I am so behind on the blog and I will try to catch today. The American Charity Calendar is almost over for 2008 and it has been an extraordinary experience for me and my family. I am already thinking of next years TACC project and thinking of ways to make it better than the first year.
Today we have the picture of the traditional Danish Christmas Calendar count-down candle that is burnt down to no. 23. We have a few of those at our house too. In today’s Holiday TV episode we have Vienna create the traditional Danish woven paper heart that was invented by the great Danish fairy-tale writer and paper-cutter specialist, Hans Christian Andersen. I believe that you can still see the first one in the H.C. Andersen museum in Denmark. So take a look at the video and let me know if that does not make sense. Enjoy.
Draidle is a game played every year on Hanukah. Young and old gather around in a circle spinning a four sided top, hoping it will land on the side baring the Hebrew letter Gimel. The draidle has an inspirational story where a beautiful lesson can be learned.
During the Greek era the Jews were persecuted and the learning of Torah was forbidden. The Jews were penalized by death if this decree was broken. But that wouldn’t stop the Jews from doing what they loved. So they devised a plan in which the Jews would trick the Greeks into thinking they were playing draidle, but in reality they were actually learning Torah. The draidle was an important key which helped conserve the Torah for later generations to come.
Hanukah, an inspirational holiday with miracles and magical stories is often overlooked as an insignificant one. Many people don’t realize that Hanukah is enriched with powerful messages, like the draidle. The draidle, as well as other things were tools in which the Jews used to keep serving God. This is what helped the Torah survive such a difficult era. We should learn and see the importance of Torah from this, and just like the draidle, help preserve Torah for the next generations to come no matter what the situation is.
We were honored to have Barry Spacks on Holiday TV as a guest and sharing some of his favorite Holiday Moments. Here is some more information about Barry Spacks:
Barry Spacks is the first Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara, Californa.
Nine poetry collections (most extensive: SPACKS STREET: NEW & SELECTED POEMS, from Johns Hopkins, 1982, winner of The Commonwealth Club of California’s Poetry Medal; most recent: REGARDING WOMEN, WordTech Communications, winner of the Cherry Grove Collections Prize, and THE HOPE OF THE AIR, Michigan State University Press, both 2004).
N.E.A librettist grantee; many poetry readings; poems in 18 anthologies and a multitude of journals, print and cyber; two novels, stories, essays, reviews.
For poems and novels: St. Botolph’s Arts Award, Boston.
Singer-songwriter, actor; Literature professor, M.I.T. (1960-1981); persistently Visiting Professor, U.C. Santa Barbara (Distinguished Professor in Humanities & Fine Arts, 1991). Senior Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism) student of H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche.
Two CDs , A Private Reading, from WC Studios, contains 42 poems (plus chat) from 50 years of work and Selected Poems from Regarding Women.
Here are some poems from Barry Spacks:
http://barryspacks.blogspot.com/ New art work from Barry Spacks:
http://www.barryspacks.net
OK – I will admit that today’s window picture of the balls of yarn and the knitting needles on the couch is a bit of a stretch with our Holiday TV guest Anthony Johnson. As you have noticed by now, we are figuring all this out as we are doing our first season. We promise you that it will get better and better each year ahead.
When I planned the window pictures much earlier this year, I wanted that knitting needle and yarn picture because it reminds me of the winters in Denmark where I grew up. We had a class in second grade that taught us to knit, so all people in Denmark (well – at least my age) know how to knit. As we grew up, we all had some kind of knitting project going, creating hats, scarves, mittens, sweaters or anything we could think about. A huge part of the fun was to choosing the yarns and making our own designs. These knitted creations also made fabulous Christmas presents and I have to say that my anytime someone gives me a present that they have created themselves, I love it more than anything else (my kids still don’t believe this J). My sister (who is still knitting in Denmark) made me a beautiful hand-knitted shawl for Christmas a couple of years ago and I use it at home almost every night in the winters here in California.
Living in Santa Barbara, CA where it is not that cold in the winter and where people don’t do much knitting, it was difficult to find guests who knit. So the way I see it is that Anthony Johnson could maybe represent that image because knitting is about creating something wonderful and that is what Mr. Johnson does.
Today’s picture is related to the Holiday TV episode indirectly. Let me explain – when it is cold inside in the winter we tend to do more baking and cooking so today Vienna is showing everyone how to make traditional Danish Aebleskiver. Aebleskiver are made and served in most Danish households around the winter holidays. They taste amazing . You can buy them frozen, but many people still make their own. I make them with my family every Christmas and we often bring them to holiday parties too. The recipe varies so here are a couple of different ways you can do them. Let us know if you have a better/or different recipe that you would like to share.
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition) (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Aebleskiver/Detail.aspx)
2 egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
DIRECTIONS
In a clean glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they can hold a stiff peak. Set aside.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar, egg yolks, melted butter and buttermilk at one time and beat until smooth. Gently fold in the egg whites last.
Put about 1tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bottom of each aebleskiver pan cup and heat until hot. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of the batter into each cup. As soon as they get bubbly around the edge, turn them quickly (Danish cooks use a long knitting needle, but a fork will work). Continue cooking, turning the ball to keep it from burning.
Notes: Serve the warm pancake balls with butter and jam or dusted with powdered sugar. To make filled aebleskiver, add about 1/2 teaspoon jam to the batter in each cup just before you make the first turn. Serve the pancake balls as they are cooked, or keep warm in a napkin-lined basket until all are ready. The batter can also be cooked on a lightly buttered griddle over medium heat to make light, tender pancakes. For mile-high baking, reduce the baking powder to 2 1/2 teaspoons.
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom or ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
About 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1. In a bowl, mix flour with sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. In a small bowl, beat egg to blend with milk and 2 tablespoons butter. Add liquids to dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened.
2. Place an aebleskiver pan over medium-low heat. When pan is hot enough to make a drop of water dance, brush pancake cups lightly with melted butter and fill each to slightly below the rim with batter.
3. In about 1 1/2 minutes, thin crusts will form on bottoms of balls (centers will still be wet); pierce the crust with a slender wood skewer and gently pull shell to rotate the pancake ball until about half the cooked portion is above the cup rim and uncooked batter flows down into cup. Cook until crust on bottom of ball is again firm enough to pierce, about another minute, then rotate ball with skewer until the ridge formed as the pancake first cooked is on top. Cook, turning occasionally with skewer, until balls are evenly browned and no longer moist in the center, another 10 to 12 minutes. Check by piercing center of last pancake ball added to pan with skewer–it should come out clean–or by breaking the ball open slightly; if balls start to get too brown, turn heat to low until they are cooked in the center. Lift cooked balls from pan and serve hot (see notes). Repeat to cook remaining batter.
Yield: Makes 12 or 13 pancake balls
Nutritional analysis per pancake ball.
CALORIES 88 (30% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 1.6g); CHOLESTEROL 24mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13g; SODIUM 180mg; PROTEIN 2.3g; FIBER 0.3g
The Dove Universally Symbolizes innocence, gentleness, conjugal affection, peace and constancy. It reminds us how important peace is. The peace symbolized by the Dove is that of the deepest kind. It quiets our worried and troubled thoughts, and allows us to find renewal in the silence of mind. In such moments of stillness we are able to appreciate simple blessings. It reminds us that no matter what is happening in our lives, there are always new possibilities open to us.
The Cultural Significance of The Dove:
In the Old Testament: the dove represents simplicity; harmlessness, innocence; meekness; guilelessness; incubation. It also embodies the souls of the dead.
Hindu: Yama, god of the dead, has owls and doves or pigeons as messengers.
Islamic: The three Holy Virgins are represented by stones, or pillars surrounded by doves.
Japanese: the dove was sacred to Hackiman the god of war, but it was a dove with a sword that announced the end to war.
Chinese: In China, Doves are symbolic of good digestion, impartial filial duty, and long life.
Pagans: it has been widely understood as a symbol of conjugal affection and constancy, because of the affectionate mating habits and constancy of the species popularly known as turtle doves.
Motherhood and Femininity:
Doves are sacred to all Great Mothers and Queens of Heaven and depict femininity and maternity; often two doves accompany the Mother Goddess.
According to legend the devil and witches can turn themselves into any bird shape except the dove.
The Olive leaf
The actual symbol of peace is the olive leaf, not the dove, which brought the leaf back to Noah. Perhaps this is the origin of offering an olive branch to signify peaceful intentions, like in The Aeneid, Virgil’s epic poem about the founding of Rome.
The olive branch is a dynamic symbol of the human desire for peace. Olives are naturally associated with peace because, practically speaking, one cannot cultivate an olive grove in a war zone. Many years of peace are necessary to grow olive trees, which take several years to produce their first fruit (and can live for 500 years). Farming itself is a peaceful occupation, but the olive has special qualities that can be associated with peace and harmony:
• Olives provide oil for lamps, so they bring light.
• The cleansing power of olive oil brings purification.
• The hardiness of the olive tree suggests fertility and vital energy.
• Hercules gained protection by wearing a wreath of olive leaves.
• Olive wreaths signified victory in the Olympic Games.
The mythological origin of the olive tree’s association with peace goes back to a contest between Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom*, and Poseidon, the god of the sea. Whoever could produce the gift most useful to mortals would win. Poseidon offered the horse, useful in warfare. Athena’s gift was the olive tree, which the gods judged to be the more useful. Athena was awarded the city of Athens.
We wanted to add this fresh bowl of fruit in celebration for Kwanzaa. Unfortunately we did not have a guest on Holiday TV who celebrate Kwanzaa. But we want to tell you the significance of Kwanzaa.
History
Kwanzaa, is an African-American celebration of cultural reaffirmation, is one of the fastest-growing holidays in the history of the world. It took root 30 years ago, when graduate student Maulana Karenga, disturbed by the 1965 riots in Los Angeles’ Watts area, decided that African-Americans needed an annual event to celebrate their differences rather than the melting pot.
Not a religious holiday, Kwanzaa is, rather, a seven-day celebration that begins on Dec. 26 and continues through Jan. 1.
Kwanzaa is a spiritual, festive and joyous celebration of the oneness and goodness of life, which claims no ties with any religion. It has definite principles, practices and symbols which are geared to the social and spiritual needs of African-Americans. The reinforcing gestures are designed to strengthen our collective self-concept as a people, honor our past, critically evaluate our present and commit ourselves to a fuller, more productive future.
Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits of the harvest” in the African language Kiswahili, has gained tremendous acceptance. Since its founding in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa has come to be observed by more than15 million people worldwide, as reported by the New York Times. Celebrated from December 26th to January 1st, it is based on Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day of the observance:
Umoja (OO-MO-JAH) Unity stresses the importance of togetherness for the family and the community, which is reflected in the African saying, “I am We,” or “I am because We are.”
Kujichagulia (KOO-GEE-CHA-GOO-LEE-YAH) Self-Determination requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community.
Ujima (OO-GEE-MAH) Collective Work and Responsibility reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and that we have a role to play in the community, society, and world.
Ujamaa (OO-JAH-MAH) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support.
Nia (NEE-YAH) Purpose encourages us to look within ourselves and to set personal goals that are beneficial to the community.
Kuumba (KOO-OOM-BAH) Creativity makes use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community.
Imani (EE-MAH-NEE) Faith focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us strive for a higher level of life for humankind, by affirming our self-worth and confidence in our ability to succeed and triumph in righteous struggle.
The Seven Symbols of Kwanzaa
Seven symbols are displayed during the Kwanzaa ceremony to represent the seven principles of African culture and community.
Mkeka (M-kay-cah) – This is the mat (usually made of straw, but it can also be made of fabric or paper) upon which all the other Kwanzaa symbols are placed. The mat represents the foundation of African traditions and history.
Mazao (Maah-zow) – The crops, fruits and vegetables, represent traditional African harvest celebrations and show respect for the people who labored to grow them.
Kinara (Kee-nah-rah) – The candle holder represents the original stalk from which all African ancestors came. It holds the seven candles.
Mishumaa (Mee-shoo-maah) – In the seven candles, each candle represents one of the seven principles. The candles are red, green, and black — symbolic of the African people and their struggles.
Muhindi (Moo-heen-dee) – The corn represents African children and the promise of their future. One ear of corn is set out for each child in the family. In a family without children, one ear is set out symbolically to represent the children of the community.
Kikombe cha Umoja (Kee-com-bay chah-oo-moe-jah) – The Unity Cup symbolizes the first principle of Kwanzaa — the unity of family and of the African people. The cup is used to pour the libation (water, juice or wine) for family and friends.
Zawadi (Sah-wah-dee) – The gifts represent the labors of the parents and the rewards of their children. Gifts are given to educate and enrich the children — they may include a book, a piece of art or an educational toy. At least one of the gifts is a symbol of African heritage.
The orange with the cloves holiday decoration is one of my favorite Winter Holiday traditions I have loved my whole life. Since I a “scent” person I do this as soon as November arrives, but this unique scent is more powerful when layered with the scent of fresh pine and candles burning.
About Cloves
Resembling small nails, the name clove is in fact derived from the French word clov, meaning nail. Each “nail” is an unopened flower bud of the clove tree, a tropical evergreen member of the Myrtle family. A clove tree, known botanically as Eugenia aromatica, may live 100 years. They begin producing fruit at seven years and come into full maturity around 25 years. The average crop yield is eight pounds although each year is different. The trees are indigenous to the Moluccas, also known as the Spice Islands. For a period of time around the 1700’s, it looked as if the clove trees would never grow anywhere but the island of Amboina.
As early as 200 BC, envoys from Java to the Han-dynasty court of China brought cloves that were customarily held in the mouth to perfume the breath during audiences with the emperor. During the late Middle Ages, cloves were used in Europe to preserve, flavour, and garnish food. Clove cultivation was almost entirely confined to Indonesia, and in the early 17th century the Dutch eradicated cloves on all islands except Amboina and Ternate in order to create scarcity and sustain high prices. This was the plan instituted by the Dutch government to control their monopoly of the valuable spice. They proceeded to destroy every clove tree that grew on any other island in the Moluccas.
In the latter half of the 18th century the French smuggled cloves from the East Indies to Indian Ocean islands and the New World, breaking the Dutch monopoly.
About the plant
Mistletoe is the common name for a group of hemi-parasitic plants in the order Santalales that grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub. Parasitism evolved only nine times in the plant kingdom; of those, the parasitic mistletoe habit has evolved independently five times: Misodendraceae, Loranthaceae, Santalaceae (formerly considered the separate family Eremolepidaceae), and Santalaceae (formerly treated as the separate family Viscaceae). Although Viscaceae and Eremolepidaceae were placed in a broadly-defined Santalaceae by Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 2, they originated independently, according to DNA sequences analysed by Dan Nickrent, Southern Illinois University.
The word ‘mistletoe’ is of uncertain etymology; it may be related to German Mist, for dung and Tang for branch, but Old English mistel was also used for basil.
In culture and mythology
European mistletoe, Viscum album, figured prominently in Greek mythology, and is believed to be The Golden Bough of Aeneas, ancestor of the Romans. The Norse god Baldr was killed with mistletoe.
Mistletoe bears fruit at the time of the Winter Solstice, the birth of the new year, and may have been used in solstitial rites in Druidic Britain as a symbol of immortality. In Celtic mythology and in druid rituals, it was considered a remedy for barrenness in animals and an antidote to poison, although the fruits of many mistletoes are actually poisonous if ingested as they contain viscotoxins.
An old Christian tradition said that mistletoe was once a tree and furnished the wood of the Cross. After the Crucifixion, the plant shriveled and became dwarfed to a parasitic vine.
In Romanian traditions, mistletoe (vâsc in Romanian) is considered a source of good fortune. The medical and the supposed magical properties of the plant are still used, especially in rural areas.
A popular myth says that the Mistletoe was cut with a gold sickle and it lost its power if it fell and touched the ground. This is a confusion with the Holly ‘holy’ Tree, the most sacred tree of the druids (after the Oak) due to both plants being green all year, having colorful fruits and sharing similar history of winter months.Getafix, the druid in the Asterix comics was often seen up trees collecting Mistletoe, and it was alluded to be an ingredient in his magic potion.
Mistletoe has sometimes been nicknamed the vampire plant because it can probe beneath the tree bark to drain water and minerals, enabling it to survive during a drought.William Shakespeare gives it an unflattering reference in Titus Andronicus, Act II, Scene I: “Overcome with moss and baleful mistletoe”.
Mistletoe is commonly used as a Christmas decoration, though such use was rarely alluded to into the 18th century. Viscum album is used in Europe whereas Phoradendron serotinum is used in North America. According to custom, the mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of Christmas greens at Candlemas; it may remain hanging through the year, often to preserve the house from lightning or fire, until it was replaced the following Christmas Eve.. The tradition has spread throughout the English-speaking world but is largely unknown in the rest of Europe. The appearance and nature of the fruit’s content (viscin) is very similar to or suggestive of human semen and this has strengthened its pagan connections.
Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens) is the state floral emblem for the State of Oklahoma. The state did not have an official flower, leaving the Mistletoe as the assumed state flower until the Oklahoma Rose was designated as such in 2004.
Kissing under mistletoe at Christmas
According to a custom of Christmas cheer, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. The custom is Scandinavian in origin.
The custom has been incorporated into various holiday songs. The 1943 song I’ll Be Home for Christmas tells the story of a lonely traveler looking forward to coming home and seeing, among other things, mistletoe. The Mistletoe is mentioned in the song “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” (“The Christmas Song”), made famous by Nat King Cole, and written by Mel Torme. The song “A Holly Jolly Christmas” sung by Burl Ives, and used for the TV special “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, features the line, “Ho Ho, the Mistletoe”, and the line, “Kiss her once for me”. In 1961 singer Aretha Franklin released a Christmas song called Kissin’ by the Mistletoe. In 1971 singer Lynn Anderson recorded the song Mr. Mistletoe on her holiday album The Christmas Album. The song talks about an elf who hangs mistletoe in homes so that people can “steal a kiss from someone that they know”. In 2001 Barbra Streisand released the song It Must Have Been the Mistletoe. Rocking around the Christmas Tree also refers to “mistletoe hung where you can see, every couple tries to stop”. A popular child’s Christmas song’s first line is, “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night.”
Early lanterns, used by people far and wide, were made of metal and glass and used to shield a candle. Nowadays, lanterns have many symbolic and celebratory uses besides providing a necessary light source. There are many cultures that incorporate lanterns into their holiday festivities. Luminarias, which are a very important part of the Spanish tradition of Las Posadas, are small brown, paper bags each filled with a lit candle. These little lights are said to guide travelers to their destinations.
Across the Pacific, the Chinese end their celebration of the Chinese New Year with the Lantern Festival. In their festival, numerous paper lanterns, in all shapes and sizes fill the night sky.
For many, many years, families far and wide would eat Christmas dinner together, and often the food would stay out until the next day in case spirits and little people should visit the farm during the night. Variations of the tradition are very popular today in Scandinavia, and especially in Denmark!
On December 1st, the people of Denmark, young and old, put a bowl of rice pudding or porridge covered in butter and brown sugar outside on their front doorstep. They leave this little treat for the ‘nisser’ and the nisser are very excited to eat the warm, delicious meal that is left for them in the middle of the cold winters.
Nisser are Scandinavian relatives of the pixie, the gnome, the elf and the imp. Although having a similar taste in clothing to Santa Claus or Father Christmas, nisser tend to favour the more practical look, preferring grey trousers (or grey skirt for Mrs. Nisse), wooden shoes and a long pointed red cap.
But watch out! Nisser have a tendency to misbehave if they do not get their way, and for generations Danish children have been pacifying them with bowls of risengrød or rice porridge over many Christmas celebrations over hundreds of years.
We wanted to add this fresh bowl of fruit in celebration for Kwanzaa. Unfortunately we did not have a guest on Holiday TV who celebrate Kwanzaa. But we want to tell you the significance of Kwanzaa.
On December 1st, the people of Denmark, young and old, put a bowl of rice pudding or porridge covered in butter and brown sugar outside on their front doorstep. They leave this little treat for the ‘nisser’ and the nisser are very excited to eat the warm, delicious meal that is left for them in the middle of the cold winters.