Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
25 December 2016
20 December 2016
17 December 2016
08 December 2016
Caga Tio
Natalia Zakharova/Getty Images
From the website:
... Caga Tió, the “shit log."
The tradition begins on the evening of December 8th, with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a public holiday celebrating Mary’s preservation from original sin. On this night, Catalonian families assemble their version of a Yule log, called Tió de Nadal. The log consists of a hollow wooden block propped up on stick legs. It’s decorated with a smiley face and adorned with a blanket to keep him warm. On his head he wears a jaunty red woolen beret, called a barretina, which is traditionally worn as a symbol of Catalan identity.
Every night until Christmas Eve, Catalonian children approach the log, offering him an assortment of food and drink (usually vegetables, nuts and water) in an effort to jumpstart the log’s digestive tract. The payoff comes on Christmas Eve, when the children, armed with sticks, surround the log and literally beat the shit out of him. When the abuse is complete, the children retreat to their bedrooms to pray for a plentiful haul, while their parents hide presents and candies underneath the log’s blanket.
At long last, the children return to the scene of the crime to lift up the log’s covering and reveal what presents Tió de Nadal has released from the depths of its bowels; if the parents are lucky, the log will gift them with a urinated stream of white wine. The log signals the end of the festivities by dropping a deuce of smelly salt herring. Centuries ago, when the tradition was initially established, families would burn the logs and spread the ashes across their crops, stables and beds, in an attempt to increase fertility and prosperity.
In Spain, creating the logs is such a lucrative line of work that artists, known as tionaires, have created entire businesses around the ritual. These artisans begin preparing the wood in February, so the logs will be dry and ready to decorate by summer. The finished products are sold at Catalan Christmas markets, with some artists accepting requests for made-to-order logs in the style of superheroes or comic book characters. Some families purchase multiple logs of various sizes and replace them every few days, creating the illusion that the log is growing, slowly becoming bloated with both poop and presents.Merry Christmas, tomB
25 December 2015
25 December 2014
24 December 2014
29 December 2013
Angry Woman Stabs Man With Ceramic Squirrrel
The Charleston County Sheriff's office says in a report that deputies found a man covered with blood when they arrived at Helen Williams' North Charleston home early Wednesday. She told investigators the man fell and cut himself, but couldn't explain why her hands and clothes were also bloody. Deputies say the man said Williams was so angry when he returned without beer because stores were closed on Christmas Eve that she grabbed a ceramic squirrel, beat him in the head, then stabbed him in the shoulder and chest.
Williams was in jail Friday and charged with criminal domestic violence. It wasn't known if she had a lawyer.
HuffPo
25 December 2013
23 December 2013
Arson Is A Christmas Tradition In Gavle, Sweden
Before
After
Each year, a towering Yule Goat is constructed for the holidays in Gävle, Sweden. But more often than not, the Gävle Goat — or Gävlebocken as it is called in Sweden — doesn't make it to Christmas. Since it was first built in 1966, it's almost annually been burned, although arson isn't its only misfortune.
Here's a timeline of the rise and fall of the Gävle Goat by Atlas Obscura's graphic designer Michelle Enemark
Follow the destruction by clicking on the image or click on the link for an interactive graphic
Atlas Obscura
Thanks to Mr. Lanny-yap
22 December 2013
Merry Anti-Christmas | Rare Exports
YouTube
The Santa Claus/Krampus origin story crossed with "The Thing." My new anti-Christmas favorite.
14 December 2013
03 December 2013
26 December 2012
18 December 2012
Rated "F" For Fabulous | The Twelve Gays Of Christmas
YouTube
This is an "in-house" diversion created by the Mockettes -- male dancers who appear in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall -- for the entertainment of their fellow performers during down-time on a 4-show day. Re-posted every year because I love it.
14 December 2012
Seasons Greetings From Ms. Lanny-yap, Bisou, Edgar, And Kaylee
Click play to load and view the video.
With special thanks to LDJ
04 December 2012
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