Come down to Northbridge Piazza & Super Screen at Corner James and Lake Streets, Northbridge to come and watch 'Home Alone,' 'Home Alone 2,' and 'A Muppet Christmas!' It looks like heaps of fun for the whole family, and the best bit is it's free! So come on down to watch some great movies with your family. To learn more, visit these websites:
A Muppet Christmas: http://www.showmeperth.com.au/event/festive-flicks-muppet-christmas-1992-g
Home Alone: http://www.showmeperth.com.au/event/festive-flicks-home-alone-1990
Home Alone 2: http://www.showmeperth.com.au/event/festive-flicks-home-alone-2-1992-pg
And for Adults, come down for free to come and watch 'Die Hard'
Die Hard: http://www.showmeperth.com.au/event/festive-flicks-die-hard-1988-m
__________________________________________________________________________________So come on down to the Northbridge Piazza and Super Screen to come and watch these great movies!
-Just Grace
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
What is?: Babushka
Today, I' going to be telling you the story of Babushka, then a bit of History behind Babushka. Babushka is like Santa to the Russians; Babushka is what they believe in at Christmas Time. I'd also like to note that their are different versions of the Legend of Babushka, but I just shose this one.
___________________________________________________________________________________
The Legend of Babushka
Her story started many years ago in
a small home out in the country. She
lived alone in a small hut that stood along side a crossroads where four roads
met. Even though she lived far away from
neighbors and far away from Babushka Dolls:
Her days were short, and her nights were long during the winter months. Babushka was frail and unable to cut large amounts of wood to heat her home. In addition, she was poor and could not afford to light up the cottage at night with expensive candles. This is why she spent much of her time in the evenings curled up beneath her warm quilts dreaming about spring flowers and warm sunny skies.
It was on one of those long nights when Babushka thought she heard the tinkling of bells and sounds like those made by travelers being carried on the cold wind. At first, she told herself that she only heard icicles clinking on frozen branches. But, the sounds grew louder. She did hear the sound of bells, but it was not the familiar sound of the bells on a troika, the traditional Russian three-horse sleigh. Nor, did she hear the neighing of horses or the braying of donkeys like most travelers would use. There were voices that grew louder as they came closer to her home, and she heard strange grunts from animals that were unfamiliar to her ears.
She pulled back the quilts and lit one of her precious candles and pulled her robe around her. She folded a scarf and wrapped it around her head and then held her candle to the window. As she scraped the frost off to see better, she was startled to hear a knock at her door. Opening the door, she was even more surprised to see a caravan stopped outside of her hut. Babushka saw three tall hairy beasts with long faces. Each had long, tall legs with padded feet at the bottom and a hump on its back. Sitting on the back of each animal sat a richly dressed man.
The men were dressed in warm, expensive looking fur wraps and wore crowns set with jewels over cloths that kept the cold off their heads. The bells she heard were attached to the reigns the men held tightly in their hands. Each of the men had a number of servants with them, and one of these men was standing at her door trying to ask directions to a place she had never heard of before.
Seeing Babushka's confusion, one of the wealthy men spoke a command to the beast he rode. It knelt and allowed him to step off. "We are Kings on a long journey from a land far to the east, the man told the confused old woman. We have seen a wondrous star in the sky and have been following it. It is supposed to lead us to a town where a newborn baby lies. But, the star is blocked by clouds. Can you tell us the way to the next village where we can find shelter for the night?"
"Who is this child? And why are you trying to find him?" asked Babushka.
"The child is a King, and we go to find him and worship him, and we bring him gifts. Come with us Babushka," the man suggested. "You will never have this opportunity again."
But, Babushka looked at the dark sky. She felt the cold of the winter wind. Then, she shook her head and said, "Perhaps tomorrow in the light of the day, when the air is warmer."But the Kings could not wait for the old woman to make up her mind and left Babushka alone in her home listening to the sound of the clattering bells as the animals the King called camels rode into the night.
By morning, the tracks of the caravan were filled with snow making Babushka wonder if her memory of the night visitors was real or only a dream. Still, she kept thinking about their quest to find the special child. She had no children of her own, no one to love and no one to love her. The more she thought of the invitation to go with the Kings, the sadder the old woman became.
Finally, the old woman could stand the sadness no more. She wrapped her warmest scarf about her head and pulled her cloak and a shawl about her shoulders. She filled a basket with breads and sweets and gifts for the child and left her empty home behind forever. She walked through village after village asking people about the special child who was a King. She told them about the visit by the Three Wise Kings and the star they followed.
She carried treats and small gifts with her, so children would not run away when she tried to look closely at them and see if they were the special child she sought.
The years have passed, and old Babushka probably doesn't even realize that the baby grew up long ago. She still runs fast along the crowded streets and over the country fields tired and out of breath trying to catch up with the Three Wise Kings and find the special child. She only stops at Christmas Eve as she searches through every nursery looking for the child that is Christ the Lord.
She has a special fondness for babies. She bends over their cradles, looks closely at each child before dropping a tear on their pillow when she sees the Christ Child is not there. She gives each child she finds a small present and a piece of candy from her basket or apron pocket before hobbling away to continue searching for the Christ Child.
_______________________________________________________
A family member
Due to the ongoing housing shortage but also as a tribute to tradition, quite often in Russia several generations live together in the same house and babushkas play a very significant role in such extended families.
There is a conventional assumption that all babushkas, regardless of age, social position and ideology, are perfect at cooking, enjoy taking care of their grandchildren and have a dacha where they spend the whole summer growing vegetables, making kompots and preparing tasty jams to be eaten on long winter evenings. However stereotypical the assumption, it still proves true more often than not.
Another distinction of all babushkas is a certain emotionalism and a permanent desire to stuff their relatives in general and grandchildren in particular to the bursting point. Whenever a babushka sees her grandson or granddaughter after a short separation she is usually horrified at how her loved one has thinned down and become pale and is all too eager to wine and dine the poor child and make it better.
When a new baby appears in the family, the newly-minted granny immediately shows her willingness to take care of the baby for one clear reason: “she knows best.” It is no good trying to argue with her, it is just one of those things babushkas always do in Russia!
An aged person
The word babushka also denotes any elderly woman, taking no notice of family connections. Babushkas in Russia seem to represent a totally independent part of society - they know everything and are good at giving a piece of advice whether you’ve asked for it or not.
It is considered to be a display of good breeding to assist the elderly in the street. To carry a heavy bag, for example, for her, or give them your seat on public transporters like busses. Children are taught from a very early age to respect babushkas and do their best to help them. Still, Russian babushkas have never lacked self-confidence and are ready to remind you of the rules if you fail to toe the line yourself.
One example is the proverb, “There you have it, Granny, the Yury's Day,” referring to a promise that is not kept. The “Yury’s Day” is the Russian name for each of the two feasts of Saint George celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church on 6 May and 9 December. The Law Code of 1497 established a two-week period around Yury's Day (a week before the feast and a week after) as the only times of the year when Russian serfs were free to move from one landowner to another. Sometimes, and unfortunately quite often, they were denied this right even on these dates, giving rise to the proverb.
Another well-known proverb in Russia goes like this: “Even your grandma wouldn't know whether it'll rain or snow,” meaning that an outcome or a result is uncertain or unpredictable.
Still another example is as follows: “The one to whom the granny tells fortunes, lives a happy life.” It is advisable to use the proverb when talking about a lucky person.
There are more proverbs and sayings that refer to babushkas, but these are the most famous and frequently used, illustrating the irreplaceability of babushkas in the Russian language and culture as well as in the lives of Russian citizens, whether consciously or subconsciously.
_________________________________________________________________________________
I hope you enjoyed that! Soon, we'll have another Christmas Story to tell! You can recommend some bellow as a comment!
-Just Grace
___________________________________________________________________________________
The Legend of Babushka
As Retold by Mike
Lockett, The Normal Storyteller
There is a tale that has been told
throughout the years about an old Russian woman named Babushka. Old people nod their heads in
agreement as they hear parents tell their children about Babushka. Childrenï's eyes scan the face of every old
woman they pass during the winter months, trying to find this legendary person
who visits the home of every child at Christmas time.
Her story started many years ago in
a small home out in the country. She
lived alone in a small hut that stood along side a crossroads where four roads
met. Even though she lived far away from
neighbors and far away from Babushka Dolls:Her days were short, and her nights were long during the winter months. Babushka was frail and unable to cut large amounts of wood to heat her home. In addition, she was poor and could not afford to light up the cottage at night with expensive candles. This is why she spent much of her time in the evenings curled up beneath her warm quilts dreaming about spring flowers and warm sunny skies.
It was on one of those long nights when Babushka thought she heard the tinkling of bells and sounds like those made by travelers being carried on the cold wind. At first, she told herself that she only heard icicles clinking on frozen branches. But, the sounds grew louder. She did hear the sound of bells, but it was not the familiar sound of the bells on a troika, the traditional Russian three-horse sleigh. Nor, did she hear the neighing of horses or the braying of donkeys like most travelers would use. There were voices that grew louder as they came closer to her home, and she heard strange grunts from animals that were unfamiliar to her ears.
She pulled back the quilts and lit one of her precious candles and pulled her robe around her. She folded a scarf and wrapped it around her head and then held her candle to the window. As she scraped the frost off to see better, she was startled to hear a knock at her door. Opening the door, she was even more surprised to see a caravan stopped outside of her hut. Babushka saw three tall hairy beasts with long faces. Each had long, tall legs with padded feet at the bottom and a hump on its back. Sitting on the back of each animal sat a richly dressed man.
The men were dressed in warm, expensive looking fur wraps and wore crowns set with jewels over cloths that kept the cold off their heads. The bells she heard were attached to the reigns the men held tightly in their hands. Each of the men had a number of servants with them, and one of these men was standing at her door trying to ask directions to a place she had never heard of before.
Seeing Babushka's confusion, one of the wealthy men spoke a command to the beast he rode. It knelt and allowed him to step off. "We are Kings on a long journey from a land far to the east, the man told the confused old woman. We have seen a wondrous star in the sky and have been following it. It is supposed to lead us to a town where a newborn baby lies. But, the star is blocked by clouds. Can you tell us the way to the next village where we can find shelter for the night?"
"Who is this child? And why are you trying to find him?" asked Babushka.
"The child is a King, and we go to find him and worship him, and we bring him gifts. Come with us Babushka," the man suggested. "You will never have this opportunity again."
But, Babushka looked at the dark sky. She felt the cold of the winter wind. Then, she shook her head and said, "Perhaps tomorrow in the light of the day, when the air is warmer."But the Kings could not wait for the old woman to make up her mind and left Babushka alone in her home listening to the sound of the clattering bells as the animals the King called camels rode into the night.
By morning, the tracks of the caravan were filled with snow making Babushka wonder if her memory of the night visitors was real or only a dream. Still, she kept thinking about their quest to find the special child. She had no children of her own, no one to love and no one to love her. The more she thought of the invitation to go with the Kings, the sadder the old woman became.
Finally, the old woman could stand the sadness no more. She wrapped her warmest scarf about her head and pulled her cloak and a shawl about her shoulders. She filled a basket with breads and sweets and gifts for the child and left her empty home behind forever. She walked through village after village asking people about the special child who was a King. She told them about the visit by the Three Wise Kings and the star they followed.
She carried treats and small gifts with her, so children would not run away when she tried to look closely at them and see if they were the special child she sought.
The years have passed, and old Babushka probably doesn't even realize that the baby grew up long ago. She still runs fast along the crowded streets and over the country fields tired and out of breath trying to catch up with the Three Wise Kings and find the special child. She only stops at Christmas Eve as she searches through every nursery looking for the child that is Christ the Lord.
She has a special fondness for babies. She bends over their cradles, looks closely at each child before dropping a tear on their pillow when she sees the Christ Child is not there. She gives each child she finds a small present and a piece of candy from her basket or apron pocket before hobbling away to continue searching for the Christ Child.
_______________________________________________________
A family member
Due to the ongoing housing shortage but also as a tribute to tradition, quite often in Russia several generations live together in the same house and babushkas play a very significant role in such extended families.
There is a conventional assumption that all babushkas, regardless of age, social position and ideology, are perfect at cooking, enjoy taking care of their grandchildren and have a dacha where they spend the whole summer growing vegetables, making kompots and preparing tasty jams to be eaten on long winter evenings. However stereotypical the assumption, it still proves true more often than not.Another distinction of all babushkas is a certain emotionalism and a permanent desire to stuff their relatives in general and grandchildren in particular to the bursting point. Whenever a babushka sees her grandson or granddaughter after a short separation she is usually horrified at how her loved one has thinned down and become pale and is all too eager to wine and dine the poor child and make it better.
When a new baby appears in the family, the newly-minted granny immediately shows her willingness to take care of the baby for one clear reason: “she knows best.” It is no good trying to argue with her, it is just one of those things babushkas always do in Russia!
An aged person
It is considered to be a display of good breeding to assist the elderly in the street. To carry a heavy bag, for example, for her, or give them your seat on public transporters like busses. Children are taught from a very early age to respect babushkas and do their best to help them. Still, Russian babushkas have never lacked self-confidence and are ready to remind you of the rules if you fail to toe the line yourself.
Babushkas in proverbs
Babushkas play such an important role in Russian society that it is not surprising at all that they are mentioned in a number of proverbs, sayings and other examples of oral folk arts.One example is the proverb, “There you have it, Granny, the Yury's Day,” referring to a promise that is not kept. The “Yury’s Day” is the Russian name for each of the two feasts of Saint George celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church on 6 May and 9 December. The Law Code of 1497 established a two-week period around Yury's Day (a week before the feast and a week after) as the only times of the year when Russian serfs were free to move from one landowner to another. Sometimes, and unfortunately quite often, they were denied this right even on these dates, giving rise to the proverb.
Another well-known proverb in Russia goes like this: “Even your grandma wouldn't know whether it'll rain or snow,” meaning that an outcome or a result is uncertain or unpredictable.
Still another example is as follows: “The one to whom the granny tells fortunes, lives a happy life.” It is advisable to use the proverb when talking about a lucky person.
There are more proverbs and sayings that refer to babushkas, but these are the most famous and frequently used, illustrating the irreplaceability of babushkas in the Russian language and culture as well as in the lives of Russian citizens, whether consciously or subconsciously.
_________________________________________________________________________________
I hope you enjoyed that! Soon, we'll have another Christmas Story to tell! You can recommend some bellow as a comment!
-Just Grace
Word of the Week!!!
Heres our next Word of the Week!:
Porphyrophobia: Pronounciation: Pore-fair-oh-fo-bee-uh Meaning: Noun, Fear of the color purple, as well as a fear of purple objects and people.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Haha! Thats pretty funny, I didn't even know that there was such phobia as being afraid of the colour Purple!!! Porphyrophobia, pretty hard to say to!
Soon, I'll have another funny word! You can even suggest some words bellow, just write a comment. Please subscribe to get notified when I put up new posts! :D
Porphyrophobia: Pronounciation: Pore-fair-oh-fo-bee-uh Meaning: Noun, Fear of the color purple, as well as a fear of purple objects and people.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Haha! Thats pretty funny, I didn't even know that there was such phobia as being afraid of the colour Purple!!! Porphyrophobia, pretty hard to say to!
Soon, I'll have another funny word! You can even suggest some words bellow, just write a comment. Please subscribe to get notified when I put up new posts! :D
-Just Grace
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