*Hello to everybody ---- and a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year* *--- I'm still alive !! ---- From, Riobard & Joan. * On 1 January 2013 18:10, Tami Gilbert <[email protected]> wrote: > Thank you Terrance I so enjoy reading everyone's posts. > > Tami Gilbert > > > On Dec 31, 2012, at 7:21 PM, "Terrance O'Dwyer" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > To My friends of Beara > > > > My wishes to all for a grand new year; > > for blessings and riches and fame— > > But I ache for you who have lost someone > > For things are not the same. > > > > I wish you courage in the coming days > > And peaceful comfort for when you sleep. > > But most for you I do wish > > The promise of Easter’s Feast. > > > > Tis nearly midnight in my town; > > The celebration gives no cheer. > > For my greatest gift at this age > > Is to have my loved ones near. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] > > Sent: Monday, December 31, 2012 3:00 AM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: BEARA Digest, Vol 7, Issue 253 > > > > > > > > Today's Topics: > > > > 1. Re: BEARA Digest, Vol 7, Issue 248 (alison reynolds) > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Message: 1 > > Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 13:12:39 +0000 > > From: alison reynolds <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [BEARA] BEARA Digest, Vol 7, Issue 248 > > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > > Thank you very much for this info and all the best for 2013 > > Alison Reynolds > > > >> From: [email protected] > >> Subject: BEARA Digest, Vol 7, Issue 248 > >> To: [email protected] > >> Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2012 01:00:20 -0700 > >> > >> > >> > >> Today's Topics: > >> > >> 1. Re: The Shortest Day (Susan Twomey) > >> 2. Re: Irish Christmas Traditions (Bette new email) > >> > >> > >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> > >> Message: 1 > >> Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:51:06 -0800 > >> From: Susan Twomey <[email protected]> > >> Subject: Re: [BEARA] The Shortest Day > >> To: [email protected], Bill Gawne <[email protected]> > >> Message-ID: <[email protected]> > >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > >> > >> > >> Thanks, Bill, for this Solstice verse...I have shared it with family and > >> friends...much appreciated! > >> > >> All the best for the holidays and 2013! Thanks for all you do for us > >> Beara folks. > >> > >> /Susan Twomey > >> > >>> On Dec 21, 2012, at 11:06 AM, Bill Gawne <[email protected]> wrote: > >>> > >>>> Dear friends of Beara, > >>>> > >>>> On this (northern hemisphere) winter solstice day I offer you this > >>>> sweet verse by Susan Cooper: > >>>> > >>>> And so the Shortest Day came and the year died > >>>> And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world > >>>> Came people singing, dancing, > >>>> To drive the dark away. > >>>> They lighted candles in the winter trees; > >>>> They hung their homes with evergreen; > >>>> They burned beseeching fires all night long > >>>> To keep the year alive. > >>>> And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake > >>>> They shouted, revelling. > >>>> Through all the frosty ages you can hear them > >>>> Echoing behind us - listen! > >>>> All the long echoes, sing the same delight, > >>>> This Shortest Day, > >>>> As promise wakens in the sleeping land: > >>>> They carol, feast, give thanks, > >>>> And dearly love their friends, > >>>> And hope for peace. > >>>> And now so do we, here, now, > >>>> This year and every year. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> -- Bill > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> ------------------------------ > >> > >> Message: 2 > >> Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2012 19:40:43 -0700 > >> From: "Bette new email" <[email protected]> > >> Subject: Re: [BEARA] Irish Christmas Traditions > >> To: <[email protected]> > >> Message-ID: <[email protected]> > >> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; > >> reply-type=original > >> > >> Thank you Bill, We old Irish-Americans are hungry for any information on > >> old > >> Irish customs, poems, letters, books, etc. Beautiful poem. MERRY > CHRISTMAS > >> to all. Bette > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Bill Gawne > >> Sent: Friday, December 21, 2012 3:59 PM > >> To: [email protected] > >> Subject: [BEARA] Irish Christmas Traditions > >> > >> Dear friends of Beara, > >> > >> The great thing about our Beara mailing list is the archive that > >> stretches back to August 1998. It yields up all sorts of treasure, > >> including this precious tidbit that Sue Booth-Forbes sent us 12 years > >> ago, in December of 2000. As I look these over, I note that there's a > >> candle (electric) in the window of my home office, just in front of > >> the desk where I am right now, as well as similar candles in the other > >> front windows of my house. There's also an evergreen wreath on my > >> front door. Furthermore, we're in the custom of taking the > >> decorations down on Little Christmas, aka 12th Night. > >> > >> We're not in the custom of celebrating Little Christmas as a women's > >> festival in my community. Do any of you do that? (I'm also thinking > >> this might be an echo of the old Roman festival of the Bona Dea held > >> by Roman women in mid-winter.) > >> > >> Anyhow, enough of speculations and reminiscences. Here you have... > >> > >> IRISH CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS > >> > >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >> > >> Ireland, like most countries, has a number of Christmas traditions that > >> are all of its own. Many of these customs have their root in the time > when > >> the Gaelic culture and religion of the country were being suppressed and > >> it > >> is perhaps because of this that they have survived into modern times. > >> > >> THE CANDLE IN THE WINDOW > >> > >> The placing of a lighted candle in the window of a house on Christmas > eve > >> is > >> still practised today. It has a number of purposes but primarily it was > a > >> symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they traveled looking for > shelter. > >> The candle also indicated a safe place for priests to perform mass since > >> during Penal Times this was not allowed. A further element of the > >> tradition > >> is that the candle should be lit by the youngest member of the household > >> and > >> only be extinguished by a girl bearing the name 'Mary'. > >> > >> THE LADEN TABLE > >> > >> After evening meal on Christmas eve the kitchen table was again set and > on > >> it were placed a loaf of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, a > >> pitcher of milk and a large lit candle. The door to the house was left > >> unlatched so that Mary and Joseph, or any wandering traveler, could > avail > >> of the welcome. > >> > >> THE WREN BOY PROCESSION > >> > >> During Penal Times there was once a plot in a village against the local > >> soldiers. They were surrounded and were about to be ambushed when a > group > >> of > >> wrens pecked on their drums and awakened the soldiers. The plot failed > and > >> the wren became known as 'The Devil's bird'. On St. Stephen's Day a > >> procession takes place where a pole with a holly bush is carried from > >> house > >> to house and families dress up in old clothes and with blackened faces. > In > >> olden times an actual wren would be killed and placed on top of the > pole. > >> This custom has to a large degree disappeared but the tradition of > >> visiting > >> from house to house on St. Stephen's Day has survived and is very much > >> part > >> of Christmas. > >> > >> DECORATIONS > >> > >> The placing of a ring of Holly on doors originated in Ireland as Holly > was > >> one of the main plants that flourished at Christmas time and which gave > >> the > >> poor ample means with which to decorate their dwellings. All decorations > >> are > >> traditionally taken down on Little Christmas (January 6th.) and it is > >> considered to be bad luck to take them down beforehand. > >> > >> LITTLE CHRISTMAS > >> > >> On January 6th, the women of Ireland gather to celebrate the successful > >> completion of the holiday season and their contributions to making it > >> happen. In homes, restaurants, theatres, pubs, and clubs around the > >> country, it is 'women only' night. > >> > >> TRADITIONAL GAELIC SALUTATION > >> > >> The Gaelic greeting for 'Merry Christmas' is: 'Nollaig Shona Duit', > which > >> is pronounced as 'null-ig hunna dwit'. > >> > >> > >> -- Bill > >> > >> > >> ------------------------------- > >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes > >> in > >> the subject and the body of the message > >> > >> > >> > >> ------------------------------ > >> > >> To contact the BEARA list administrator, send an email to > >> [email protected] > >> > >> To post a message to the BEARA mailing list, send an email to > >> [email protected] > >> > >> __________________________________________________________ > >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > >> [email protected] > >> with the word "unsubscribe" without the quotes in the subject and the > body > >> of the > >> email with no additional text. > >> > >> > >> End of BEARA Digest, Vol 7, Issue 248 > >> ************************************* > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > To contact the BEARA list administrator, send an email to > > [email protected] > > > > To post a message to the BEARA mailing list, send an email to > > [email protected] > > > > __________________________________________________________ > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > [email protected] > > with the word "unsubscribe" without the quotes in the subject and the > body > > of the > > email with no additional text. > > > > > > End of BEARA Digest, Vol 7, Issue 253 > > ************************************* > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message -- *Riobard (O'Dwyer)*