What we did yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon was our Branch Christmas party.  Here is everyone dancing around the Christmas Tree singing Christmas Carols.  Then the Juleman (Santa Claus) came and the children danced around the tree with Santa Claus.  After you dance around with Santa Claus, doing actions for daily chores, you make 'bridges' with 2 people (like London Bridge is falling down) and everyone dances under the bridge.  When the music stops your are out and you stand behind someone making the bridge you were caught under.  Last person not caught gets a marzipan log.

Our Juleman - taking the real Juleman's place is our Branch President.  Here he is with his grandson on his lap.  Birk is 3 and so beside himself with joy over Christmas.  He is wearing a Swedish Nisse hat.  His father is from Sweden.
 

This is not the best picture of the wooden shoes but it will suffice.  I loved that instead of going to the North Pole, the Juleman went back to Greenland.

This is Sister Ellen Bjorren.  She is reading "Peter's Jul" to the children.  In truth she is 'telling' the story.  It is written in very old Danish and in verse.  It is apparently very hard to understand.  Just the poem was the first children's book published in Denmark.

President Olsen behind the tree.

President Olsen disappeared.

It was a wonderful day yesterday.  The tree always goes in the center of the room and on Christmas Eve, the family dances around it and sings carols before celebrating Advent for the last time.  I think I am going to put the tree in the center of the Living Room next year and we as a family will dance around the tree.  Notice the little woven heart baskets on the tree.  The most important symbol of the season here is the heart.  I am bringing several heart ornaments home.

Scripture for the day: Mosiah 2:17

 

Happy St. NIcholas Day

Matthew 23:11 is the scripture of the day.

My Christmas Offering for today:

The star we've watched for so long
To tell us of His coming,
Is here!  Is here! And we must go
With trumpets and drums a thrumming!
The star we follow on this night
Will lead to a rough cradle,
Where He was born that Holy Night
In a poor and lowly stable.

The way is long.  The way is cold
We cannot tarry longer.
The birth of Him, the star has told
The way is still much longer.
A King is born this Holy Morn
And gifts to Him, we're bringing.
The Child we've waited for - is here!
Oh hear the angels singing.
~ Traditional ~

We have very full day in front of us.  I am not sure when I will find another time to do this.  I will update tomorrow about our activities today.  It is wet and cold today.  Should make our walks so much more fun!

This is the feast of St. Nicholas Eve

Scripture of the Day: 2 Nephi 2:3

In our family, December 5 is a very special day.  It is the evening that shoes are left outside the door and in the morning, they are miraculously filled with treats and small gifts.  Usually Christmas socks and other things are left, nestled in the shoes.  We never had really naughty children, so switches and coal were never left in the shoes.  However we know people that have had either or both left behind for them.  One  young man we knew had coal wrapped like candy hanging from the switches!  I have noticed that there are bundles of switches here but have not seen any coal. 

The purpose of the feast is that it celebrates St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children and sailors.  We all know stories of St. Nicholas and this festival is rooted around the celebration of those stories.  St. Nicholas is no longer a saint in the Catholic Church and this has become an optional feast.  However the Lutheran's still embrace him as a saint.

For todays Christmas offering, I found a poem by Hans Christian Andersen.  I found an English Translation but tweaked it.  I didn't like some of the choices of words.

Barn Jesus I in krybbe laae
Skjoondt Himlen var hans Eie'
Hans pude her blev Hoo og Straa
Morkt var det on hans leie!
Men stjernen over Huset stod,
Og oxen kysset Barnets fod,
Hallelujah, Barn Jesus

Hver sorgfuld sjael, blev karsk og glad
Ryst of den tunge smerte
Et Born er foodt I David's Stad,
Til troost for hvert et Hjerte
Til Barnet vil vi stige ind
A bliv Boorn I Sjael og Sind
Helleluja, Barn Jesus!

Baby Jesus does in a manger lay
Though Heaven offered sweet repose,
His pillow is tufts of fragrant hay.
Darkness surrounded the rough hewn bed
But stars shone brightly overhead
And cattle kissed the infants feet.
Hallelujah, Baby Jesus!

You heavy souls (or weighed down souls) rejoice and sing!
Shake off the your tongues and words that sting.
In David's Place is a newborn child
So let us journey to see his eyes open wide
And kneel in childlike reverence
Where love and peace are manifest.
Hallelujah, Baby Jesus!

Sorry the rhythm is wonky but the true message shines through this way.  It is a favorite Christmas Carol here.  I can't get the melody out of my head.

St. Nicholas Day

Scripture: Revelation 2:19

A gentle reminder to my daughters that need it.  Tomorrow night you put your shoes out for St. Nicholas.  This will give you today and tomorrow to take care of that.  In Denmark, instead of shoes they hang a stocking.  This is where the tradition of stockings drying and being filled began.  They just do it on December 5 for the morning of the 6th instead of on Christmas Eve.  But the tradition is dying out - which is sad.

The winter solstice draws the year to a close.  The promise of light and the commencement of the year are hailed with rejoicing and thanksgiving.  Christmas celebrates the birth of our Savior as well as the restoration of daily light.  Since the beginning of time, people have looked forward to Christ's birth.

Christ is our true friend and Savior.  Sadly the struggle against Christ is ongoing.  But we as Christians can anticipate the time when He will be victorious over all.  We need to remember to be truly Christian in our daily activities.

A Wonderful Wednesday

Scripture of the day: Mark 9:35

Tell sweet old tales,
Sing songs as we sit
Bending over the hearth,
Till the lamp flickers
and the memory fails.
~ Frederick Tennyson ~

We had a good day.  I was pondering what makes Christmas so special to me.  It is absolutely the traditions of the way and reason we do things.  I have always tried to add a new tradition that will help us stay Christ-centered during the Christmas Season.  We are so blessed to have traditions from all of the world to pick and choose from.  Whatever makes your family more focused on Christ is a good tradition - at least in my mind.

December 2

Scripture of the day: Ephesians 6:8

Today was Zone Conference and we learned about 'Share the Gift' at Christmas.mormon.org
This is a short video on the greatest Christmas Gift of all.  I highly recommend it.  We will be given pass-along cards to hand out in Danish, thanks to a brother from the Fredericksburg Ward.  Such a blessing.  We then had a traditional Danish Christmas Dinner which consisted of roasted pork with the rind cooked until is crispy like pork rinds.  SO GOOD!  The sides were cooked cabbage and potatoes with a sugar glaze on it - like we make sweet potatoes.  For dessert we had Danish Rice Pudding.  There are whole almonds hidden in the dessert.  Whoever finds an almond - they must keep secret until everyone has finished their desserts.  Then the person with whole almond stands and gets a special present.  Clyde got a whole almond today and received a small 2015 calendar, a box of breath mints and a 'marzipan roll' that tastes a lot like Almond Joy.
Very fun day.

Today for my Christmas offering, I am doing Seasonal Jokes.

What kind of music do elves like best?
Wrap music

What do you call a snowman in the summer?
A puddle

Why did the elf put his bed in the fireplace?
He wanted to sleep like a log.

Why did the Christmas cookie go to the doctor?
Because he was feeling crummy

What do you call a camel at the North Pole?
Lost
Have a great day.

Happy Birthday, Heidi

A couple of months ago, our daughters had a 'sister weekend'.  Heather was focusing and Pam was playing but it is the only picture I have of Heidi without several people in it.  Happy Birthday Heidi.  We love you and are so proud of you.  (Brace yourself Pam, I may use this same picture for you!)

I am going to do something a bit different than I have done in past Decembers.  I am going to list a scripture to be read every day from today to Christmas Eve.  These are scriptures on Service.  What a great time of year for that theme.  The first one is from the Book of Mormon.  It is Mosiah18:21.

 

Here is a very short story for the day.  I promise to do better in the future.  This is strictly a children's story. 

 

Pammie the Penguin

Pammie was a penguin who lived at the South Pole.  From the time she was very little, every Christmas, her mother read her stories of Santa Claus.  Pammie so wanted to live at the North Pole.  Every Christmas she dreamt of living at the North Pole with Santa Claus and his wife.

 

It was time for Pammie to grow up and move on.  She wondered what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go.  She sat on a hill in the vast wasteland.  From where she sat, she could see a bit of blue from the ocean but everywhere else was shades of nothing but white.  Suddenly she had an idea.  What if she wrote Santa and told him her hearts desire?  So Pammie got a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote her letter.  She let the wind carry it away, knowing it would soon be in Santa's hands. 

 

On Christmas Eve she went to sleep in her snow cave.  She hoped that Santa would answer her request.  When she awoke, she was not surrounded by ice and shades of white anymore.  She was in a little house with candy cane striped walls and garlands in the windows for curtains.  She had her dearest wish fulfilled.

 

She made her way to find Santa.  Pammie wanted to tell him she was so happy.  Santa wrapped her in his arms and told her that he had always wanted a little penguin to live with him.  From then on, Pammie was busy and happy helping Santa and his wife do the wonderful things to get ready for Christmas.  ~The End~