HAPPY HOGMANAY

For those of you NOT in the UK or Australia, or a few other countries, you would just say Happy New Year. In SCOTLAND especially they celebrate the New Year with fireworks, torch lights and just a lot of partying.

The larger cities: Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and also Stirling and Inverness sell tickets for about 10 pounds to attend the celebrations. Tens of thousands of people participate. People make chicken wire pockets to hold flammable items, like paper, wood and then with the striking of midnight, they light the pockets and swing them up and down the streets as seen on the right.


T

The traditional Auld Lang Syne song from Robert Burns is a popular ending to a busy holiday.

It is good luck to have a tall, dark, handsome person cross the threshold immediately after midnight. He will bring a lump of coal and a slice of a black bun.

SECOND Christmas?

Yes, that is another name for BOXING DAY in the UK. It happens on December 26th every year. Many years ago, the lord of the would give to his servants, clothing or agricultural instruments in pay for their last years work. Later on people with servants would give them a gift of money or something else in a box one the day after Christmas. In the UK a Christmas box is also called a Christmas present.

It is said that the British like their holidays and so they began BOXING Day. It is a legal holiday and if it come on a Saturday or Sunday, then Monday and Tuesday are both off to celebrate.

Then Boxing day evolved into a sports day also, with football (soccer), swimming the English Channel, racing or a hunting day chasing the foxes with the hounds. The latter was outlawed in 2004, but you may still see  hunters in their red waistcoats with hunting dogs following the scent of a pretend fox.

In 2014, Boxing Day is also a great SHOPPING Day, maybe even for next years presents.

CHRISTMAS DAY

We were planning on taking the sisters to Edinburgh Mission Home for a mission brunch with anyone from the Zone who could come. The elders were going to take the train because our car only holds 3. But the trains don't run on Christmas day, or Boxing Day which is tomorrow and the next two days not much. So we changed our plans and all came to our flat at 10 and we had brunch here.

Elder shared  his travel videos and we shared special gifts from family, like books, special eagle hat, and aprons. The elders wanted to make cookies to take around, but needed a recipe. I provided that along with brown sugar. The result was very delicious.

The sisters are wearing a front and back of a Reindeer sweater.

Cream the sugars, egg and butter, make it fluffy.

Ladle Ranger cookies without the coconut, tasted great.

Christmas Eve Activities

FELIZ NAVIDAD
Christmas in Mexico begins December 12th to January 6th. From December 16th to Christmas Eve, children often attend Posadas or processions looking for the inn for the baby Jesus. There are nine Posadas. The outside of homes are decorated with moss, paper lanterns and evergreens.

In each Posada children are given a board decorated with painted clay figures of Mary riding on a donkey and Joseph. The go house to house and sing a song at each home. The song is about Mary and Joseph asking for a room. At each home the children are told that there is no room and that they must go away. Finally they are told there is room and they are welcomed in, and a party begins.

Each succeeding night a different home hosts the Posada party. On the final Posada, Christmas Eve, a manger and figures of shepherds are put on the board. When the Posada house has been found a baby Jesus is put in the manger and then families go to a midnight Church service.

One game that is often played at the Posada parties, is the pinata. It is often shaped like a ball with seven peaks around it, but it can also be in the form of an animal or bird, or donkey, as ours was.

I looked high and low and finally found a pinata at Tesco just before Christmas Eve for Elder Salinas. So on Christmas Eve morning we had the elders and sisters come to our flat outside door at 10am for a surprise.

We had to prepare the pinata, taking off the circle tab on the back and filling it with wrapped candy.

Don't hit Elder Ladle, Elder Salinas.

Have to stop and repair the Pinata.

You, can do it.

One more repair.

Everyone needs a turn. Go Sister Walton.

Sister Morton, one careful swing.

Elder Beckstrand hit it under the car on left. We picked up all the candy and paper.








What else did we do on Christmas EVE? We sang Christmas Carols in the shopping square. Most people who sing there have suitcases or cans for people to leave money. We did not. People didn't know what to do. Many stood behind us and listened so as not to have us aware. A few brave souls stood with us in the bitter cold and listened, especially the children. They would stop and make their parents or grandparents stop usually until the song was done. It was a great Christmas memory.

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS?

What is the FIRST thing that comes into your mind?

A lot depends upon your age, and your experience with Christmas PAST.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Did you hear the words of Isaiah being sung to Handel's Messiah? I did as I wrote them.


What is Christmas?
To a child, Christmas is Santa Claus. It is a magical time of hoping and wishing and waiting for that special day when gifts will be opened. It is decorating the Christmas tree, making and decorating cookies, singing Christmas carols, giving Christmas cards, seeing the Nativity acted out. It is gift giving and receiving.

As we get older, Christmas becomes Remembering.

Remembering that special gift given or received. Remembering is what Christmas is all about--the gift of the Son of God to a World in need of a Savior.

It is giving a gift to the Savior, that only YOU can give. 

What can I give him

Poor as I am

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb

And if I were a wise man

I would do my part

Yet what can I give Him

Give Him my heart

Christmas is remembering that:

JOSEPH

Was the son of Heli, who lived in Nazareth

Was to marry the daughter of his uncle Jacob

Was to be the husband of Mary, her protector

Was visited by the angel Gabriel and told to marry her, even though she was with child.

MARY

Was the cousin of Elisabeth, who bore John the Baptist

Was a pure and clean vessel, the mother of the son of God

Was a virgin, most beautiful

ELISABETH

Was a witness of the divinity of the Savior, the babe leap within her when Mary came

Was the mother of John the Baptist was from the priestly family of Aaron

SIMEON

Would be a priestly witness of the child's divinity

ANNA

Would be a widow for 84 years before seeing the Savior.

Would be a prophetess of the tribe of Asher

Would also be a witness of the Savior's birth

THE SHEPHERDS

Would be a witness of His divinity by the lowliest of people

THE WISE MEN

Righteous men who saw the star, when others could not. A witness of the wealthy.

Prophecy Fulfilled

More than 700 years ago before the birth of Christ, Isaiah prophesied, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Christmas is REMEMBERING and teaching our children to REMEMBER the true meaning of Christmas. 

What Christmas traditions have helped your family REMEMBER?

May God bless you all.

THE SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS

The TREE points to heaven and reminds us that God is eternal.







The WREATH is a circle without any end, the same as God's love for us.

The CANDLES shine brightly, to tell us that Jesus is the light of the world.

The BABY in the manger shows the birth of Jesus the Savior of the world.





















The STAR was placed in the sky for the wise men to follow.







The PRESENTS are given to remind us of God's gift to the world. ". . .the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

The NUTCRACKER

After a fun filled Christmas party full of magic and celebration, young Clara falls asleep and dreams that she helps the Nutcracker Prince defeat an army of giant mice.

She is rewarded by a visit to the glittering Land of Ice and Snow where snowflakes come to life, sparkling as they dance--and the magical Kingdom of Sweets--the enchanted Realm of the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy.

What little or big girl doesn't dream of dancing in the Nutcracker? It was a wonderful day of dreams.

National William Wallace Monument

To the east of Stirling is an imposing monument to William Wallace. He was born near Paisley. In 1297 he was outlawed by English armies after he killed the English Sheriff of Lanark. In return for being outlawed, Wallace burned Lanark, then led the Scottish army to victory against the English as the battle of Stirling Bridge.

The tower is 220' high 236 steps to the top where you can enjoy a panoramic view that takes in the Forth Bridges to the east and Ben Lomond on the west. It is said that William Wallace stood atop the hill and watched the gathering of the army of King Edward I of England before Stirling Bridge. He won the battle here, but lost the battle at Falkirk.William Wallace was charged with treason, even though he wasn't English and was brutally executed.



This monument was completed in 1869 as a result of many private donations. Inside the monument are many artifacts believed to be from Wallace. One includes his sword which is 5'4" long and weighs 3kg (2.2lbs = 1kg). We could have purchased a replica for 199.99 pounds but decided against it.

I should take a picture of Doug AFTER we walk to the top and complete the 236 steps.

What is fashion? Warmth in Scotland!

Beautiful views all the way to the top.

Wee steps with my UGGS. Luckily we never passed anyone going or coming.

The first room to rest after 50 steps. THE ARMS ROOM.

THE HERO ROOM. Everyone here from warriors to poets to kings to religious leaders.

This is William Wallace's sword all 5' 4".