December 16, 2022

 

Our 16th yule calendar surprise is a special submission by the Hobbitry-in-Arms kinship! Yesterday, the kinship celebrated yule at the Dancing Coney Inn with friends from near and far. The evening featured music, a special menu, a yule carol starring the grumpy Matzo himself, and drinking competitions. A merry night, all in all!

Now, the Hobbitry folks have made us a yule video with merry music. The video also features the current May royals, May Queen Demelsa and May King Xobin who you can often witness mock each other in many ways. Will there finally be peace between them? Watch the video and find out!

Yuletide Greetings from The Hobbitry-in-Arms (LOTRO)

December 15, 2022

 

 

Our 15th yule calendar entry comes from Saelo Honeythumb! He has sent us a yule poem with a drawing. Maybe it teaches you to be more careful with yer drinking...

Yule Tree

What I found in the morning was dire,
Someone had set my Yule tree on fire!
It was only ashes remaining
The view in front of me was paining!

Whoever committed such a foolish act
Should be found and punished in fact!
Can’t take this issue to the shirriffs
Brandy smell is heavy in their whiffs.

Now speaking of drinks, some warmed mulled wine
In this cold weather would help so fine.
I am also sure can get some clues
In an inn full of gossip and news.

That’s what I call a proper crowd,
When the bar is unseen under pipeweed cloud!
But I should not let it to distract me
Focusing on my matter is the key.

This wine is high quality, I must admit,
A second glass of it would be grand fit.
Must also relax to reach my purpose
No one will talk to me if I am too nervous.

When did I take my coat off my shoulder?
After entering the inn I am sure!
It is very warm inside anyways
But still should be careful in any case!
Now I remember, it was the day before
The wine was grand, so I kept to pour,
Too many glasses I had dried
And at the end with joy I cried.

It was an idea of my friend that night
To put some more blazing light.
Stumbled outside with matches in hand
Giggling with the idea so grand.

Light of my bonfire was quite high
You could even see the stars in the sky!
Now I wonder if I should make another fire,
As without that light today would be dire.

December 14, 2022

 

 

For our 14th yule calendar surprise, we have another letter by miss Passerose! She has sent us some lovely drawings made by a quick painter.

Hullo everyone!

 

For today, I wanted to present you a few paintings. They have all been made by a certain Dall·e but they’re all based on my ideas. To explain a bit, she’s quite talented but she is always in need of advice to help her create things. For example, here I gave her some words like “Yule”, “Hobbits”, “Dancing”, “Snowy town”, “Feast” and she made a huge number of different paintings very quickly. In the end, I had to choose among all the paintings she made with my help so I could show you these five here.

I hope you’ll like them!

 

Passerose

 

 

December 13, 2022

 

 

For our 13th yule calendar surprise, we have some old yule beliefs and charms from Finland. I wonder if they still work these days? You can try and find out!

Yule beliefs from Finland

 

There are many traditions related to yule – not least yule baths, a tradition we have probably mentioned a dozen times already in this calendar. In many cultures, the winter solstice has been a very important event, so there are many traditions and beliefs tied to it. Here are some “charms” that the Finnish people have done on yule back in the old days, charms that bring you luck in some form in the new year.

 

-          On yule, one should bring some grains for the wild birds, so that they would not eat the harvest in the new year. A fair trade-off, so that people would get some grains themselves from the harvest!

-          On yule morning, folks would ride to the church. The one person manages to steal the riding whip from someone else will get good luck with horses next year! Also, if you bring your friendly “stable elf” (the spirit taking care of your horses) something on the Boxing Day, this will bring you horse luck too.

-          On yule eve, if you sleep with your boots on, the snakes won’t bite you in the next summer.

-          If the master of the house gets drunk on yule eve, the crops will grow well in the next summer. But if he drinks too much and passes out because of that, the crops will be beaten down, so better be careful there!

-          During yule, straws would be spread on the floor, but if folks rolled around in them, the crops would be beaten down in the summer too.

-          If the doors of the drying barn were left open for the whole yule eve/night, the next harvest would be a plentiful one.

-          If one wished for a good barley harvest, they should bring a “booze sacrifice” for the deceased. They want to have some fun too, of course!

-          In Finland, folks have a yule bath in the sauna and smack themselves with birch twigs (that have leaves on, fortunately). If many leaves remain on your skin after the smacking, you will get a rich partner. If the leaves on the skin are broken into pieces, the future partner will seem rich, but is actually penniless. If there are no leaves left on your skin, your future partner will be penniless.

-          If you are single, you should open all drawers & dresser doors in your house with your left hand. In the night, you will see your future partner close them all (in your dreams, that is).

 

 

Translated from source: https://www.stadissa.fi/paikat/2990/joulun-taikoja-tapoja-ja-uskomuksia

 

December 12, 2022

 

Our 12th yule calendar surprise is another recipe! Earlier, we have had a yule porridge recipe by Miss Lina. Here's another sweet take on the porridge: gingerbread overnight oats! I personally love overnight oats, as it is simple to make, and it makes the mornings easier when you have a breakfast ready waiting for you in the fridge. Here's a version with yule seasonings. You can see the full original recipe on the Healthy Nibbles site.

Picture by Healthy Nibbles

 

Gingerbread Overnight Oats

 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or oat milk)
  
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt (a vegan variant would also work)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 tablespoon molasses

 

Instructions

 

• In a bowl or jar, mix the oats, almond milk and yogurt together.
  
• Add the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and molasses and stir until everything is well mixed. Cover the bowl or jar and refrigerate overnight. This makes the oats soft and creamy!
  
• Serve overnight oats with fresh fruits, nuts, coconut and dried fruit, if you like. I like to add red apple slices myself! You might like to add some actual gingerbread biscuits to this too, like the picture suggests.
  

 

 

 

December 11, 2022

 

For our 11th yule calendar surprise, we have a song! If you read the Shire forecast for this season, you might already know that nannies are on the prowl for dirty little hobbit youngsters who try to dodge their yule baths. Miss Almi (who is also posing in the yule calendar number pictures this year) is very fond of baths and giving them to each and everyone before yule, and afterwards too. If you are not fond of baths any time of the year, this song might warm you up for running away from baths!

Run, run hobbits

 

Just before yuletide, there’s one real nightmare
Run, run, hobbits, it’s the yule bath time again

Run, run hobbits, dodge the yule bath and hide
Before Almi comes and scrubs away all the grime
Run, run, hobbits, do escape the yule bath in good time

If yer see miss Almi, that old nanny, lover of baths
Better put some distance between yer and her quite fast
Cause otherwise ye’ll be doing the most wet water dance

Run, run, hobbits, miss Almi is coming to town
Wielding the largest brush and a pink bathing gown
Run, run, hobbits, now miss Almi’s on the prowl

Run, run, hobbits, try keep yerself safe and dry
Beware the baths traps, miss Almi is ever so sly
Run, run, hobbits, better flee as fast as if yer could fly!

She’ll give yer a proper scrubbing, from head to toes
Cover you in soap, bubbles coming out of yer nose
And repeat it all, when yer think it cannot get worse

Run, run, hobbits, ‘tis the season be get a scrub
Do yer very best now, don’t end in that large bath tub
Run, run, hobbits, just don’t run out of yer luck!
 

This song is best sung to a very similar song about running:

Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run

December 10, 2022

 

 

Our 10th yule calendar surprise comes from Agago and Pozee from the Purple Pipeweed Parlor Band! They have written us a letter concerning their yule log tradition with a drawing attached. Maybe you can get inspired to take a forest stroll and search for some grand yule decorations there too?

A Yule tradition of the Longleafs

 

Gathering a Yule log

 

Been a long tradition amongst us Longleafs to go on a Yule gatherin' walk.  We often gathered wild items in the forest to decorate fer Yule.  Most important wuz the Yule Log.  Once ya found it and got it ta yer house you used some of the decorations to make it into a beautiful Yule Log.  Pine and holly boughs,  nuts and dried berries,  pine cones galore.  Add a couple a candles and the Yule log wuz the center of yer table decoration.  On the first day of the new year the Yule log was used in the hearth for the first fire of the year helpin to bring good luck to those who will gather about it. 

 

(In the picture)  Agago & Pozee Longleaf take to Bindbole Woods close to the lumber camp at Overhill in search of natural goodies to decorate for Yule and there they find their perfect Yule logs. 

This is what you get when your pets follow you to help find a Yule log. Pet approved.