Hugh writes!
>
> Look at the Swedes -- they did a Latin America with the winter solstice,
> plastering a saintly facade (Lucia) on a pagan festival of light in
> midwinter darkness, December 13. They celebrate Midsummer too, as their
> biggy. Lucia is great, the girls dress up in long white nightgowns with
> tinsel in their hair and sparkle in their eyes, and flock through the
> underground at six or seven in the morning like this with a warm jacket and
> boots on. And it means the festive season stretches (lubricated with mulled
> spiced wine) from 13 December to 13 January. Almost Roman in its
> single-mindedness.
I thought Lucia tradition came from Italy. And as far as midsommar well it only
expresses the peasant and landholding estocracys victory over the vikings. Which
opened the door to industrialization and the industrial proletariat. Anyway I'm gonna
take it easy now for three weeks and think about what to do after new year up here.
I managed to let my snow shoveling wrench my back out of shape while suffering from
the "Sydney" influensa which appears incurible other then waiting for it to leave the
body.
By the way the shopping party here in Sweden has blown another record. (By 10 percent
up) But economists are warning that much of this boom is based on credit cards.
By the way I betcha the Russian army celebrates New Year in the center of Grozny.
Merry Christmas to all
Bob
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