Dec. 30, 2008 - Cool Christmas Trivia from Around the World
Here are some Christmas related facts that will arouse your interest :
- In the Ukraine, if you find a spider web in the house on Christmas morning, it is believed to be a harbinger of good luck! There once lived a woman so poor, says a Ukrainian folk tale, that she could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. One Christmas morning, she awoke to find that spiders had trimmed her children’s tree with their webs. When the morning sun shone on them, the webs turned to silver and gold. An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees.
- At Christmas, it is traditional to exchange kisses beneath the mistletoe tree. In ancient Scandinavia, mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship. That may account for the custom of "kissing beneath the mistletoe".
- 'Klaxon' is a name that does not belong to one of Santa’s reindeer. A klaxon is actually a powerful electric horn. Its name comes from a German word meaning "shriek".
- In many households, part of the fun of eating Christmas pudding is finding a trinket that predicts your fortune for the coming year. For instance, finding a coin means you will become wealthy. A ring means you will get married; while a button predicts bachelorhood. The idea of hiding something in the pudding comes from the tradition in the Middle Ages of hiding a bean in a cake that was served on Twelfth Night. Whoever found the bean became "king" for the rest of the night.
- Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor. It was a forerunner of modern Christmas puddings. It is linked in legend to the Celtic god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the earth.
- In Greek legend, malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes play troublesome pranks at Christmas time. In order to get rid of them, salt or an old shoe is burnt. The pungent burning stench drives off, or at least helps discourage, the Kallikantzaroi. Other techniques include hanging a pig’s jawbone by the door and keeping a large fire so they can’t sneak down the chimney.
- The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
- Louis Prang, a Bavarian-born lithographer who came to the USA from Germany in the 19th century, popularized the sending of printed Christmas cards. He invented a way of reproducing color oil paintings, the "chromolithograph technique", and created a card with the message "Merry Christmas" as a way of showing it off.
- The "Urn of Fate" is part of the Christmas celebrations in many Italian households. The Urn of Fate is brought out on Christmas Eve. It holds a wrapped present for everyone. The mother tries her luck first, then the others in turn. If you get a present with your name on it, you keep it; otherwise, you put it back and try again.
- In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbukk, a small figurine of a goat. It is usually made of straw. Scandinavian Christmas festivities feature a variety of straw decorations in the form of stars, angels, hearts and other shapes, as well as the Julbukk.
Does your family have a special Christmas tradition? When we were little we always decorated for Christmas on my Mom's Birthday, December 5. Mom told us it was bad luck to leave the Christmas decorations up past New Years Day! And I remember my parents putting my baby sister, Jana in my Dad's stocking on Christmas Eve, the day they brought her home from the hospital. Her birthday is December 21st.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Dec. 30, 2008 - I see a Froggie!
Hi Guys!
I hope everyone had a GREAT Christmas! What did you get? I hear Santa left bicycles at the Johnson house!!! Yay! What did you enjoy most for Christmas Maeg and Blake? I sure miss you guys. We had a good Christmas. Stephen got a real Guitar and He plays it ALL the time. He also got some clothes and some money to go shopping. Jordan got a "smart" phone that can get on the internet! She got some clothes and money to go shopping too. She also got these really cool rain boots that are all different color stripes. She loves things that are very colorful. Are you going to get fireworks for New Years Eve? I think we will play family games that night! We like playing Monopoly and Cranium. Cranium is a lot of fun. Stephen and Jordan are silly when we play that game. Well, I love you all. Happy New Year!
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Oct. 3, 2008 - For Vannah Bananah
Hello Vannah!
I love you very much and I sure miss you a lot!
Please ask your mom or dad to help you write out your Christmas list here... I bet if you sit with them, they can tell you what letters to push and you can write out your very own list of things you want for Christmas. (No cars or 14 kt bling bling yet!)
I found a story I thought you might like. It is really cute. Its about a little girl named Kiki Marie who buys a special weiner dog magnet and her adventures with her new magnet! I hope you like it a lot. Maybe you could draw a picture of the weiner dog and mail it to me!
I love You Vannah!
Aunt Tami
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Oct. 3, 2008 - A Story for Maeg
I found you a story on the computer too Maegan! I LOVED reading this story, it was really good. I bet your Nana remembers these "olden days"! (I am just kidding Maeg *winkwink*)
What is your favorite part of the story? Can you write five sentences describing your favorite part of the story and why you liked that part the most?
I liked the part about the tornado. When I was a little girl about your age, I used to cry when Grandad went outside if it was raining. I was so afraid of bad storms. I know now that I am safe inside the house and that God looks after little robins and old men and keeps them safe when they go outside in the thunderstorms. :) Don't tell Grandad I said that!
Click here to read this great story!
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Oct. 3, 2008 - OH WOW! More fun games!
Ok, I was wrong.. these are definitely the coolest games in the world! Just click on someone in the playground and it will take you to a great game!
Have Fun!
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Oct. 3, 2008 - For Blake
Hey Blake!
Your mom told me you don't really like to read much.
But guess what I found?
I found the coolest books on the computer!
This story is about a fish and a frog!.
I hope you like it!
Tell me what you liked most about the story! Use three sentences to tell me about your favorite part!
Im going to find another cool game for you to play on the computer!
Love you Blake!
Aunt Tami
Click here to read your story!
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Oct. 3, 2008 - A Riddle for Blake
Hey Blakeman! You did so good on that last one about lizards so this one I am going to try and trick you up!
I was asking Maeg what you guys want for Christmas! You need to write out your list here so we can start our shopping!
Ok, ready for your riddle?
How many animals did Moses take on the ark?
Think about it hard!
I love you!
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Oct. 3, 2008 - Riddle me this...
Ok Ms. Maeggie Moussalah...
I sure do love you! How is school going? Are you looking forward to christmas?
What are you wanting this year for Christmas? You and Blake need to put your wish list in here so we can start our shopping!
You can help Jack Tanner too!
Lets see if you can get this riddle!
WHAT GETS WET WHILE IT IS DRYING?
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Sep. 23, 2008 - A COOL Game!
Hey Kiddos!
When you get through answering the other blogs about the lizard and the other animal... click on this link and play this cool game!
http://www.kidskonnect.com/content/view/459/27/
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Sep. 23, 2008 - What is this Animal?
Hey Maeg!
Do you know what kind of animal this might be? I thought it was a kangaroo.. but it's not! Or maybe it is.. but there was another word they called it.. I think because it is not as big as a kangaroo! Get your mom to show you how to write a comment back and tell me what you think this animal might be... and where they live!
• 2 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Sep. 23, 2008 - Hi Blakeman!
Hey Blake!
I took this picture of a lizard that lives here in Virginia. I thought you might like to read about why lizards bob their heads up and down! I thought it was because they were dancing! I guess I was wrong!
Head-bobbing is a way that lizards communicate. Boy lizards nod their heads up and down to signal to other lizards that they are boys and to chase off other boys.
Bobbing sometimes means a boy lizard is ready to fight another animal. It also can mean that the animal is defending its territory.
Some lizards do “push-ups” for the same reason. They push up with their front legs, which may make them look larger to an opponent.
Each species of lizard has its own pattern of head-bobbing and push-ups. This is one way in which lizards can tell which individuals belong to their own species.
Other ways in which lizards communicate include waving their tails, opening their jaws wide, changing their colors, sticking out their dewlaps, or showing off their brightly colored undersides.
So Blake, do you know what lizards eat? Ask your mom to show you how to "comment" and you can tell me in your own words what lizards like to eat!
• 3 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Sep. 23, 2008 - The Crew at Camp Grands
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Sep. 23, 2008 - Nana's Kiddos
