (leaven bread) from homes begins several days or weeks before the Pesach. The removal of chametz symbolises the haste in which the Israelites had to leave Egypt. On the night of the 14th of Nissan, B’dikat Chametz – a search for any leftover chametz - is done. There is a tradition of scattering 10 pieces of chametz before the search, and once all the chametz left is found, a passage is recited to invalidate any unknown, unfound and unremoved chametz. On the morning before the Pesach, all the chametz in anyone’s possession is burnt as per Biyur Chametz, which is the commandment to burn chametz, and the passage is once again recited after the burning.

On the first night of the Pesach, the Jews and their families partake in the Seder, which means order in Hebrew. The Seder is a kind of ritual because there are specific tasks and passages to be said and read in a particular order, which is recorded in the Haggadah (prayer book). There are 14 parts to the Seder (as seen in the infographic below), each with a symbolic meaning, which is explained throughout the course of the meal. This explanation serves a purpose of bringing forth awareness that the food is not “just food”, but a greater part of Jewish culture, identity and history. “Most Jews see the Passover as a symbol of family and Jewish people as a whole” (Sherman, 2002), because the fact that millennia of Jews had celebrated, are celebrating and will celebrate the Passover in the same exact manner creates a sense of belonging and identity as a Jew not only in the present but with the past as well. The responsibility of carrying out the Seder the same as it were in the past, along with the changes made due to the changing world presents the Seder “as if it had always existed”(Brumberg-Kraus, 1999).

via https://staff.ncsy.org/education/education/material/KnmorURTIr/passover-seder-cheat-sheet/

Firstly, there is the Seder plate, whereby the food is placed in the order as shown in this picture below. After the temple was destroyed by the Romans, the Pesah sacrifice was no longer observed and is replaced with a shank bone on the seder plate. The charoset symbolizes the mortar that the Israelites made in Eygpt. The vegetables and the bitter herbs represent the bitter and backbreaking work the Israelites were subjected to, and the salt water the tears shed during the aforementioned labour. The roasted egg takes the place of the pre-holiday offering the Jews made in the temple. The Aramaic word for egg, bei’-ah, closely resembles the Aramaic word for desire, which in this case is translated as God’s desire to free the Israelites.

In a meal ritual like the Seder there are 3 components: “things shown, things said and things done.” (Brumberg-Kraus, 1999) For example, the bitter herb (things shown), the 4 questions (things said), and the eating of the food (things done).

The Jews are commanded to tell the story as if as they were personally delivered, and this retelling along with the consumption of the food (things done) - the same as what their ancestors ate - reinforces their identity as Jews (Brumberg-Kraus, 1999) through consistency with the past (Sherman, 2002). The “things said” have a heavier implication on the family. It is the duty of the youngest member of the family to ask the 4 questions, and the process of handing over this duty to one even younger is considered a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood (Sherman, 2002).

"Things done” (or the willingness to) affects how a person is accepted into the family (Sherman, 2002). The absence of one man during Seders results in the family treating him as an outsider despite his relations with them through marriage.

It is also interesting to note that the Gentiles, that is, the non-Jews, have deliberately made measures over the years to avoid being associated with this Jewish festival. In Christianity, it is recognised that Jesus was crucified on Passover in the Bible; His last meal was the Seder. However Easter and the Passover do not coincide, and the reason for that dates back to the early church. There were 2 fractions of churches then; Eastern and Western. The Eastern churches only celebrated Christ’s crucifixion (on the Passover), while the other only celebrated His resurrection (the Sunday following the Passover).

via https://chasingalion.com/index.php/spiritual-library/56-topical-studies/lords-supper/21-timing-of-the-last-supper-crucifixion

The conflict in dates was a sore point for the Christians, as it seemed that they were not united enough to even celebrate their important holiday on the same day as a whole. Therefore, at around A.D. 190, it was declared that the only true date for Easter was the resurrection date, and all who celebrated it on Passover were to be excommunicated and labelled as “Judaizers”. Being labelled as such was a declaration that these people were anything but Christian, and the Eastern churches that ignored this decree were thus isolated.

However, the date for Easter still relied heavily on the Jewish calendar, and in order to further distinguish themselves as separate from Jews and the synagogue, the Emperor Constantine the Great decided to use the vernal equinox as a marker for Easter instead of the Passover. This distinction was important to the church; because of the anti-Semitic sentiments during that time, having the reliance on the “detestable” Jews and their practices was seen as unworthy. To further isolate the church from the Jews, Easter was to be always celebrated on “the Sunday following the full moon which coincides with, or falls next after, the vernal equinox.” (Zerubavel, 1982), ensuring that Easter will never fall on the same day as the Passover.

via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSa-QHMMdQU

The effects are enormous on the group identity for both Christians and Jews, because special holidays not only divide one group from the other, it also presents a unique point for group members to relate to each other. Therefore, this desire to disconnect the church from the Jewish practices and traditions only strengthens the fact that the Passover is uniquely Jewish, not only to the Jew himself but to the others around him.

Sources:

Brumberg-Kraus, J. (1999). ‘NOT BY BREAD ALONE…’: THE RITUALIZATION OF FOOD AND TABLE TALK IN THE PASSOVER SEDER AND IN THE LAST SUPPER. Semeia, (86), 165-191. Retrieved November 21, 2017.

Passover - Pesach: History & Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2017, from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/passover-history-and-overview

Sherman, S. R. (2002). Chapter 14 The Passover Seder: Ritual dynamics, foodways and family folklore. In Food in the USA: A Reader (pp. 193-204). Routledge. Retrieved November 21, 2017.

The Seder Plate - The ingredients and the order of placement. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2017, from http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1998/jewish/The-Seder-Plate.htm

Zerubavel, E. (1982). Easter and Passover: On Calendars and Group Identity. American Sociological Review,, 47(2), 284-289. Retrieved November 21, 2017.

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mialipsky-blog · 7 years ago

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History of Holiday Flowers: Get to Know Winter’s Most Famous Foliage!

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Sparkling lights on a towering pine tree, the winter season wouldn’t be complete without this iconic imagery, but it’s not just the Christmas tree that deserves some attention! Though the cold in many parts of the northern hemisphere means a period of dormancy for most plants and flowers, a few sturdy varieties not only endure but have become synonymous with the season. From ancient myths to modern traditions, here are some of the most popular seasonal decorations, and how you can incorporate them into your celebrations!

Crazy for Conifers

Conifer trees, often called evergreens, don’t lose their color or shed their leaves (or needles) in the winter. This makes them the perfect greenery for holiday festivities. Varieties of cypress, spruce, fir, and others can be found year round in abundance, and while these trees are the quintessential modern Christmas decoration, the tradition goes back thousands of years.

Ancient Celtic Druids saw evergreen trees as sacred objects that represented everlasting life. They used cuttings to decorate temples and perform rituals during the winter solstice. Ancient Egyptians recognized the trees as symbols of the Sun God, Ra, while the Romans similarly used boughs during the Winter Solstice celebration of Saturnalia. In the pagan traditions, the Winter Solstice was the end of that year’s harvest, so the trees that stayed green through winter were seen as a promise that crops would return again in the Spring. They symbolized new growth and fruitfulness.

The trees are a physical reminder of fortitude through the long winter, but also held spiritual meaning even before they became associated with the Christian holiday. The Vikings used wreaths and brought whole trees inside their homes for protection from evil spirits that they believed the cold brought on. The burning of logs from these pine trees eventually turned into the tradition we now know as the Yule Log.

Similar traditions by ancient tribes in what is now modern day Germany eventually turned into what we know as the Christmas Tree. German Christians adopted the tradition of bringing evergreens into their home and adorned them with apples, to symbolize the Garden of Eden, as well as other edible decorations like nuts and cookies. Eventually candles, angels, and other ornaments were added. The tradition of early Christmas Trees, first known as “Paradise Trees”, was brought with Germans as they began to emigrate to other parts of the world. It remained largely a foreign custom in their new lands and wasn’t until nearly 300 years later that it became a more universally accepted symbol of Christmas. Queen Victoria of England encouraged her husband Prince Albert to set up a tree at the palace in the way he had as a boy in Germany. The tree was featured in the London News and soon became a fashionable holiday accessory in Victorian Era Christmas celebrations. It was canonized further with depictions in popular literature including “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, and “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore

Evergreen Tips! You can never go wrong with a little extra green. Add cuttings to holiday bouquets or arrangements for a boost of green filler and an iconic winter holiday feel. Varieties like Leyland Cedar, with soft leaves and long-lasting color, keep decorations vibrant throughout the season.

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Berries for the Ball

Similar to pine trees, Holly keeps its luster throughout the winter season. It is also a popular adornment for Winter Solstice rituals and celebrations. Holly was considered the sacred plant of Saturn, the God of agriculture and time in Ancient Rome. It was a popular decoration during the festival of Saturnalia and often given as gifts in a wreath. Early Roman Christians were said to have put Holly leaves on their doors in order to avoid persecution, but as Christianity slowly gained dominance, Holly became associated with the celebration of Christ’s birth in December. European pagans also used Holly in decoration and even put sprigs in their hair. They believed the green leaves and bright red berries kept the earth beautiful during a time when other plants went away.

Mistletoe was another sacred plant to Ancient Druids. They believed that it could protect against thunder, lightning, and other evils. The cutting of mistletoe from the forest was a sacred event done by Druid Priests. People would then hang sprigs from their doorway for protection. Celtic peoples thought it had great healing powers, in fact the word mistletoe in the ancient Celtic language means, “all-heal”. It became a universal symbol of both protection and good luck for anyone who could possess it.

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The modern tradition of kissing under the mistletoe could possibly have been passed down from the Norse myth of Frigga, Goddess of Love. Frigga was the mother of Balder, the God of the Summer sun. The story goes, that after Balder had a dream about his death, Frigga became so frightened that she went to every element, plant, and animal on earth and asked them to make a promise not to harm her son. But the God Loki realized that she had forgotten the lowly mistletoe, and so fashioned an arrow with it on the tip. He gave it to the winter god, Hoder, who shot Balder in the heart. Frigga wept so bitterly that her tears became the white berries and eventually her love restored him. She was so overwhelmed with joy at his return that she kissed anyone who passed beneath the tree on which the berries grew.

It is easy to see how this story could be adopted to a Christian interpretation of life conquering death, as well as a flirtatious party game. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe became popular in 18th Century England where it was often hung at balls. A girl standing under a ball of mistletoe could not refuse a kiss. If she remained unkissed it could be seen as a bad omen that she would not be married within the next year. Today, mistletoe remains a fun and flirty part of many holiday celebrations.

Get the Look!

True Mistletoe is actually a parasite on trees and does not have roots of its own. Try Snow White Hypericum Berries to get those magical white pearls. They make the perfect accent to wedding bouquets and centerpieces for extra romance and revelry!

Pepperberry is the perfect substitution for Holly paired alongside cut flowers in arrangements. It’s a green filler and a little extra pop of holiday cheer.

Poinsettias on Point

In most of North America, you can hardly walk out the door in December without tripping over a Poinsettia. Often given as gifts of live plants during Christmas, these unique plants have become a holiday staple.

Poinsettias are indigenous to Mexico and were originally used by the Aztecs for medicinal remedies and to make colorful red dye. It is known by many different names around the world including Flor de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Flower) in Mexico and Guatemala; Flor de Pascua (Easter Flower) in Spain; and “The Crown of the Andes” in Chile and Peru. In North America, the name Poinsettia comes from the United States ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who sent the plant back to South Carolina and began propagating it in 1825. The association with Christmas began much earlier, however.

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The legend began in 16th century Mexico and tells of a poor little girl, sometimes referred to as Pepita or Maria, who had nothing to give as a gift for Jesus’s birthday. An angel appeared to her and told her to gather weeds from the roadside. When she brought them to the church altar, crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became poinsettias. Franciscan friars in Mexico included the Poinsettia in Christmas decorations as early as the 17th century. The star-shaped leaf pattern was said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represented the blood of Jesus.

Paul Ecke Jr. is largely credited for bringing the Poinsettia into the North American consciousness during the Christmas season. His family was one of the first to sell and distribute the flower on a large scale in the 1900’s. He sent free plants to television studios for them to display during the holidays and even appeared himself on shows including The Tonight Show and Bob Hope’s Christmas Special to promote them. With the classic Christmas colors of red and green, it wasn’t long before the poinsettia was recognized as the ultimate Christmas flower. There is even a national Poinsettia Day, on December 12!

Festive Petals

Though Poinsettia plants do flower, the red blooms are actually colored leaves called bracts. Cyanthia, the small clusters of red, yellow, and green flowers can be found in the center surrounded by the red bracts.

Poinsettias are usually sold as potted plants so they can be hard to incorporate into a diverse arrangement. For a festive alternative, try Amaryllis. The shape of the petals mirror the star-shaped leaves and varieties of deep red and white make it a perfect centerpiece for holiday display. The Candy Cane Amaryllis, with its festive white and red combo, will add a little extra playfulness while still oozing elegance.

A Rose for Christmas

The Helleborus Niger, or Christmas Rose, gets its colloquial name from the fact that it is able to bloom in winter and has a similar holiday myth to that of the poinsettia. Native to Europe and Western Asia, the story goes that a young shepherd girl cried because she had nothing to give the baby Jesus. An angel appeared and brushed aside the snow on the ground to reveal the perfect blossoms of the Hellebore shimmering beneath.

These flowers are extremely hardy evergreen perennials. They can stand up to the cold and continue to bloom throughout the winter and early spring. With a variety of color from ivory to eggplant, hellebore is a great choice for both classic and modern styles.

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Stunning flowers can add a dash of glamour and charm to a posh gala or a cozy gathering by the fire. Winter is an ideal time to dress up indoor spaces with life and color.

Check out the winter seasonal combo packs for more ideas on how to pair flowers and greenery for the perfect holiday cheer!

History of Holiday Flowers: Get to Know Winter’s Most Famous Foliage! published first on their blog to my feed

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mainemanus-blog · 7 years ago

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History of Holiday Flowers: Get to Know Winter’s Most Famous Foliage!

{Source}

Crazy for Conifers

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Berries for the Ball

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Get the Look!

Pepperberry is the perfect substitution for Holly paired alongside cut flowers in arrangements. It’s a green filler and a little extra pop of holiday cheer.

Poinsettias on Point

{Source}

Festive Petals

A Rose for Christmas

{Source}

Stunning flowers can add a dash of glamour and charm to a posh gala or a cozy gathering by the fire. Winter is an ideal time to dress up indoor spaces with life and color.

Check out the winter seasonal combo packs for more ideas on how to pair flowers and greenery for the perfect holiday cheer!

History of Holiday Flowers: Get to Know Winter’s Most Famous Foliage! published first on their blog, reposted for me

0 notes