Ah, spring is around the corner and you know what that means, folks. This reminds me of this (and it's a classic!)..."Hit it, Loreena!":

Ba-dam, ba-dam, ba-dam, ba-da-da-dee-da-da-dum. Oo, ah, oo, la dum.

"When in the springtime of the year
When the trees are crowned with leaves.
When the ash and oak and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair.

When the owls call the breathless moon
In the blue veil of the night.
The shadows of the trees appear
That meets the latern light...

We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay..."

Well, finally, spring has arrived once again. Today, we are going to have the best weather yet. It is every morning that I would hear the birds singing, which calls to mind the line from "The Mummer's Dance": "The songs of the birds seem to fill the wood that when the fiddler plays/All of their voices can be heard from past their woodland days." Ms. McKennitt, you sure know how to sing in praise of springtime. Maybe you and I can get to sing together under "the trees crowned with leaves" with "the ash and the oak and the birch and the yew." --Loreenya

Hi Loreenya!
It's autumn here in the southern hemisphere, but I still listen to The Mummers' Dance whenever I get the chance. A while ago I was complaining about how hot it was...I'm thinking I shouldn't have done that: it was FREEZING this morning! As I type this, the tips of my fingers are still a little cold, even though I've been inside for about 45 minutes now!
Only another couple of months and I'll be listening to Snow! While all the rest of you northern hemispherians wil be singing the searing heat line from Caravanserai!

Happy Spring, everyone!

And for those of us people who live in countries where the seasons are in their proper place: Happy Autumn!

BIG HUG from Jesse!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jesse,

Well, it's that time of year again. A few more weeks until the last of the snow melts. I guess it's time to play "The Mummer's Dance" again to welcome the season of spring. Of course, in the past, and even today, spring has a special place in some cultures and ancient civilizations. For instance, Iran and Afghanistan celebrate a festival beginning on the first day of spring called Nowruz or the "New Day" in Farsi. What do you think? Loreenya

Malin

quote:

Halloween is not a big thing in Sweden. I am not even sure what that is all about. I know of no one that really celebrate it. Just an excuse for eating candy - that you buy yourself. No door-knocking.

Halloween is basically like your Easter where people dress up and ask for candy. The original Halloween or Samhain has nothing to do with candy. It is all about honor the ones who have passed and telling of your heritage, singing, dancing, giving thanks for the harvest that will sustain your family through the winter. Ostara (the original Easter) is a celebration of life returning from deep within the Earth and "The Mummer's Dance" is more of a May Day song which honors spring in it's full glory. It is the beginning of planting the fields; the first step towards the harvest that will sustain life throughout the cold harsh winter. And the weaver weaves on...
Blessings of a bright Easter, Ostara, however you celebrate!!!
Love,
Gina

Hi Malin

No, we don't celebrate saint Lucia.

But some danes have copied the tradition of carrying lights, with a lucia-bride in the front.
Some doesn't know that there has to be 5 lights at the crown of Lucia.

I like the idea that you carry the light in at the most dark time of the year. It is like bringing some sort of hope that the lighter days will return soon...

Anxious 2

quote:

Originally posted by Malin:
...
The dressing up as witches hand other traditions related to the easter has very old traditions, from the beginning formed by the farmers and peasants that believed in evil spirits (enemies of God) and also the magic in the nature. Our old tradition of celebrating saint Lucia (do you do that in Denmark, Anxious?) is another example that still lives on in Sweden.
...

Hälsningar,
Malin

Don't be sorry!
Now I know a new word Sounds like 'cookie' when I try to say it, but still... Let's be cookie together!

Good night!
Malin

quote:

Originally posted by Loreenya:
Oh, Malin, I am very sorry. I did not mean to insult you or your Swedish culture. It's just I don't know any better. "Kooky" means crazy or silly.
--Loreenya

quote:

Originally posted by Malin:

quote:

Originally posted by Loreenya:

quote:

Originally posted by Malin:
I love to read all your nice stories, Loreenya. Yea, you have convienced me. It is actually something eastery about it. This easter, I might dress as a witch for the first time in almost six years and go up and down the streets of Östersund and sing "The mummers' dance".

We've been rambling all the night, and sometime of this day....

Happy easter!
Malin

quote:

Originally posted by Loreenya:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Malin:
Ironic? Was it something I said?

Don't talk about Global warming. See, in Sweden we don't believe in that. (JOKE)

When I asked me mother: "Mum, what is meant by 'eastern time'?" She looked at me as if i was stupid.
"You know, påsk (-easter time-)..? Painting eggs, dress as witch..?"

You know something, Malin, you mean to say get a new dress. I remember when I was little and my own mother would buy me new dresses every Easter. But when I am got sick of it, I decided to wear the same old two piece pink flowered dress I would usually wear. As for Loreena McKennitt and those song lyrics I posted, I think "The Mummer's Dance" is a pretty good Easter song. Don't you agree?

Malin, I think you are a little kooky having to dress up like a witch on Easter. Why not save that for Halloween? --Loreenya

Loreenya, I respect you, but that was an attack on our Swedish traditions. Well, maybe not that serious. I don't know what the word "kooky" mean, but I'll check it up later.

The dressing up as witches hand other traditions related to the easter has very old traditions, from the beginning formed by the farmers and peasants that believed in evil spirits (enemies of God) and also the magic in the nature. Our old tradition of celebrating saint Lucia (do you do that in Denmark, Anxious?) is another example that still lives on in Sweden.
Halloween is not a big thing in Sweden. I am not even sure what that is all about. I know of no one that really celebrate it. Just an excuse for eating candy - that you buy yourself. No door-knocking.

We do have a day in our calendar that has to do with death, though. A quiet, calm day spent in spirit of commemoration of our dead, we light candles in the night at the graves and so on.

Hälsningar,
Malin

Oh, Malin, I am very sorry. I did not mean to insult you or your Swedish culture. It's just I don't know any better. "Kooky" means crazy or silly.
--Loreenya

quote:

Originally posted by Loreenya:

quote:

Originally posted by Malin:
I love to read all your nice stories, Loreenya. Yea, you have convienced me. It is actually something eastery about it. This easter, I might dress as a witch for the first time in almost six years and go up and down the streets of Östersund and sing "The mummers' dance".

We've been rambling all the night, and sometime of this day....

Happy easter!
Malin

quote:

Originally posted by Loreenya:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Malin:
Ironic? Was it something I said?

Don't talk about Global warming. See, in Sweden we don't believe in that. (JOKE)

When I asked me mother: "Mum, what is meant by 'eastern time'?" She looked at me as if i was stupid.
"You know, påsk (-easter time-)..? Painting eggs, dress as witch..?"

You know something, Malin, you mean to say get a new dress. I remember when I was little and my own mother would buy me new dresses every Easter. But when I am got sick of it, I decided to wear the same old two piece pink flowered dress I would usually wear. As for Loreena McKennitt and those song lyrics I posted, I think "The Mummer's Dance" is a pretty good Easter song. Don't you agree?

Malin, I think you are a little kooky having to dress up like a witch on Easter. Why not save that for Halloween? --Loreenya

Loreenya, I respect you, but that was an attack on our Swedish traditions. Well, maybe not that serious. I don't know what the word "kooky" mean, but I'll check it up later.

The dressing up as witches hand other traditions related to the easter has very old traditions, from the beginning formed by the farmers and peasants that believed in evil spirits (enemies of God) and also the magic in the nature. Our old tradition of celebrating saint Lucia (do you do that in Denmark, Anxious?) is another example that still lives on in Sweden.
Halloween is not a big thing in Sweden. I am not even sure what that is all about. I know of no one that really celebrate it. Just an excuse for eating candy - that you buy yourself. No door-knocking.

We do have a day in our calendar that has to do with death, though. A quiet, calm day spent in spirit of commemoration of our dead, we light candles in the night at the graves and so on.

Hälsningar,
Malin

Hi

I guess the countries have different traditions.

We dress up at "Fastelavn". It is in February.
Then you can dress up like anything you want f.ex. Batman, Zorro... Your hero, or just anything you'd like.

Then you stand in a line and have to hit a small wooden barrel 'till it brakes.
We call it "at slå katten af tønden" directly translated to "to hit the cat off the barrel".
The first one who cracks a piece off the barrel becomes the queen. And the one who breaks the barrel so the inside comes to lie on the floor becomes the king.

I remember one year when they forgot to make a weaker barrel for us 6 - 8 years old, and we just kept hitting and nothing happent!
Then some of the big guys (12 - 14 years) had to soften it, meaning they hit 'till the barrel was almost falling apart. Then we 6 - 8 years could "hit the cat off the barrel"...

I remember my mum made our dresses herself. One year we were octopuses, and another year we were girls from the Bronze Age... and so on. Different every year.

quote:

Originally posted by Malin:
I love to read all your nice stories, Loreenya. Yea, you have convienced me. It is actually something eastery about it. This easter, I might dress as a witch for the first time in almost six years and go up and down the streets of Östersund and sing "The mummers' dance".

We've been rambling all the night, and sometime of this day....

Happy easter!
Malin

quote:

Originally posted by Loreenya:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Malin:
Ironic? Was it something I said?

Don't talk about Global warming. See, in Sweden we don't believe in that. (JOKE)

When I asked me mother: "Mum, what is meant by 'eastern time'?" She looked at me as if i was stupid.
"You know, påsk (-easter time-)..? Painting eggs, dress as witch..?"

You know something, Malin, you mean to say get a new dress. I remember when I was little and my own mother would buy me new dresses every Easter. But when I am got sick of it, I decided to wear the same old two piece pink flowered dress I would usually wear. As for Loreena McKennitt and those song lyrics I posted, I think "The Mummer's Dance" is a pretty good Easter song. Don't you agree?

Malin, I think you are a little kooky having to dress up like a witch on Easter. Why not save that for Halloween? --Loreenya

I love to read all your nice stories, Loreenya. Yea, you have convienced me. It is actually something eastery about it. This easter, I might dress as a witch for the first time in almost six years and go up and down the streets of Östersund and sing "The mummers' dance".

We've been rambling all the night, and sometime of this day....

Happy easter!
Malin

quote:

Originally posted by Loreenya:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Malin:
Ironic? Was it something I said?

Don't talk about Global warming. See, in Sweden we don't believe in that. (JOKE)

When I asked me mother: "Mum, what is meant by 'eastern time'?" She looked at me as if i was stupid.
"You know, påsk (-easter time-)..? Painting eggs, dress as witch..?"

You know something, Malin, you mean to say get a new dress. I remember when I was little and my own mother would buy me new dresses every Easter. But when I am got sick of it, I decided to wear the same old two piece pink flowered dress I would usually wear. As for Loreena McKennitt and those song lyrics I posted, I think "The Mummer's Dance" is a pretty good Easter song. Don't you agree?

Kul tradition, min danska syster!

*Singing* Till Blåkulla vi far, dit flyger jag lätt, och där brukar gummorna stanna...

The "best" part of the dressing-up is that you draw some easter pictures, fold them and put candy in them; then you go to your friends and throw it and then RUN. Don't know what those games comes from, really.

Happy easter, everyone (I'm going to hide everything that a witch can come and steal to fly to Blåkulla with )
Malin

quote:

Originally posted by Anxious 2:
Hi Malin

I think it is a nice tradition you have in Svealand dressing up as witches...
I almost forgot about that!

Her in DK we "only" have the easterbonny.

A radition in my family is that my Fahter hides an easteregg in the garden for each of us 3 sisters.
Then we have to go seek it out...

Happe Easter to you all


Anxious 2

quote:

Originally posted by Malin:
Ironic? Was it something I said?

Don't talk about Global warming. See, in Sweden we don't believe in that. (JOKE)

When I asked me mother: "Mum, what is meant by 'eastern time'?" She looked at me as if i was stupid.
"You know, påsk (-easter time-)..? Painting eggs, dress as witch..?"

I heard it might get a little chilly here in the Wolverine State around Easter. I am looking forward to the baked ham and the Easter chocolate...oh, I love the Reese's peanut butter eggs. Yum!

Hi Malin

I think it is a nice tradition you have in Svealand dressing up as witches...
I almost forgot about that!

Her in DK we "only" have the easterbonny.

A radition in my family is that my Fahter hides an easteregg in the garden for each of us 3 sisters.
Then we have to go seek it out...

Happe Easter to you all


Anxious 2

quote:

Originally posted by Malin:
Ironic? Was it something I said?

Don't talk about Global warming. See, in Sweden we don't believe in that. (JOKE)

When I asked me mother: "Mum, what is meant by 'eastern time'?" She looked at me as if i was stupid.
"You know, påsk (-easter time-)..? Painting eggs, dress as witch..?"