Boxing Day Explained

Every year, the week before Christmas, I stare at the calendar, planning the exciting week to come, and I always see Boxing Day noted on the 26th. I've never given more than a few thoughts to what it is. Honestly, I associated it with boxing and thought it was perhaps some English tradition having to do with boxing. However my host Ken, has demystified this elusive British holiday.

Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxing; in fact, it is the traditional day where families would give their servants their Christmas presents in boxes, which is where the name comes from. Nowadays, it is an extra holiday where there's a large meal, but not as big as the day before. It gives everyone more time to enjoy the festivities with family and friends. This Boxing Day, Bryan and I spent the day with Ken and Rose and their lovely family. We had a scrumptious feast of steak pie with potatoes and veggies. We began the feast with popping Christmas Crackers. You can see them on the plates in the picture of the dinner table. Two people grab each end and pull. The cracker pops open with a loud crack revealing a prize, joke, and a paper crown. It is a lot of fun!! I often wonder why I would see British Christmas ads featuring the people donning these paper crowns. Since the trains don't run on Boxing Day, we spent the night. It is still very icy and snowy. (We did have a white Christmas here!) I like this tradition. It is an extra day to eat, drink, and be merry! It was a lovely dinner and we had a great time. Ken and Rose are great hosts and we feel like part of the family.

As another year draws to a close, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. It is hard to believe it is 2010! I want to share with you a funny commercial from Scotland's official soda (or juice as they say here) called Irn Bru. This delicious soda is rumored to cure a hangover and I will be testing this rumor out on Jan. 1. The commercial features a boy flying through the iconic parts of Scotland and it is hilarious. Enjoy and Happy New Year again! Until next time...

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland..."

I just had to post these pictures I took today. For the first time other than a few flurries, it snowed here!! It's snowing huge flakes. The first picture is of the Meadows, if you look very closely you can see the outline of the castle above the houses on the right of the church steeple, just above the trees. The second picture was taken right outside of my flat. I love snow especially since I don't have to drive in it!! Right now they are also forecasting snow for Christmas. White Christmas!!

German Christmas Market

Now that the first semester is over, I am free to enjoy the holiday, although I must confess I've been spending a lot of time at the German Christmas Market. Edinburgh knows how to throw a great Christmas Festival, complete with a large, lighted ferry, carnival, outdoor ice skating rink, and both a Scottish and German Market. Each year, vendors from Germany are invited to come to Edinburgh's center to sell delicious foods, crafts, and mulled wine. My grandmother was from Germany and the market reminds me of her. They have the best bratwurst I have ever tasted and large, delicious pretzels which I haven't found anywhere else in Edinburgh.

The Castle is highlighted in blue (seen in the last picture) and adds to the wonder and magic of this market. Bryan and I tried to ice skate and were somewhat successful. I didn't fall at all but I haven't mastered how to stop. It's the iconic image of Christmas. Here's a clip of some carolers singing:

Edinburgh also throws a world famous and week long party for New Years called Hogmanay. There's a torch procession that kicks off the celebrations. The people line the streets of the historic Royal Mile with lit torches in hand and escort a large straw bull up to Carlton Hill. The bull is then lit on fire followed by fireworks. It is sure to be fun!! I also have tickets to the New Years Eve street party. Fireworks go off from the Castle at midnight. People come from all over Britain and Europe for this party. I am so excited, but a little apprehensive of all the drunkenness that is sure to come. I am glad I will have Bryan there as my bodyguard! I'll be sure to take pictures and post them of the fireworks. Until then Merry Christmas!!

Yay Christmas vacation!

Well I am sorry about not adding any new posts. I've been so busy with my final essays. I just turned them in on Monday and good riddance!! I've also been giving speeches at Rotary clubs. Since my last entry when I spoke at Kilsyth, I've spoken at Monklands, Larnark and Biggar. It was fun seeing a different part of Scotland even though it is too dark to see everything. (It gets dark here around 3:30.)

I recently fell into some knowledge about my husband's ancestors. (I will explain how I 'fell into' in a second.) My mother-in-law loves to research the family history and she recently found out that they have Scottish roots. They are from the Maxwell/Johnstone clan who were bitter rivals of each other. The Johnstone's settled outside of Glasgow. They are equivalent to the Hatfield and McCoys we hear about in school. At some point though, they inter-married and the Scottish Romeo and Juliet settled the long standing feud. I believe my husband's family is a product of that peace.

Here's the part where I 'fell into' history. I was speaking at the Larnark Rotary club and discovered that it is the birthplace of Marion, the wife of William Wallace. In fact a lot of the movie Braveheart is true in that she was murdered to get to Wallace, igniting his fight against the English. Wallace is from a small village just outside of Glasgow that is named for the clan who predominantly lived there and were supporters of Wallace, the Johnstones– the clan that Bryan is descended from. A couple of the Rotarians were experts on the subject and found my husband's connection to the Wallace family interesting. In fact, we have been invited in the spring to take a full tour of Larnark and of course of Wallace's house site. Perhaps we will meet some modern-day Johnstone's. Ahh, I love when history comes to life! My mother-in-law is doing more research upon hearing this, so I'll keep you posted on any updates. In the mean time, I am working on convincing Bryan to wear the Johnstone kilt. I think he would look very handsome in it.