Christmas Carol Grand Finale

Hope you get a few laughs from this one!

Pilates

I've been putting off losing weight and getting back into shape after baby Florian was born.  In the past, I used an elliptical machine or a exercise bicycle (in winter only, because in summer my workout equipment is a rake, shovel, hoe, and wheelbarrow!)  Since moving, I don't have room for any equipment, so I've been racking my brains on how to exercise at home.  Going somewhere isn't an option for me.  I know, you're thinking yoga, but I just never really got into it.

I got an idea to check the Netflix on-demand thingie and found a bunch of pilates videos!!!  Just the element of novelty I'm looking for...

I need to lose 20 lb or more, it is January, you know!  So that's my resolution!  I'll give you updates on how I'm doing, not that you need to know, but might it motivate me more???  We'll see...


As an aside, I must say that we like our little Roku Player.  It's a digital video player that links to the Netflix On-Demand queue and plays them on your tv.  You can watch what you want, when you want it, and the best part: there's no commercials!  I loathe commercials, they are banned from my home.  After you haven't seen them in about a year, they look so silly anyway.  The kids still get their Caillou, Bob the Builder, Cyberchase, Veggietales, Disney movies (actually an advertisement in and of itself), etc.  Sure, they're 6 months old, but who cares?  Tom can watch Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, and all the "latest" things.  We still get the regular 2 videos at a time from the mail, all for only $17/month.   Who needs cable/satellite?  Weather & news is online!  The 24 hour news channels make you go bonkers anyway (most of it is gossip), and the commercials compel you to shop...oops sorry, I slipped into a rant there didn'y I?  If I could just find a way to get daily Mass on there we would be all set.

We just figured out how to set up music on that player ($99) before Christmas.  Tom did it, but basically through a thing called Pandora you can set up preferences, and it streams music.  We set it up through our stereo, and had all the new Christmas Carols without commercials, essentially for free!  I like the new Bocelli Carols, but it is a bit odd him singing "Blue Christmas!"

There's other stuff you can do with it like browse Facebook Photos, among other things.  Ok, I better stop now or this post will become an info-mercial...

Epiphany

Here's another interesting Polish tradition for you.  On the Feast of the Three Kings, we get some blessed chalk and incense from Church that we take home to mark a door with their three initials.  Their names are Caspar, Melchoir, and Belthazar and the initials above the door also stands for Christus Mansionem Benedicta, "Christ Bless this Home."  The gifts that the three kings gave to Jesus were Frankincense which signified He is God, Gold which signified that He is a King, and Myrrh which signified that He will die.  At home, we have a quick prayer service where we burn the incense, and mark the door with 20 + C + M + B +10.  The chalk wears off after a while, but some surfaces tend to keep the writing well.  In some homes, you can look around and each door is marked with a different date!

On the 7th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Gol...den...Rings...........
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves...

And a Ford F-250!!!

Keep the Christmas Carols going strong until January 6th!

Remember, we celebrate Christmas for 12 days!  It's only the retail stores that think Christmas ends after December 25th!  Christmas Day is only the beginning, until January 6th which is Epiphany (the celebration of the Three Kings' visit to baby Jesus.)  In many traditions, Christmas is celebrated for 40 days until February 2nd, The Feast of the Presentation of the Baby Jesus in the Temple at Jerusalem.  Our tree stays up until then!

Here's my Koleda for today:

This is a beautiful carol. It's hard to find a literal translation, because the English lyrics wouldn't fit the music well. Here's my best try at translation, not that eloquent or singable to the music:

"To the manger, hasten yonder" or 

"Hey guys, come on, lets go over to the stable to see the new baby!"

1. Let's go to the stable!

To Jesus and the Virgin.

Let's greet the little sweet baby and Mary, His mother.

Let's greet the little sweet baby and Mary, His mother.

2. Welcome Jesus, our Beloved

Long awaited by the Patriarchs.

Who the prophets have spoken about, and the nations have longed for.

Who the prophets have spoken about, and the nations have longed for.

3. Welcome the little Baby in the manger.

We recognize that you are God.

A great one has been born this night to save us from the power of darkness.

A great one has been born this night to save us from the power of darkness.

4. Welcome Jesus, who came down for us

Welcome Jesus, twice born

Born of the Father before all ages, and born a man of the Virgin Mary.

Born of the Father before all ages, and born a man of the Virgin Mary.

5. Who has heard of such a wonder?

You are True God and True Man.

The word has been made flesh, two persons in one.

The word has been made flesh, two persons in one.

I was compelled to do that translation, I hope you're enjoyed it!!!

Brrr!

It is 6 degrees outside, with 50 mph winds at times.  That makes the wind chill about -10F.  The living room is nice and toasty at 78.  The woodstove does a surprisingly good job of heating the whole house.  The upstairs is about 60 right now, without the crazy winds it is usually about 65 up there, perfect for sleeping.  (Our low here last year was -23F on the thermometer out back.)

I'm thinking about the bees, it's hard to believe they survive these harsh conditions.  Did you know that they don't hibernate?  They huddle together in a cluster, eat honey, and shiver their bodies to keep themselves at a toasty 90 degrees in there!  That's why they make honey in the first place, to survive the winter.  We leave each colony with 60-100 lbs of honey so they will be happy and healthy next spring.

Keep warm everybody!

Oplatek, the Christmas Wafer

Oplatek (plural Oplatki)

The Oplatek is an unconsecrated bread wafer made from flour and water.  It is shared on Christmas Eve accompanied by greetings of good health, happiness, and good fortune.  These wafers are about the size of a postcard, and are embossed with a Christmas scene.  The oplatki symbolize family unity and forgiveness, and are an expression of cultural and religious identity.  When you get a pack of them at Church, there will be a pink one--that's for the farm animals (or the pets, perhaps).  After all, they were there in the stable to witness the birth of Christ!  We also want to wish the animals good productivity in the coming year so that we will have enough milk, eggs, and meat.

Before the Christmas Eve meal, everyone gets a wafer and waits for the host or hostess to begin the greetings.  Usually in a home, there will be 12-20 people at the meal.  So it takes a while for everyone to go and greet each other person there.

You practice your best Polish ahead of time, although "Wesolych Swiat Bozego Nadrozenia" (Merry Christmas--literally "Happy Holyday of Christ's Birth") may be the most difficult phrase to pronounce in the entire Polish Language!  This is not the time to simply go through the motions and get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible.  Indeed, many are moved to tears while exchanging these greetings of good will.

An example of what to say is "Merry Christmas, I wish you good health, happiness, and good fortune on this day and in the coming year.  I hope that you always have everything you need.  And after this life I wish for you a place in Heaven."  You always tailor the greeting to the individual.  To a child, you wish them good grades, good luck in whatever sport, to have fun with their siblings, etc.  To a newly married person you would wish them a new bundle of joy.  To a farmer, you would wish them a good crop. It is a time where you truly hope and pray for all the best for that person.

After saying the greetings, you kiss in the traditional Polish way with three cheek kisses, and then a big embrace.  I thought the kisses were supposed to be left-right-left, but I've never been able to find a standard in my experience, so just follow the lead of the other person.  Then you break off a small piece of the wafer and consume it.  This isn't The Body of Christ, but the Oplatek has a special religious significance much like a crucifix, rosary, or a wedding ring.  I would say it could be called a sacramental.

Much literature talks about the exchange of forgiveness during the sharing of the Oplatek, I have not experienced it.  However, all differences are set aside, and everyone enjoys each other's company for the evening without debate or arguments.  This Christmas Eve celebration is definitely one of peace, joy, and family unity.  Along with the Merry feeling of Christmas, it also has the feeling of a New Year's celebration.

After the sharing of the Oplatek, grace is said, and then the meal can begin!