Stay Curious » Holidays

“O Tannenbaum Gilthoniel”

Karyn — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:39:25 +0000

This post originally appeared on my blog two years ago, but it deserves another look!

Attention all Tolkien language geeks, my friend, Patrick Wynne, sings “A Elbereth Gilthoniel” (by J.R.R.Tolkien) to the tune of “O Tannenbaum.” Brilliant.

(if you have trouble viewing the video, refresh your browser)

Lyrics:

A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
O Elbereth Starkindler,
silivren penna míriel
white-glittering, slants down sparkling like jewels,
o menel aglar elenath!
from the firmament the glory of the starry host!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
Having gazed far away
o galadhremmin ennorath,
from the tree-woven lands of Middle-earth,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
to thee, Everwhite, I will sing,
nef aear, sí nef aearon!
on this side of the Sea, here on this side of the Great Ocean!

Special thanks to Pat for letting me post this here!

First Night of Chanukah

Karyn — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:30:13 +0000

We are in the hospital tonight so I will light our menorah “virtually” and re-publish these photos from last year.

The top photo is my menorah, the bottom photo shows Éva after lighting the simple menorah that is enjoying its third generation in our family.

Christmas Plans

Karyn — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:30:25 +0000

From xkcd: A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.
(via @BoraZ RT@alanpdx)

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Karyn — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:37:30 +0000

sANTa is coming to town.

From the good folks at Myrmecos.

If you are at a loss for words…

Karyn — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:13:57 +0000

here’s a few to try while traveling over the holidays:

An International Christmas Tree

“X”

“XXX”

"XXXXX"

“GOD JUL”

"BUON ANNO"

"FELIZ NATAL”

"JOYEUX NOEL”

"VESELE VANOCE"

"MELE KALIKIMAKA"

"NODLAG SONA DHUIT"

"BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA"

"""""""BOAS FESTAS """""""

"FELIZ NAVIDAD"

“MERRY CHRISTMAS”

"KALA CHRISTOUGENA"

"VROLIJK KERSTFEEST"

"FROHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN"

"BUON NATALE-GODT NYTAR"

"HUAN YING SHENG TAN CHIEH"

"WESOLYCH SWIAT-SRETAN BOZIC"

"MOADIM LESIMHA-LINKSMU KALEDU"

"HAUSKAA JOULUA-AID SAID MOUBARK"

"""""""’N PRETTIG KERSTMIS """""""

"ONNZLLISTA UUTTA VUOTTA"

“Z ROZHDESTYOM KHRYSTOVYM"

"NADOLIG LLAWEN-GOTT NYTTSAR"

"FELIC NADAL-GOJAN KRISTNASKON"

“S NOVYM GODOM-FELIZ ANO NUEVO”

"GLEDILEG JOL-NOELINIZ KUTLU OLSUM"

"EEN GELUKKIG NIEUWJAAR-SRETAN BOSIC"

"KRIHSTLINDJA GEZUAR-KALA CHRISTOUGENA"

"SELAMAT HARI NATAL – LAHNINGU NAJU METU"

""""""" SARBATORI FERICITE-BUON ANNO """""""

"ZORIONEKO GABON-HRISTOS SE RODI"

"BOLDOG KARACSONNY-VESELE VIANOCE”

“MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR”

"ROOMSAID JOULU PUHI -KUNG HO SHENG TEN”

"FELICES PASCUAS – EIN GLUCKICHES NEUJAHR"

"PRIECIGUS ZIEMAN SVETKUS SARBATORI VESLLE"

“BONNE ANNEBLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDADRFELIZ NATAL”

“”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"

XXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

==============================================================================

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

ARMENIAN: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand.

AZERI-AZERBAIJAN: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun.

BASQUE: Zorionstsu Eguberri. Zoriontsu Berri Urte.

BULGARIAN: Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo. Tchestita Nova Godina.

CHINESE-CANTONESE: Gun Tso Sun Tan’Gung Haw Sun.

CHINESE-MANDARIN: Kung Ho Hsin Hsi. Ching Chi Shen Tan.

CZECH: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok.

DUTCH: Zalig Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieukjaar.

ENGLISH: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

ESTONIAN: Roomsaid Joulu Phui ja Uut Aastat.

FINNISH: Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta

FRENCH: Joyeux Noel et heureuse Anne.

GAELIC-IRISH: Nollaig shona dhiobh Agus Bliain Nua Fe Mhaise.

GAELIC-SCOT: Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur.

GERMAN: Frohliche Weihnachten und ein Glueckliches Neues Jahr.

GREEK: Kala Khristougena kai Eftikhes to Neon Ethos.

HAWAIIAN: Mele Kalikimake me ka Hauloi Makahiki hou.

HEBREW: Mo’adim Lesimkha.

HUNGARIAN: Boldog Karacsonyi Unnepeket es Ujevet kivanok.

ICELANDIC: Gledlig jol og Nyar.

INDONESIAN: Selamah Tahun Baru.

IROQUOIS: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.

ITALIAN: Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo.

JAPANESE: Shinnen Omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto.

KOREAN: Sung Tan Chuk Ha.

LATVIAN: Priecigus Ziemas Svetkus un Laimigu Jauno Gadu.

LITHUANIAN: linksmu sventu Kaledu ir Laimingu Nauju Metu.

MANX: Ollick Ghennal Erriu as Blein Feer Die. Seihil as Slaynt Da’n Slane Loght Thie.

NORSE-DANISH: Gledlig jul og godt Nytt Aar.

POLISH: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia i szczesliwego Nowego Roku.

PORTUGUESE: Feliz Natal e propero Ano Novo.

RAPA-NUI (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua.

ROMANIAN: Sarbatori Fericite. La Multi Ani.

RUSSIAN: Pozdrevly ayu sprazdnikom Rozhdestva Khristova is Novim Godom.

UKRANIAN: Veselykh Svyat i scaslivoho Novoho Roku.

SAMOAN: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou.

SLOVAK: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok.

SERB-CROATIAN: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina.

SINGHALESE (Ceylon/Sri Lanka): Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa.

SLOVENE: Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto.

SPANISH: Feliz Navidad y prospero Ano Nuevo.

SWEDISH: Glad jul och ett gott Nytt ar.

TAGALOG (Filipino): Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon.

TURKISH: Yeni Yilnizi Kutar, saadetler dilerim.

WELSH: Nadolic Llawen. Blwyddn Newdd Dda.

Add your own in the comments (or send me corrections if you see something above that is wrong)!

Who wrote that Christmas Song?

Karyn — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:05:44 +0000

You might be surprised to learn that many Christmas songs were written by Jewish songwriters! Check out the story on the Jewish Publication Society blog: Jews and Christmas music – not such an unlikely mix!

“O Tannenbaum Gilthoniel”

Karyn — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:59:47 +0000

Attention all Tolkien language geeks, my friend, Patrick Wynne, sings “A Elbereth Gilthoniel” (by J.R.R.Tolkien) to the tune of “O Tannenbaum.” Brilliant.

(if you have trouble viewing the video, refresh your browser)

Lyrics:

Special thanks to Pat for letting me post this here!

Light

Karyn — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:03:31 +0000

A picture is better than a thousand words. ‘Tis true. Look at the light in their eyes!

Photo by John Free (our son-in-law).

As we celebrate Chanukah and anticipate Christmas, I’m also reading and hope to get some reviews up soon. Stay tuned!

Chanukah (Ethan & Maggie light the candles)

Karyn — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:21:11 +0000

Ethan & Maggie light the candles for the second night of Chanukah. Tomorrow they will join a Jewish family from school for a party. What fun that they can participate in the celebration (and even get to practice some of the Hebrew they are learning). One special thing about our candles this year is that we hand-dipped them ourselves! The kids even helped.

Chanukah (Part 3)

Karyn — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:38:10 +0000

One more day until we light the first candle of Chanukah! Hopefully, you have done some of the background reading that I suggested to understand the background for this holiday.

First, just a little explanation of the English spelling of the holiday. You have probably seen both of these spellings: Chanukah and Hanukkah. The reason is due to differing transliterations for the Hebrew letters in the word: Chet-Nun-Waw-Kaf-Hey חנוכה. The Hebrew word means “dedication” or “consecration.”

The holiday commemorates the eight days that the one-day-supply of consecrated oil burned in the Temple until more consecrated oil was available. This miracle of the light is re-enacted by lighting candles each night for the eight days of Chanukah. A special candelabra/menorah which holds 9 candles is used (this is different than the 7-branch menorah). One candle (the Shamash) is used to light the other candles. So, on the first night there are actually two candles burning, on the second night, three candles burn, etc. The candles are lit and allowed to burn until they are completely consumed.

Rather than give you details of how the holiday is celebrated (which you can easily find with a quick Google search), I want to tell you why we celebrate it as a family. We’re not Jewish. But our Christian heritage is rooted in the Hebrew bible and the journeys told in Scripture. It’s not that we have to celebrate the holiday. Rather, it is an opportunity to choose to celebrate a miracle that demonstrates the power of God and his care for his people. We celebrate other holidays (Independence Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day… we even join with our neighborhood in celebrating Halloween). Why not also celebrate a holiday that specifically remembers and recounts a part of the history of the people of God? It is a great way to get into the history of Israel.

As we celebrate, I’ll post photos of some of our traditions (and maybe even a few recipes!).