#winter holiday 2021
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
urban-lad · 11 days ago
Text
Tumblr media
24 notes · View notes
anythingredfox · 2 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
This was my entry for the Fortnite Concept Royale Contest in 2021.
My OC, Mrs. Winter’s Description: “Sergeant Winter’s rival… and wife.” I was thinking friendly rivalry, maybe like the characters in Hamtaro; Auntie Viv and Elder Ham.
-
Title: My 2021 Fortnite OC - Mrs. Winter  Drawn on 23rd June 2021
2 notes · View notes
crabsandbeer · 1 year ago
Video
Lighthouse at the St. Michael's Maritime Museum in Maryland. by Kevin B. Moore
1 note · View note
willowsnook · 27 days ago
Text
When Love is Left Unspoken
max verstappen x reader
she isn't you i'd be insane not to love you
request from @formulaal
Pt. 2 here
Tumblr media
"Alright, one more question from the chat," you said into your mic, scanning for a good one. One caught your eye, and you began reading it aloud before realizing it would reveal something from your past. “Would you choose a guy over your best friend?”
Laughing humorlessly, you looked into the camera with a tight smile. “Anyone who’s been here for a while knows how relevant that question is to my life. But my answer hasn’t changed: if you’re choosing a romantic partner over your best friend, you can get fucked. Thanks for tuning in, everyone. See you around.”
Logging off, you grabbed your water bottle and headed to the kitchen to refill it. Checking your phone, you smiled at the stats from the stream—10k of your fans tuning in tonight was a big turnout. You’d gone viral on BookTok back in 2020, and now, your book podcast had a solid following. Normally, BookTok didn’t bring huge numbers, but thanks to your former best friend, your popularity had skyrocketed. As grateful as you were, his part in your success irritated you now.
Then a notification popped up on your screen, and you rolled your eyes.
MV: Nice stream.
You: Fuck off
MV: Glad I’m still living rent-free in your head.
You: Glad you got permission to text me.
You threw your phone down on the counter, boiling inside. Nobody got under your skin like he could, especially after 20 years of knowing exactly how to do it. Growing up, it hadn’t always been this way. At 10, you’d moved with your family to the Netherlands, right next door to the Verstappens. Max quickly became your best friend, your weekends spent watching him kart. Never in your wildest dreams did you imagine things would end like this.
You met Kelly in 2018 at a race Max invited you to. Right away, you got weird vibes. She looked at Max like a toy she had to have. It was creepy, especially given the nine-year age gap. By 2019, they were dating, and she made it clear she didn’t like you, refusing to acknowledge your existence. That led to rocky times between you and Max; he always had excuses to avoid seeing you. When you were together, he seemed tense, as if being watched.
Everything fell apart in Australia 2021.
Flashback
Max invited you to the first race of the 2021 season, though you almost didn’t go. It felt obligatory, as if he invited you just because you’d never missed an opening race. You hadn’t seen him all winter, just exchanging quick holiday texts. Walking into the paddock, you felt a strange sense of finality, like this might be the last one.
Spotting Carmen outside Mercedes, you walked over and hugged her. As you stepped back, she looked worried.
“What’s up?”
She hesitated. “I thought you should know, Kelly’s been saying some nasty things about you around the paddock. No one believes her, but… I wanted you to know.”
“What is she saying?” you asked, heart sinking.
“She’s calling you pathetic, saying you’re still pining over your childhood crush and using Max to become an influencer,” she said softly, looking at you with sympathy.
“You’re joking,” you said, anger simmering. She shook her head.
“Can I be real with you?” She asked, and you nodded. “I love you and George loves you and honestly, everyone does. But I will accept not seeing you here anymore if you finally realize that Max is not being a good friend to you. And he hasn’t been for a long time.”
Eyes filling with tears, you let her words sink in. She was right, but admitting it was brutal. Maybe staying around him was just self-inflicted pain.
You found Max later, pulling him aside.
“I only have a few minutes, so make it quick,” he said, barely looking at you. Seeing him like this, you realized that the man in front of you wasn’t your best friend anymore.
“Your girlfriend’s telling people I’m a pathetic loser here to use you for fame,” you said, voice flat.
“I don’t believe that,” he mumbled, avoiding your eyes.
“Really?” you laughed bitterly. “You don’t believe that from your girlfriend—the one who’s disliked me since day one?”
“Seems like you have something to say, Y/N. Just say it,” he replied, finally looking at you.
“There was a time in my life where I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live without you. But now I’m living it. Have the past ten years been nothing to you? All it took was an older woman to bat her eyelashes at you and that was it?”
He opened his mouth, but you cut him off.
“I’m not going to stand here and tell you that we had a good run and that I wish you the best. Fuck you. Fuck you for choosing her over me and fuck you for even letting it have to be a choice. I hate you.”
End of Flashback
That was the last time you had spoken to him. There were no texts or calls after that; his life just went on like normal while you felt like you were dying inside. You had thrown yourself into your work after that and now had over a million followers and subscribers to your podcast. You’d stayed friends with Carmen but hadn’t returned to a race since that day. You had tried to block the memory of that day from your mind, but when you were low, one thing always resurfaced in your mind. Kelly was right about you pining after your childhood crush. You had been in love with Max back then. How could you not be?
Then Carmen invited you to the Austin GP, and after much persuasion, you finally agreed. Thanks to your online following, you flew down with her, officially a Mercedes guest. Wearing Mercedes colors felt like poetic justice.
When you entered the paddock, a wave of nostalgia and sadness hit you. But it disappeared as you saw familiar faces you’d missed over the years.
"Y/N!" Alex called, arms open. Hugging him, you sighed, realizing how much you’d missed everyone. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too,” you admitted before greeting Lily, who gushed over your podcast and joked about being a guest. As you laughed with her, you noticed Alex subtly trying to block your view. Looking over, you saw Max walking by. He did a double take, but you turned back to Lily, ignoring his stare.
Later, as you waited for a coffee, you overheard Checo’s wife and Fernando’s girlfriend chatting.
“I heard Max and Kelly broke up,” Melissa said.
“Oh yeah, it’s been a few months,” Carola replied, shrugging. “Apparently, he was in love with someone else the whole time.”
You smirked. So Kelly finally experienced what it felt like to be second choice.
The race came and went, and you successfully avoided Max the entire weekend. You didn’t even think about the possibility of running into him when you accepted Carmen’s invitation to go out that night. George had actually wanted to go out, so you found yourself at a little country bar that night with what seemed to be the whole grid. You felt Max’s gaze the second you walked in, and you were doing a hell of a job ignoring him. Charles was trying to talk to him, looking confused between the two of you, but you didn’t care.
Ordering another gin and tonic you felt him come up next to you and you refused to look over.
“Put hers on mine,” Max said, handing over his card. You tried to leave, but he held out an arm to stop you.
“No ‘thank you’?” he teased, eyes intense.
You glared. “You can have it, then.”
“Stop being difficult,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You look good.”
“Can’t say the same about you,” you shot back, and his expression darkened.
He sighed. “Can we talk?”
“I said everything I needed to say three years ago. Have a good night.”
This time he let you go and you made your way back to Carmen who was looking at you with a raised eyebrow.
“You okay?” She asked, and you nodded.
A little while later, you were sitting at a table talking with Charles with Max hovering close by.
“Max, come sit down,” Charles slurred, and at this point, you were too tipsy to put up a fight about it. “Max is my best friend, ya know?”
“Ah yeah?” You asked head tilting. “Those words don’t mean much coming from him.”
Charles giggled, too drunk to understand what you meant and Max clenched his jaw looking at you.
“Insult me all you want schatje, as long as you’re talking to me I’ll take it,” he said and you didn’t say anything, just stared at him trying to figure out his angle.
“Is this the girl Kelly broke up with you over?” Charles asked and Max whipped his head towards him. “You always had a thing for her, so I told Alex that was my guess.”
Max’s face fell, and you froze. Shock turned into anger as you got up and stormed out. You felt Max following and soon he was in front of you, blocking your path.
“Come on,” he urged, leading you to a nearby park.
“Max, I don’t want to talk,” you said firmly, pulling away.
“I don’t care,” he replied, frustrated. “Tell me what I need to do to fix this.”
You laughed bitterly. “Crawling back because you got dumped? It’s too late.”
“It’s not like that.”
“You made your choice three years ago. Now live with it.”
“You want to know why we broke up?”
“I don’t really give a fuck,” you replied before turning to walk away.
“She isn’t you!” He yelled. Your legs stopped moving as your mind reeled.
Whirling on him you got into his face, “You don’t get to fucking say that to me. Not after all this time. Not after what you put me through. Not after you chose her over me. I was there the whole time Max. Me! I was there! It’s not my fault you didn’t realize that till I was gone.” 
“I realized it long before then,” he said softly, and you took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm yourself. Tears were starting to fall, and you looked everywhere but him. 
“Then why?” You whispered, voice cracking. 
“Because I wasn’t good enough for you,” he said laughing sadly to himself. “The pressure was starting to cave in back then and I didn’t want you to see that. I didn’t want to burden you.”
“You were my best friend Max,” you said exasperated. “I would have done anything for you.” 
“It’s easy to see that now,” he said. “But then you were so full of life and starting your little videos that I didn’t want to disappoint you. She understood what I was going through, but I never stopped loving you.” 
“Then why did you still push me away?” 
“I had to do that so that I could try and move on. She knew and she hated that there wasn’t anything she could do to change how I felt about you. I knew what she was saying about you in the paddock, and I knew why she was saying it.” 
His words hit you like a ton of bricks, and it felt like heartbreak all over again. “You knew and you let it happen. You are the worst person I’ve ever known Max Verstappen.”
He was crying now too and the two of you stood staring at one another not saying anything. 
“I would be insane not to love you,” he said softly and it made you cry harder. “So I will do whatever it takes for however long to make up for what I did.” 
He let you go again and you left him there, crying silently as you walked back to the hotel. So many emotions going through your mind paired with confusing feelings. 
Happiness for your 15-year-old self that has wanted to hear those words for so long. 
Sadness for your 21-year-old self reliving those memories. 
And anger at your 24-year-old self for considering letting him make it up to you. 
555 notes · View notes
vanle23 · 2 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
#tbt from 2021 last Christmas Day at my Uncle's house taking a picture with my mom and @jujuthebulldog in front of the tree dressed as Santa Claus, starting a new tradition for myself haha. #throwbackthursday #2021 #lastchristmas #christmasday #holidays #winter #family #santaclaus #cosplay #random #photos #vanle23 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cme0b9WvWOd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
1 note · View note
yourbetteragentgilbert · 2 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
This has been the longest and at the same time shortest year ever. Anyone else feel like December snuck up on them? #december #MonthOfDecember #NewYear #2021 #winter #ColdSeason #SantaClaus #christmas #ChristmasTime #HolidaySeason #holiday #travelblogger #explore #family #christmas #relax #landscape #photo #hotel #urlaub #tourist #fashion #italia #follow #traveltheworld #naturephotography #weekend #ig #bali #friends #art (at Bonita, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZYZPKv1o8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
0 notes
kbug562 · 2 years ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Hi tumblr! It’s been awhile, I haven’t posted here in a long time and I’ve thought about posting the pieces I’ve been making since I moved over to Instagram. These are Christmas avatars I’ve made from 2020 up to this year. There are some that I will post separately later.
1 note · View note
booksandwords · 2 years ago
Text
Winter Waites by Lucy Lennox
Tumblr media
Series: Aster Valley #0.5 Read time: <1 Day Rating: 5/5 stars
Quotes: So imagine my surprise when I met someone who changed everything. someone who could suddenly control me like a puppet with a thousand strings. And every single one of them was tied to him and me irrevocably. Forever. — Gentry Kane
Just an adorable short Winter romance. There are NYE elements, the idea of a new you but it's barely there. This could easily be read at any time. Winter is sweet and smart, his generosity is done well because it only goes so far. There is fan side of his character that fits and is done to a suitable level. It's not to the level of crazed but it honours GUS and Gent's import to his life and development. We can all think of that band/singer/group that at least partially formed us into who you are (mine, Linkin Park Chester Bennington's death was a lot to me), that is the level of fan we are talking about. Not stalker, respectful awe. Gent is unexpectedly for me. I didn't expect him to be as fun as he was. He's just human. It does as much fiction involving fan and singer does require some suspicion of belief of fact for the premise to actually work. (Stage lights are all but blinding you would never get that level of detail through them). There is an extremely limited support cast works for such a short piece they are there to play a role and do so. It is worth noting that the writing style has both Winter and Gent speaking to the reader to a degree. We are not intruders into their lives we are invited into their world like close friends trusted with their relationship. It's a very deliberate and beautiful way to write it.
The epilogue is set quite some time after the bulk of the book unsure how long. At least 36 months. Does introduce quite a few more players for the series including Right as Raine the first full-length title and Sweet as Honey, the second. I get the feeling young Solomon might become relevant at some point too. He's 15 at the time of the epilogue but given the time and mm series I can see his time coming or him becoming someone's best friend. Or even getting his own book with HFN and first love.
0 notes
pakhnokh · 11 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
It's winter time in Burial Mounds and A-Yuan realized that he didn't see Qian-Gege (aka Lan Wangji) in a really long time. Xian-Gege decided that they can work together to make him come for a visit!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
(This was a P*tre0n reward of December 2021)
2K notes · View notes
brf-rumortrackinganon · 3 months ago
Text
Some thoughts about the KP video and Kate’s statement today. (I initially put these as comments to another post.) These thoughts may be controversial and may be unpopular, but it is what I think and there may be others who feel this way too or who have similar thoughts and are looking for a place to discuss.
So first, this video is not unprecedented. It follows similar videos made for their 10th anniversary and the coronation (I believe there may be an Earthshot video as well), which suggests that KP’s media strategy commemorates significant personal occasions with film like this. What is unprecedented is Kate narrating - I believe this is the first “televised speech” she has ever given. She has given speeches before but I don’t think those were “broadcast” like this one was.
There’s been some commentary about how PR-ish and slick the video feels, to which I also agree. In my comments on an earlier post, I said that the video is responding to criticism and concerns that KP staff likely heard all summer, meant to reassure people of Kate’s status. It sucks that they had to do this because Kate made it clear from the beginning that her health is private. I think they chose a highly-stylized and edited video like this (instead of personal home videos) to help with their privacy. By having someone else film them, they can still protect their kids’ personal selves while opening the window into what “our own home” actually looks and feels like.
In my opinion - and I realize this could be fighting words - it feels like the emotions people may or be feeling about this video comes from how unexpected it was. I’ll give them that point - it was unexpected and very touching to hear Kate’s own words in her own voice narrating clips of her family in their ordinary private lives that she and William have been very protective over.
But it was not unexpected that there was an update on her status. It’s consistent with KP’s pattern of providing quarterly (or seasonal, depending on how you look at it) updates on Kate’s status. After the first announcement in January, we received updates in March (beginning of Spring) and in June (beginning of summer). Now we’ve had an update at the beginning of fall/autumn.
We’ll probably get another one in December for the beginning of winter, which will probably coincide with her Christmas carol service. Given Kate’s message today, I have a feeling that this year’s carol service may be themed around cancer charities, supporters, and patients and their families. (2021 and 2022 were also themed; I don’t remember if the 2023 service was themed.) And if the winter update isn’t for the Christmas carol service, it will definitely be for the holidays with perhaps a “new beginnings for a new year” kind of message.
I liked the video. I like that KP has updated their social media profiles and account pictures with new photos from the video. I don’t find it as emotional as others are, but that’s not a knock on anyone who is emotional about it. I do see it as a PR tool to counter criticisms and concerns that have been discussed all summer long, but I also see it as a genuine “thank you” from Kate for giving her the space, time, and privacy to focus on herself and her family. It was an extraordinary request that most people honored and so she thanked everyone in the most extraordinary of ways; a peek at what her family is like on their own time and in their own homes.
(Also, I’m warning all y’all now: there’s a very good chance the Christmas photo will come from one of these video filming sessions. I don’t want to hear anyone complaining about how upset they are we didn’t get any new exclusive content. We just got a 4 minute video!)
130 notes · View notes
lilianasgrimoire · 7 months ago
Text
Every Pagan Holiday
Tumblr media
JANUARY 
KALENDS 
1st January 
Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 
Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 
Honouring Janus/Juno, first day of the Year. Kalends brought us the word 'calendar'. 
ÞORRABLÓT (THORRABLÓT) 
End of January/beginning of February 
Origins: Iceland 
Observed by: Heathens, Asatru 
Midwinter Festival honouring Thor, usually by feasting and poetry. 
Tumblr media
FEBRUARY 
IMBOLC 
2nd February 
Origins: Celtic polytheism /Ireland, as St. Brigid's Day 
Observed by: Most neopagans, Wiccans, Druids, Asatru (as Charming of the Plow)  
Imbolc is the most widely known and observed pagan holiday in the months of January and February. It falls at the beginning of spring/end of the winter for the Celtic peoples; marking the changing of the seasons, as most holidays do. St. Brigid is a Christianised form of or inspired by the Celtic fertility goddess Brigid who is celebrated on this day.  
PARENTALIA 
13th-21st February 
Origins: Ancient Rome 
Observed by: Greco-Roman polytheists 
Translating to 'Ancestors Day', Parentalia is a nine-day celebration of deceased ancestors. Historically it was observed by feasting and making offerings and sacrifices to the dead and spirits of the underworld.  
VÁLI'S BLOT 
14th February 
Origins: Old Norse 
Observed by: Heathens, Asatru, Norse polytheists 
Váli's Blot is considered by some Asatru to be the Norse equivalent of Valentine's Day but is widely acknowledged as a season changing festival. A day for marriage and celebrating with family and friends, and for remembrance of Váli, the son of Odin who defeated Höðr on this day.  
LUPERCALIA 
15th February 
Origins: Ancient Rome 
Observed by: Greco-Roman polytheists 
Festival thought to honour a wolf who raised abandoned princes, celebrated originally by sacrificing goats to the gods, feasting, and, for fertility, nudity and fornication. 
LESSER ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES 
17th-23rd February 
Origins: Ancient Greece 
Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 
Initiation to the cult of Persephone and Demeter by sacrificing a pig. Prelude to Greater Mysteries, initiations held on these dates. Once completed, initiates could then move onto Greater Mysteries in the autumn.  
ANTHESTERIA 
27th February - 1st March 2021 
Origins: Ancient Greece 
Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 
Athenian festivals dedicated to Dionysus and the dead. Held around the full moon in the month of Anthesterion, which in the Gregorian calendar this year roughly translates to 27th February. 
THE DISTING/DÍSABLÓT 
End of February/beginning of March 
Origins: Uppsala, Sweden 
Observed by: Heathens, Asatru, Norse polytheists 
Celebration of Valkyries and other female spirits, called dísir. Sacrifices were made for a good harvest. Celebrated still by an annual market in Sweden.  
Tumblr media
MARCH 
KALENDS 
1st March 
Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 
Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 
Honouring the god Mars/Ares. Kalends brought us the word 'calendar'. 
OSTARA/EARRACH 
20th March 
Origins: Anglo Saxon paganism, popularised as Ostara by Wicca 
Observed by:  Anglo Saxon Pagans, Wiccans, Neopagans, Druids (as Alba Eilir), Heathens (as Summer Finding), Ásatrú (as Sigrblót)  
The northern hemisphere's vernal equinox, the word Ostara was introduced though Wicca and named for the goddess Eostre. Surprisingly unrelated to Easter in all but name, Ostara symbolises the beginning of spring. As a seasonal holiday it is widely celebrated by many different groups of pagans.  
RAGNAR LODBROK'S DAY 
28th March 
Origins: Icelandic Sagas 
Observed by: Ásatrú  
Day of remembrance for Ragnar Lodbrok, Viking King of legend  
Tumblr media
APRIL 
KALENDS/VENERALIA 
1st April 
Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 
Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 
Celebration of the first of the month, this one honouring the goddess, Venus. 
REMEMBRANCE FOR HAAKON SIGURDSSON 
9th April 
Origins: Norway, C9th 
Observed by: Ásatrú 
Day of remembrance for ruler of Norway who claimed lineage to Odin in the Icelandic Sagas.  
WALPURGISNACHT 
30th April 
Origins: German Christianity, originally Saint Walpurga was known for banishing witches and other pests 
Observed by: LaVeyan Satanists 
Anton LaVey chose to celebrate this holiday as a follow up to the spring equinox and due to its past association with witchcraft.  
HEXENNACHT (WITCHES' NIGHT) 
30th April 
Origins: German folklore, as Walpurgisnacht but witches were alleged to convene with the devil in this night 
Observed by: Temple of Satan as 'a solemn holiday to honour those who were victimized by superstition'.  
Tumblr media
MAY 
BEALTAINE/BELTANE 
1st May 
Origins: Celtic (Ireland/Scotland/Isle of Man)  
Observed by: Wiccans, Neopagans, Celtic reconstructionist, Ásatrú/Heathens (as May Day)  
One of the more well-known pagan festivals, Beltane is a festival of fire and the beginning of the summer. Also widely referred to as May Day, it is celebrated by lighting fires.  
KALENDS 
1st May 
Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 
Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 
Honouring the goddess Maia, for whom the month may have been named.  
REMEMBRANCE FOR Guðröðr of Guðbrandsdál 
9th May 
Origins: C11 Norway, Icelandic Sagas 
Observed by: Ásatrú, Norse, heathens 
Guðröðr had his tongue removed by Óláfr for rebelling against violent conversion from Norse paganism to Christianity.  
Tumblr media
JUNE 
KALENDS 
1st June 
Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 
Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 
Anniversary of temples to Juno Moneta (protectress of money, her temple was where coins were made), Mars/Ares (God of war), and the Tempestates (goddesses of storms).  
ARRHEPHORIA 
3rd Skirophorion (translates to mid-June)  
Origins: Ancient Greece 
Observed by: Hellenic reconstructionist 
Feast in celebration of Athena and fertility.  
MIDSUMMER/SUMMER SOLSTICE 
21st June 
Origins: Agricultural holiday/longest day observed for centuries by many civilisations. Christianity can date to as early as C4th 
Observed by: Wiccans/Germanic neopagans (as Litha), Asatru/Heathens, Druids (as Alban Hefin)  
One of the main four holidays in the Wheel of the Year and popularised by Wiccans and neopagans as Litha which is taken from the Anglo-Saxon words for June/July, this is the longest day of the year and the middle point and sometimes considered the beginning of summer.  
Tumblr media
JULY 
REMEMBRANCE FOR UNNR/AUD THE DEEP MINDED 
9th July 
Origins: C9th Iceland 
Observed by: Ásatrú, Heathens, Norse reconstructionist 
Aud was a traveller in the 9th century moving between Dublin, the Hebrides, Orkney, and finally Iceland following the deaths of her husband and son. This day is to honour her memory.  
HERACLEIA 
July/August  
Origins: Ancient Greece 
Observed by: Hellenic polytheists  
Festival dedicated to Heracles the demigod and his death, involving feasting and celebration.  
Tumblr media
AUGUST 
LUGHNASADH/LAMMAS 
1st August 
Origins: Celtic Britain (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man) 
Observed by: Wiccans, Neopagans, Christians (as Lammas), Ásatrú (as Freyfaxi)  
Named for the god Lugh, this festival is one of the Celtic harvest festivals and marks the beginning of the harvesting months. It was celebrated by climbing mountains, bull sacrifice, offerings, and feasting. Handfasting is commonplace with Wiccans in modern times.  
REMEMBRANCE FOR REDBAD, KING OF THE FRISIANS 
9th August 
Origins: C7th Frisia (area of Germany/Netherlands)  
Tumblr media
SEPTEMBER 
NOUMENIA 
8th September  
Origins: Ancient Greece 
Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 
Celebration of new Hellenic lunar month. Offerings of honey and incense made to household deities.  
REMEMBRANCE FOR HERMANN THE CHERUSCAN 
9th September 
Origins: C9th CE 
Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú 
Hermann the Cheruscan, also known as Arminius of the Cherusci tribe, led the defeat against the Romans at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest and is lauded for saving Eastern Germanic peoples from being conquered by the Roman Empire.  
AUTUMN EQUINOX (NORTHERN HEMISPHERE)  
22nd September  
Origins: 1970s neopaganism 
Observed by: Wiccans and Neopagans (as Mabon), Ásatrú (as Winter Finding)  
Named Mabon by prominent Wicca and Neopagan Aidan Kelly, after the Welsh mythological figure Mabon ap Moldron, the autumn equinox is one of the harvest festivals and marks the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere. Mabon is a relatively new pagan holiday not based on any specific historical festival, but traditionally people around the world would celebrate some kind of harvest festival around the end of September/beginning of October. 
Tumblr media
OCTOBER 
PYANOPSIA 
7th October 
Origins: Ancient Greece 
Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 
Pyanopsia, or Pyanepsia, is a festival to honour Apollo, one of the most important deities, God of music, the sun, knowledge, healing, and archery - amongst other things. During the festival, two special offerings would be placed on doorways and carried to the temple. These offerings were a bean stew, and an olive branch wrapped in wool with honeys, pastries and seasonal fruits hanging from it. 
REMEMBRANCE FOR LEIF EIRIKSSON 
9th October  
Origins: C10th CE 
Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 
Remembrance for Leif and his sister Freydís Eiríksdóttir, children of Erik the Red, who are cited with being the first Norse explorers in North America.  
THESMOPHORIA 
12th-14th October 
Origins: Ancient Greece 
Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 
Festival held in honour of Demeter Thesmophoros, goddess of agriculture, and her daughter Persephone, goddess of death and life, Queen of the Underworld. Celebrated primarily by women, this festival is linked with fertility, and we know very little about it due to its secretive rites. It is thought that it involved the sacrifice of pigs (although some sources say women), and abstinence.  
REMEMBRANCE FOR ERIK THE RED 
28th October 
Origins: C9th CE 
Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 
Erik the Red, probably named for the colour of his hair and beard, was the first permanent European settler in Greenland. His children were explorers too, who went to America, and although his wife converted to Christianity, Erik remained faithful to his Norse pagan gods. 
SAMHAIN (HALLOWE'EN) 
31st October-1st November  
Origins: Gaelic - Scotland, Ireland, Isle of Man 
Observed by: Celtic pagans, Neopagans, Wiccans 
Pronounced SOW-in (sow rhyming with cow), Samhain was originally a harvest festival marking the beginning of winter. The day itself is the 1st November, but celebrations begin on October 31st, and this has become the accepted associated day. It's a festival of the dead, where the síthe, fae and spirits, can enter this realm from their own. Wiccans talk of a 'veil' thinning, meaning the boundary between worlds. Similar death related festivals around this time can be noted in other faiths from across the globe, and of course in the modern Hallowe'en. 
WINTER NIGHTS (VETRNAETR), ÁLFABLÓT/DÍSABLÓT 
31st October 
Origins: 
Celebrated by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 
Winter Nights is mentioned in the Ynglinga Saga as one of the three greatest blessings of the year, the other two being Sigrblót in April, and þorrablót in late Jan/early Feb. Winter Nights is the celebration of the beginning of the winter season; Álfablót is a sacrifice to the elves, and Dísablót a sacrifice to the female spirits (dísir) and Valkyries.  
Tumblr media
NOVEMBER 
REMEMBRANCE FOR SIGRID THE HAUGHTY 
9th November 
Origins: C9th CE 
Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 
It is not actually known whether Sigrid Storråda, or Sigrid the Haughty, was an actual historical figure, an amalgamation of a few, or simply a myth. The lore goes that she was proposed to multiple times and turned down many but went on to orchestrate conflict when a potential suitor - Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway - attempted to convert her to Christianity.  
Tumblr media
DECEMBER 
REMEMBRANCE FOR EGILL SKALLAGRÍMSSON  
9th December  
Origins: C10th CE  
Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans  
Day celebrating the poet, farmer, and berserker Egill Skallagrímsson, who is recalled in The Icelandic Sagas by Snorri Sturluson. Egill is known for his many killings and escaping death by writing an epic poem after being captured when washing up on our Northumberland coastline.  
SATURNALIA  
17th - 23rd December  
Origins: Ancient Rome  
Observed by: Roman polytheists, some Hellenic  
Like Yule and Lesser Dionysia, Saturnalia was the Roman winter festival celebrating the coming return of the sun and honouring the god Saturn. The standard feasting and drinking feature, and slaves would be treated as equals like Dionysia. Saturnalia is another festival cited as being picked up by Christians and used as inspiration for Christmas.  
WINTER SOLSTICE (YULE/MIDWINTER)  
21st December  
Origins: Germanic nations, as early as C4th CE  
Observed by: Norse pagans, Wiccans, Neopagans, LaVeyan Satanists, Ásatrú, Heathens, many Germanic nonpagan peoples  
Yule is the midwinter festival known commonly among pagans as a time for feasting, being with loved ones, remembering ancestors, and looking forward to the return of the light and warmer days. Many pagans will celebrate Yule for more than one day, some celebrating a week either side, some for longer, up to two months, and some for twelve days afterwards. True Yule would have originally been in January for midwinter, but King Haakon the Good  
moved it to coincide with the Christian celebrations in the 10th century, as told in the Ynglinga Saga.  
On the 24th of December, Anglo Saxons are said to have celebrated 'Mothers Night' honouring female ancestors. 
RURAL/LESSER DIONYSIA  
End of December/beginning of January  
Origins: Ancient Greece  
Observed by: Hellenic polytheists  
Smaller festival honouring the god Dionysus (Greater Dionysia took place in cities at the end of winter). Feasting, mask wearing to stop distinction between classes so that everyone could feel equal, sacrifices, parades, and phallic display were all used to celebrate.
265 notes · View notes
Note
Hello I am going on a holiday to Eryri next month & I like to read up about an area before going there... do u have any reading or documentary or podcast recs? I'm particularly interested in the ecology & minority language activism & like. Peoples history & rural lives! I know this is stuff u know about in Wales but idk if north Wales is ur region! Míle buiochas ón Eireann!
Fáilte go dtí an Bhreatain Bheag! Or croeso i Gymru. Exciting! Keep an eye on the notes for others chiming in with good recs for documentaries and the like, I'm going to just give a super quick guide
Okay, pronunciation guide for place names and that is here in written form and here in video form. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you try to use the Welsh place names rather than the English translations. Duolingo is flawed but serviceable if you want to hear and learn some basic phrases. If you can at least throw out a 'bore da' to people you pass/shopkeepers, you'll be very well liked. You don't need to be fluent by any means, but Making An Effort is seen as, like, the nicest and politest and most wonderful thing in Wales, and particularly in regions like Eryri.
Because! It's one of the biggest remaining Welsh language strongholds. If you look at language maps over time in Wales, a pattern emerges:
Tumblr media
And the current (2021) figures show this:
Tumblr media
And you are going to this bit:
Tumblr media
So you're heading into the Welshest bit in all of Wales! And the bit with the strongest and longest history of Welsh, too.
Which also means there's a lot of activism-related stuff in that area. It's probably worth you reading up on the history of Tryweryn (which was a bit further east, but sets the scene well); there was also a BIG thing a couple of decades ago where activists would burn down English-owned holiday homes (while they were empty in winter, not, like, with the English in them). This is because, in addition to the usual issues with the social impacts of holiday homes (driving up prices meaning locals can't live there, eroding communities, etc), holiday homes in Welsh language heartlands are a significant and tangible threat to the language. Even today, the issue of holiday homes is an extremely touchy subject, as is the issue of (mostly-English) people moving into the area because "It's so pretty!!!" and then not learning the language.
(Yet another reason they will love you if you Make An Effort)
Historically speaking, you'll be in a chunk of the country that was the ancestral seat of the last kings of Wales (Gwynedd). The final one, Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf, was ambushed and murdered in 1282, which was the beginning of the end for fighting off English rule. In fact, Owain Glyndŵr later crowned himself king of Wales for about two years, but weirdly, no one acknowledges this as real kingship for some reason - if you google his name, he's always listed as a soldier or military commander, which really opens up a whole "Who gets to say when someone is royalty" debate, but he did actually claim descent from the House of Aberffraw anyway, so ultimately it still links back to Llywelyn.
Ecology! Temperate alpine. There actually isn't a global scientific distinction between hill and mountain, but most countries set an arbitrary height standard. This means it varies from country to country depending on how tall their topology is. Wales, however, bucks this trend, and instead decides based on what is formally referred to as 'land use' and colloquially referred to as 'Vibes'. If it's a hill, it's tamed - if it's a mountain, it's wild. This means Eryri is fairly short by the standards of tedious foreigners who regard mountains as a sort of geological dick waving competition, but it's in fact a whole mountain range; it's also older than Saturn's rings. And, crucially, it's very much sufficiently above sea level to have an alpine ecosystem.
There are three endemic (i.e. not occurring anywhere else in the world) species in Eryri, to whit:
The Snowdon lily. A small and delicate flower growing in protected and inaccessible spots on yr Wyddfa (formally known as Snowdon). Excessively vulnerable to trampling, so the national park keeps sections where it grows fenced off.
The Snowdon beetle. RAINBOW BEETLE.
The gwyniad. A sub-species of whitefish until recently exclusively found in Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake), trapped there after the ice age and now developing its own genetic profile distinct from other whitefish. Some dickhead in the 80s introduced the ruffe to the lake for fishing, and the ruffe eats the gwyniad's eggs, so they've now transplanted eggs to Llyn Arenig Fawr nearby as a conservation measure.
There's also feral goats. And Welsh mountain ponies. Ooh, and, red kites - in the UK red kites were so heavily persecuted they eventually fell to just 7 breeding pairs in Wales. We established a protected zone and hired Nepalese Gurkhas to guard the nests and thus saved it from extirpation so successfully they later translocated Welsh birds to other spots in the UK. It's a big conservation success story, and now red kites are considered to be the national bird of Wales. They have a very distinctive silhouette, too, look for the forked tail.
Oh, and, we have a unique habitat type called ffridd, which you see a lot of in Eryri.
Final wildlife pictures to close:
Tumblr media
Anyway - have a great time! Enjoy muchly.
294 notes · View notes
sjwallin · 1 year ago
Text
Enjoy this lush, wintery piano piece, just in time for the solstice and holidays!
*Bronze Medal winner at the Global Music Awards!!*
Written during the 2020 holiday season, and performed by Lydia Wu. Electroacoustic soundscape added to accompany this piano solo in fall of 2021.
346 notes · View notes
margareth-lv · 5 months ago
Text
🗣️ It's a pretty low-cost show 🗣️
The number of people who are convinced that Caitríona and Mr McNoExistance are 'romantically involved' never ceases to amaze me. I will never understand it, never. So, here's a little brainteaser for you today. Just a quick comparison of two photos taken at different times and at two different events. Both feature the same person, Caitríona, and both are from fashion shows.
The first photo is of Caitríona with her coiffeur (the lovely Gareth Bromell).
Tumblr media
[Caitríona at the Loewe Womenswear Fall Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on 3 March 2023 in Paris]
*** *** ***
The second one is of Caitríona with her alleged 'love of her life' and 'bone of her bone'.
Tumblr media
[Caitríona at the Salvatore Ferragamo show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 on 25 September 2016 in Milan]
I'll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.
(Although I can guess what those might be, so here goes 😬😬😬)
*** *** ***
If you ask me, she was breastfeeding Boo1 at the time the Ferragamo show took place. Just look at her curvier silhouette, rounded face (she was previously very lean with almost bony features), and her breasts are so full.
And her expression said it all: 'What am I doing here? I should be somewhere else right now'.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Those who believe in the idea of a cute little blonde vampire (and no children before 2021) will say that Caitríona simply put on weight during her trip to Italy. After all, that's the official version of summer 2016: a long holiday in Italy. She ate a lot of pasta carbonara and pizza capricciosa. And of course she drank many, many litres of Aperol Spritz - it can make you 'fat'! I, on the other hand, will say that I think it's a pretty poor show that doesn't take account of people's real lives. It is a complete and utter disgrace and it needs to be stopped.
[ 28 June, 2024]
93 notes · View notes
rainbow-zebra-art · 2 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
It's a bit late for the holiday season, but this art was made in October 2021 anyway. Here's my illustration for Danganronpa BOYS * Winter collection zine. This zine was created by Russian fans, and we also sent it to some of our foreign friends. The zine was centered around boys from Danganronpa franchise participating in non-despair winter games, holidays and activities. Each boy from the main games (including DRAE: UDG) had his own page, and I've drawn Gonta's illustration. But I couldn't resist drawing some other boys too. I have long wanted to draw a detailed illustration that will be interesting to examine. I'm glad I actually did it.
1K notes · View notes
edwards-exploit · 1 day ago
Text
SODOR LIGHTSHOW 2024
The winter holidays are coming, and what better way to celebrate it than by decorative lights? Many railways in the UK agree, with dressing up their rolling stock in LEDs and other festive decor! It’s a wondrous sight, where families, friends, and strangers gather around to watch the trains run along the lines in bedazzling lights.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
And what other railway would fully throw themselves and their engines into the holiday spirit than Sodor? That’s right! @sodorgazette’s 2021 event is coming back, hosted by yours truly- with permission from the mods, of course! The events holds no obligations- you don’t have to sign up, just jump right in with the #sodor lightshow or #sodor lightshow 2024 tag with your art, fic, or even edits following the lightshow and other illumination themes during winter!
The event starts at 2nd of December, with the end date being 8th of January, so mark your calendars, and have a very happy holidays!
51 notes · View notes