So, this is the time of the year when the old part of my beloved city resembles a fairy-tale. Christmas/New year's light appeared a couple of days a go and while leaving the office today (yes, it was Saturday and I was working, dammit) I made a little stroll through the heart of the city. It was packed with people, becase tonight is the St. Nicholas night. It's one of the three good men we know here and the origins of St. Nicholas can actually be traced back to early 1800's here. He's the man that brings presents (of course), but... here's an extra. If kids haven't really been good last year, he can also bring them a tiny rod to tell them they should do better. I have to say I really enjoyed this tradition when I was a child and it was really deeply rooted here, way before Sprite, Fanta and Coca Cola brought their own favourite creature into our lives. And shops.
- Current Location:Home
- Current Mood:
happy
- Current Music:Sugababes - Easy
Comments
Also cheap pop is okay sometimes, right?
Right?
Boots full! :)
Makes even old scrooge me want to go out and enjoy the evening and shop amongst the Christmas glitterati...
Is that where the three bridges come together?
IDEA: How about a FYFF Santee Tomash pix? ;-.)
I might skip FYFF posts for a while. :)
I loved the two times I got to experience Miklavž. I remember one day going into the building where our church was at the same time as an old lady who lived in the same building, and she was carrying an armful of gold- and silver-painted twigs. As we walked up the stairs my companion started conversing with her about the holiday and the traditions and the twigs and he asked her what they do with the twigs, and this little old hunched-over lady looks at him like he's a moron, and says, "Se tepamo!" with an unspoken "DUH!" which I interpreted as, "We hit each other!"
Which I found endlessly amusing, thinking of this little old lady and her little old husband in their little old apartment, whacking each other with the silver twigs. What a holiday!! :D
Now Bulgarian children receive gifts on Christmas as it was before the communist era.
We do celebrate St. Nicholas' Day here basically by having some fish dish. It's more of a celebration if it is somebody's "name day".
Oh, the presents..... :)
Fish dish?