22 Dec 2019 – Memories Of Christmases’ Pasts
Wed: exactly one week before Christmas Day. Thoughts are with Nils for a speedy recovery – Nils, who taught me my Norwegian Christmas vocabulary in 1968! Will be sharing one Christmas pix from various FBfriends from today until Christmas Day. Today’s pix credits to Carmel from the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd’s Carol Service – each flag represents the country of the Ambasssdors present at the service. Like all the colourful flags and the peace sign on top of the globe…
Also my first exchanging of gifts for the season@Raffles Hospital.
Thu: tkx to Janice&Tom for this pix from Disney/FL,USA bringing back fond memories from the FLdays in the PTA&PTSA during our children’s Linn&May, Steve&Scott school days (1980s-90s).
A last trip to Ikea/Tampines for the year to pick up some last minute shopping.
Fri: TGIF – safe shopping to all who will be doing that this last weekend before Christmas Day. Tromsø pix credits to Tage – I can so feel the serenity and hear Silent Night with much fond memories just looking at this pix.
Tkx to Peggy for lunch@SIN SwimmingClub. Errands@PkWayParade.
Downloaded 1970s&now pix from independent.ie reminding me that the last Christmas I spent in Ireland was 1973 then and probably my last Christmas there! But as the say goes Ne-ver Say never!
Appreciations to Geoffrey for this info – when the Christmas lights were turned on in Dublin city centre this year, there were calls for the sign which announced ‘Welcome to Grafton Quarter’ to be removed and replaced by ‘Nollaig Shona Duit’ which had hung at the entrance to Grafton Street in previous years. The Irish-language sign conveys the message ‘Happy Christmas To You’, Nollaig being the modern form of early Notlaic, a word which was itself derived from Latin natalicia meaning ‘birth’.
http://bit.ly/2RQHRaF
Queen’s University Belfast University of Cambridge Joe McLaren Illustration eDIL
Sat: tkx to Jerome for his interesting A Lighter Side of History: The Ghosts of Orchard Road’s Christmases Pasts’, tracing the evolution of Christmas lighting along Orchard Road over the years. For me memories of SIN Christmases from 1964-1997 were not celebrated here, thus more interesting to learn about it.
Exchanging gifts with AudreyM for this season@NationalMuseum
with a side trip to explore the new revamp Substation area on ArmenianSt.
and a visit to CC before the rains to share this season’s wishes before Calvin&co’s Christmas trip to Taiwan.
No worries in these wet weathers when entertained by carol singers@CitySquareMall.
Prayers&thoughts for Terry (sil: Jeff’s father) in ICU who celebrated his 71Bday with his heart shocked, blood clots in both lungs and right leg bleeding from surgery.
Sun: on this 4th&last Sunday of Advent before Christmas, there are still last minute preparations for the season like picking up my smoked-salmon&cheese. Happy Winter Solstice, also known as Dong Zhi or some Cantonese call it Khor Tong.
The origin of the word Yule, has several suggested origins from the Old English word, geõla, the Old Norse word jõl, a pagan festival celebrated also at the winter solstice, the rebirth of the Sun.
Peace be with you all no matter how or if you celebrate.