The Magic Of The Snow Globe.

I do not know why snow globes still appear magical to me. Shaking the large ball in my hand and then watching the sparkling of the white shiny particles, as they settle slowly to the bottom, has that particular, mesmerizing effect on me to this day.

No one really knows where the idea for this amusing item came from, but it appears that it might have originated in France. Also called a waterglobe or snowdome, it was used as a paper weight at first. In 1889, a snow globe containing a model of the newly built Eiffel Tower was produced to commemorate the International Exposition in Paris, which marked the centenary of the French Revolution. This globe quickly became a favourite souvenir for attendees.

I only own one snow globe which I display on my book shelves during the months of December. Each time I unwrap it from the box I feel as if handling a very precious possession.

A Snowflake.

Nature has always held my fascination. The most beautiful works of art I know are created by natural processes. The colours of plants and animals, the small wonders in rain and snow, the forces of winds and water. The painted skies in sunsets and sunrises, the show of a thunderstorm. The miracle of life. It is all leaving me astounded at all times.

Such as the beauty of snowflakes. A masterpiece not visible to the human eye, however under magnification, a geometry pattern appears so perfect in its creation.

There is nothing more magical then seeing snow falling during the month of December. And I recall fondly running outside as a child, trying to catch a snowflake into my hand. Never able to hold onto it, but watching it melt in my palm into a drop of water, with a sense of utter fascination. The flakes could be small, tiny, ice like, but then again, they could be large and fluffy, light as feather. They could come down slowly and lightly, or heavily and fast, landing on trees and sidewalks, making the landscape white, as if covered in whipped cream.
Even today, the best thing I know is to drive through a falling snow after dark, making me feel like I am moving through the darkness of outer space with light speed, passing galaxies and stars...

So what is a snowflake? Snowflakes are really ice crystals that are formed in the clouds by water vapor. When the atmosphere's temperature dips to below 0 degrees Centigrade (32 degrees Fahrenheit), moisture changes to ice. Their formation depends on a variety of factors including air currents, humidity and temperature and even particles trapped in the water. All this contributes to the fact that no two snowflakes are exactly alike, even though there is no scientific reason that prevents it. This is similar to the human fingerprint.
Snowflakes can be categorized into six main types, plate (flat), column, stars, dendrite (lacy), needle, and capped column. When it is extremely cold the snow is very fine and powdery and snowflakes become quite simple in design, usually needle or rod shaped. When the temperature is near to freezing point (0 degrees Celsius), snowflakes become much larger and a lot more complex in design, for example, a star.
The largest snowflake recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records fell at Fort Keogh, Montana and was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick.

For more beautiful pictures such as these posted here, of magnified genuine snowflakes, please visit SnowCrystals.com

The Scents Of The Holidays.

We all know first hand how scents can trigger our memory, reminding us of moments and places in our past. It only takes a trace of a particular fragrance to appear in the air, to transport us instantly in time and space. I am utterly fascinated by the means in which our memory is tied to our senses and the way it triggers the cognitive process.

There are many scents that are so very significant of the Christmas Holidays. The memories of celebrations in my past contain a plethora of fragrances, linked to perfumes, food, spices, places, people and nature.

The scent from the ten items below is to me so very representative of the Holidays:

Orange Peels.
Even though orange is an exotic fruit, growing in subtropical climate, which should evoke the feeling of summer and sea, the scent of its peel is a significant sign of the Holidays to me. Perhaps this is due to the fact that oranges, tangerines and clementines are most abundant in my part of the world throughout the winter.

Cinnamon.
A spice like cinnamon is today a common ingredient, used in drinks and meals year around. However, to me nothing say Holidays more than its scent. I use it in baking in December and when mixed with ginger and cloves, it is a rare combination that brings me back to the Christmas of my childhood in an instance, if I close my eyes...

Cloves.
Cloves is a spice that I recall fondly from my past. My mother used it extensively in all the Holiday baking and cooking. It was the main ingredient in almost everything that was prepared for Christmas in our home, from drinks to meals. There is a tradition of making decoration using oranges, that are pierced through the skin with cloves. Not only does this look beautiful but the orange and the cloves in combination spread such a delightful scent all over the house; a definite and traditional Christmas fragrance.

Saffron.
Saffron is used in Sweden in baking special roles for the 13th of December. This is the day which is celebrated as St.Lucia in Sweden. One of the most expensive spices on Earth, it is in use very sparsely through out the year, with exception for December.

Ginger.
I have already described how very traditional Gingerbread Cookies are during the Holiday season in Scandinavia. The scent of ginger in combination with other spices mentioned here is very significant during the Holidays.

Vanilla.
Vanilla is of course not only significant of Christmas. However, again, in combination with the above spices, the common scent of vanilla becomes that once a year experience that signifies the onset of the Holiday Season.

Mulled Wine.
Mulled Wine, or "gløgg", as it is called in Denmark, is a vital part of December in Scandinavia. This warm spicy drink has a scent like nothing else served during the rest of the year. It brings family and friends together and there is nothing like coming home after a late afternoon winter walk, to a house that is scented with the spices of Mulled Wine.

Spruce.
Spruce scent equals Christmas. I love the fragrance of the Tree as it is brought inside. It can bring me back decades in time, making the span of the years in my past so very relative...

Burning Sparkler.
In our family, on Christmas Eve, after the dinner, before opening the presents, we would burn sparkles on the tree. I loved watching each and everyone explode with tiny stars, as the lightning ball moved downwards, mesmerizing and enticing me... The burning created that once a year atmosphere of expectation and joy. As soon as the fire went out, the fragrance became so obvious through out the room; the most significant scent of Christmas that I know...

"Kapustnica".
This is our family Christmas soup. A traditional Slovak meal, which my mother would spend a whole day preparing before Christmas Eve. The scent is so very particular, consisting of sour cabbage, sausages, mushrooms and many spices that make up this traditional Christmas dish. No matter where I am, no matter how old I am, this scent will bring me in a nano-second right back to my childhood and the laughter and joy of the holidays in my past...

Second Advent Tradition.

The Second Sunday in Advent signifies yet another tradition of mine. The tradition of writing Christmas Cards. My friends and my family live spread all over the world and I still relish in writing and receiving handwritten Christmas cards.

The days of December are very short. It feels as if there is barely and daylight at all. As we are approaching the winter solstice, our days has been shortened by more than ten hours since June. If the skies are cloudy, such as today, there is really no daylight to speak off. We are surrounded by twilight at the best, which beckons us to light candles and the fire in fireplace, staying inside.
And so, when all the chores are done, as soon as the early afternoon turns dark and the long evening settles over my neighbourhood, I sit down by the fire with Batcat at my feet. I pour myself a glass of Hot Spicy Wine and put on my favorite Christmas music. As the wind howls in the chimney, it is easy to feel inspired writing Holiday Wishes to those that I miss the most.

My Red Sofa.

Not long ago my friend Stevie wrote an entertaining post listing ten things she really wants, but will most likely never buy. Among these was a new sofa.
I did buy a sofa for myself and additionally, it was a red sofa and so Stevie, this one is for you, as you requested pictures.

My red sofa was purchased by me, almost exactly six years ago, when I moved into my white house on a hill in December 2003. Being the largest place I have ever lived in, I needed furniture to fill out the endless space of several floors. Not keen on using all my savings, I decided to furnish my entire home with the decor available at IKEA. Literally everything in my house has been purchase there, including an old living room furniture set that my parents bought there about 25 years ago, when they moved to Sweden and which I inherited.

So, when it came to deciding on which sofa to get, I was first looking at a sofa of a nondescript colour. Wanting to keep it as neutral as possible, I thought of going in the direction of beige, purchasing a sofa and a chair. I brought good friends - a husband and a wife - with me to the store for help and encouragement. We walked around for a while when the husband pointed at a large red corner sofa on a display and said, "Why don't you get that one?". My first thought was "NO WAY!", but almost instantly I was intrigued. Suddenly the thought was appealing in more ways that one. I love colours endlessly and the fact that the sofa was L shaped would solve the issue with filling out a space and yet getting enough seating room.
And so I bought my red sofa. It was one of the best purchases I ever made. Its colour is so very fitting the holiday season, but it makes the house warm and inviting year around. It is the most comfortable sofa I have ever owned and as seen on the pictures here, it is loved not just be me and my guests, but also Batcat, who loves to lounge on it any chance he gets.

Flashback Friday (Christmas Edition): "Song For A Winter's Night".

Sarah McLachlan is one of my favorite artists. I discovered her music in the early nineties, when I heard Possession being played on the radio one day. Her music spoke to me in an unusual way and I can not recall being so influenced by any other harmonies before or since. I went ahead and purchased every single album she released to date and at one point owned and loved all the records.

"Song For A Winter's Night" is a very unusual Holiday song I would say, but I love its originality and the tranquil melancholy in the lyrics. It is full of bittersweet longing in the midst of winter, a sentiment I can so well relate to. Complemented in a delicate way by Sarah's unique voice, this is an exquisite piece in my Christmas collection.
I hope you too will enjoy this ethereal compilation.

Gingerbread Cookies.

Gingerbread Cookies are very significant of the Holiday Season in Scandinavia. They exist in each of the countries of the North and to serve these during the month of December is an old tradition, that stretches back centuries.

The cookies carry different names depending on the country. In Denmark they are called "brunkager" or "peberkager", which translated something like "brown cookies" and "pepper cookies". The later does not signifies the presence of pepper in the dough, but an overall sense of a spicy cookie, with the prevealing taste of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Served preferably with Hot Spicy Wine (Mulled Wine) they are a common snack to be found in Scandinavian homes and workplaces throughout December, easily available in all supermarkets and grocery stores, in multitude of varieties.
It is also often a family tradition to bake gingerbread cookies for Christmas and it is very exciting particularly for children to participate in the preparation.

However, once the Holidays end, the gingerbread cookies likewise disappear. They are not available for purchase any longer, nor are they usually served ever again during any other time of the year.

When The Moon And The Sun Converge...

These are the days of the full moon. I am endlessly intrigued by the silver disc and can gaze at it for hours, mesmerized by its radiance. Its presence in the night sky holds my everlasting fascination, keeping me enthralled. I often lie under its cool glow late at night, watching it through the roof window over my bed, as I slowly drift to sleep.

There is a compilation made by the German group Hubert Kah, entitled "Wenn Der Mond Die Sonne Berührt", (direct translation "When The Moon Touches The Sun".) A typical product of the eighties, it has the traditional escapist sound that appeals to the dreamer in me. I used to listen to it as a teenager, late at nights when the moon was full.

Yesterday, that sentence kept resonating in my mind, as I was driving across the bridges connecting the Danish Islands, witnessing a celestial show. In the southwest, there was the burning fire of the setting winter sun. In the opposite cardinal direction, the cool glow of the full moon could be observed.
It felt like driving through an enchanted landscape, so very fitting the onset of the Holiday season.
(Please click images to enlarge).

A winter evening, captured with my phone.

Counting Down To Christmas Eve.

December has arrived.
This is the first winter month and thus the beginning of a new season. It is the time of dark days, long nights, of wind and rain, sometimes snow. Of frost and bare landscape, cold hands, red noses and sleepy eyes.
However, December is so much more than just that; it is also the Holiday month. A time of joy and expectations, no matter whether you are an adult or a child.

We all surely recall the incredible impatience we once felt as children, looking forward to that night of magic, which seemed still so far away, once December begun. In Scandinavia, the wait has been eased by a very sweet tradition. The tradition of burning Calendar Candles. These are candles that come in all shapes and sizes, with one common significance: a column of numbers printed on one side.
Starting with number 1 at the very top, all the way to 24 at the very bottom. The candle is lit every day and the number corresponding to the date is burned away, making the wait, particularly for children, slightly more exciting. Of course, if you are like me and have kept a childish mind, this is a wonderful daily simple pleasure throughout the month of December.

I dedicate this post to the lovely Blog Princess G, who expressed such a delightful interest in this Scandinavian tradition last year; I hope she will enjoy the daily Christmas countdown this year as well, as I post it on my sidebar in the following weeks.