December 31

The first day of Hogmanay or "Auld Year’s Night" in Scotland

Hogmanay  is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is, however, normally only the start of a celebration which lasts through the night until the morning of New Year's Day (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January which is a Scottish Bank Holiday.

Traditions

The roots of Hogmanay perhaps reach back to the celebration of the winter solstice among the Norse, as well as incorporating customs from the Gaelic celebration of Samhain. The Vikings celebrated Yule, which later contributed to the Twelve Days of Christmas, or the "Daft Days" as they were sometimes called in Scotland. The winter festival went underground with the Protestant Reformation and ensuing years (see Christmas in Scotland), but re-emerged near the end of the 17th century.


There are many customs, both national and local, associated with Hogmanay. The most widespread national custom is the practice of 'first-footing' which starts immediately after midnight. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbour and often involves the giving of symbolic gifts such as salt (less common today), coal, shortbread, whisky, and black bun (a rich fruit cake) intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder. Food and drink (as the gifts) are then given to the guests. This may go on throughout the early hours of the morning and well into the next day (although modern days see people visiting houses well into the middle of January). The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year. Traditionally, tall dark men are preferred as the first-foot.

Each area of Scotland often developed its own particular Hogmanay ritual. An example of a local Hogmanay custom is the fireball swinging that takes place in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire in north-east Scotland. This involves local people making up 'balls' of chicken wire filled with old newspaper, sticks, rags, and other dry flammable material up to a diameter of 2 feet, each attached to about 3 feet of wire, chain or nonflammable rope. As the Old Town House bell sounds to mark the new year, the balls are set alight and the swingers set off up the High Street from the Mercat Cross to the Cannon and back, swinging the burning balls around their heads as they go. At the end of the ceremony, any fireballs that are still burning are cast into the harbour. Many people enjoy this display, and large crowds flock to see it, with 12,000 attending the 2007/2008 event. In recent years, additional attractions have been added to entertain the crowds as they wait for midnight, such as fire poi, a pipe band, street drumming and a firework display after the last fireball is cast into the sea. The festivities are now streamed live over the Internet.

December 30

1897 – The British Colony of Natal annexes Zululand.

The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire (or rather imprecisely as Zululand) was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north.

December 29

David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972), known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director. He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989. After starring in films directed by Andrew Niccol, Clint Eastwood and David Cronenberg, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1999 for his performance in Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley. In 2000 he won a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award for his work in the film. In 2003, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in another Minghella film, Cold Mountain.

In 2006, he was one of the top ten most bankable film stars in Hollywood. In 2007, he received an Honorary César and he was named a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. He was a member of the main competition jury at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

David McKean (born 29 December 1963 in Maidenhead, Berkshire) is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician. His work incorporates drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art and sculpture.

McKean's most recent projects are directing an original feature called Luna, and a book with the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins.

In 2005, McKean designed the poster for the 32nd Telluride Film Festival. In 2006, he designed projections, sets and directed film clips for the Broadway musical Lestat, adapted from Anne Rice's novels, with music and lyrics by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

McKean has also created a few books documenting his travels using only illustrations. Examples include Postcards from Vienna, Postcards from Barcelona, Postcards from Paris(2008), and Postcards from Brussels (2009). He also wrote another book of 200 pages calledSquink (éditions BdArtist(e)) that gathered a number of drawings in 15 chapters.

December 28

Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is a British-born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti. He later included jazz, klezmer, and other genres in his repertoire.

Sienna Rose Miller (born 28 December 1981) is an English actress, model, and fashion designer. She is best known for her roles in Layer Cake, Alfie, Factory Girl, The Edge of Love and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. In 2007, the London Film Critics named her British Actress of the Year for Interview. In 2006, she designed a fashion capsule for Pepe Jeans.

December 27

                          Irene Handl

Irene Handl (27 December 1901 – 29 November 1987) was an English character actress who appeared in over a hundred British films.

Handl had very minor roles in such landmark films as Night Train to Munich, Spellbound and Brief Encounter. Her notable appearances included I'm All Right Jack as the wife of Peter Sellers' union leader Fred Kite, Tony Hancock's landlady in The Rebel and Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper Mrs. Hudson in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. She had small roles in two of the Carry On series (Nurse and Constable).

Theatre

-Goodnight Mrs Puffin, Handl played the comic lead

-Move Over Mrs Markham

-The Importance of Being Earnest

In addition to her acting career, she wrote two novels: The Sioux (1965), The Gold Tip Pfitzer (1966).

                        Peter Sinfield

Peter John Sinfield (born 27 December 1943) is an English poet, songwriter, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever released.

In 2005, Sinfield was noted as a "Prog rock hero" in Q magazine, for his impressive lyrical contribution and creative influence while working within the rock music industry.

As a lyricist, Sinfield has a distinctive approach to the sounds of words, filled with surreal imagery, and a special facility with water-images and ideas involving the sea. Later on in his career he adapted his writing for pop music, and co-wrote a succession of hits that were to be sung by artists such as Celine Dion, Cher, Cliff Richard, Leo Sayer, Five Star and Bucks Fizz.

December 26

26 December, 2012

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Boxing Day in United Kingdom

Boxing Day in the United Kingdom is the day after Christmas Day and falls on December 26. Traditionally, it was a day when employers distributed money, food, cloth (material) or other valuable goods to their employees. In modern times, it is an important day for sporting events and the start of the post-Christmas sales.

What do people do?

For many people Boxing Day is a time to recover from the excesses of Christmas day and an opportunity to spent time with family, friends and neighbors. Some people choose to go for a walk in the countryside, while other flock to the post-Christmas sales in large stores that often begin on Boxing Day. Some people even spend part of the night and early morning queuing to get into the stores when the best bargains are still available.
Boxing Day is also an important day for sports events. Traditionally, using dogs to hunt for foxes was a popular sport amongst the upper classes. Pictures of hunters on horseback dressed in red coats and surrounded by hunting dogs are often seen as symbolic of Boxing Day. Nowadays, fox hunting is outlawed. Horse racing and football (soccer) are now popular sports.

Public life

Boxing Day is a bank holiday. If Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, the following Monday is a bank holiday. If Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, the following Monday and Tuesday are bank holidays. All schools and many organizations are closed in this period. Some may close for the whole week between Christmas and New Year.
Many stores are open and now start their post-Christmas sales on Boxing Day. This makes December 26 a very important day for many retailers. Many public transport services run on special timetables. Many people travel to visit family or friends in this period, so bus, plane and train services can be very busy.

Background and symbols

There are a number of stories behind the origin of the term 'Boxing Day'. It used to be customary for employers to give their employees or servants a gift of money or food in a small box on this day. This is still customary for people who deliver letters or newspapers, although the gift may be given before Christmas Day. In feudal times, the lord of the manor would gather all those who worked on his land together on this day and distribute boxes of practical goods, such as agricultural tools, food and cloth. This was payment for the work that they had done throughout the passed year.
Other stories relate to servants being allowed to take a portion of the food left over from the Christmas celebrations in a box to their families and the distribution of alms from the Church collection box to poor parishioners. These traditions have evolved into the Christmas hampers that many large employers distribute, although these are now often distributed in the week before Christmas.
 

December 25

Merry Christmas!

Today is a special day! Today is Christmas (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass"). Christmas is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide. Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries around the world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. In some non-Christian countries, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Countries such as Japan, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations and Christmas trees.

Countries in which Christmas is not a formal public holiday include China, (excepting Hong Kong and Macao), Japan, Saudi Arabia,Algeria, Thailand, Iran, Turkey and North Korea. Christmas celebrations around the world can vary markedly in form, reflecting differing cultural and national traditions.

Among countries with a strong Christian tradition, a variety of Christmas celebrations have developed that incorporate regional and local cultures. For Christians, participating in a religious service plays an important part in the recognition of the season. Christmas, along with Easter, is the period of highest annual church attendance.

In Catholic countries, people hold religious processions or parades in the days preceding Christmas. In other countries, secular processions or parades featuring Santa Claus and other seasonal figures are often held. Family reunions and the exchange of gifts are a widespread feature of the season. Gift giving takes place on Christmas Day in most countries. Others practice gift giving on December 6, Saint Nicholas Day, and January 6, Epiphany.

P.S. With all my heart I hope you will be happy! 

If you want to know more about Christmas, go to our blog: http://newka-christmas2012.blogspot.ru/

December 24

                                              Christmas Eve in United Kingdom 

  

Christmas Eve is the Day before Christmas Day, which is annually on December 24, according to the Gregorian calendar. It is not a public holiday in the United Kingdom but it is a day of preparations for the Christmas season. The Christmas season includes the public holidays on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and January 2 (Scotland only).  Christmas Eve is the last day for many people to shop and prepare for the Christmas celebrations and festive meals. December 24 is not a public holiday. However, schools are closed for the Christmas holidays and many people have a day off work or leave earlier than usual.In the United Kingdom, Christmas Eve is both the religious and secular start of the festive season at the end of the year. A wide variety of things symbolize Christmas Eve. These include Christmas trees, including the decorations and lights that people hang on them, and other evergreens, such as holly, ivy and mistletoe, which are used to decorate homes and other buildings.

December 23

Nicholas James "Nick" Moran (born 23 December 1969) is an English actor, writer, producer and director, best known for his role as Eddy the card sharp in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. He appeared as Scabior in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2.

Moran was born in the East End of London, to a hairdresser mother and an Automobile Association worker father. In Moran's spare time he practises karate.
Moran fronts his own Frank Sinatra tribute band, often appearing at London’s Cafe De Paris & various charity events.

December 22

John Obadiah Westwood (22 December 1805 – 2 January 1893) was an English entomologist and archaeologist also noted for his artistic talents.

Born in Sheffield, he studied to be a lawyer but abandoned that for his scientific interests.

He became a curator and later professor at Oxford University, having been nominated by this friend and patron the Reverend Frederick William Hope, whose donation was the basis of the Hope Collection at Oxford. He was also a Fellow ofMagdalen College, Oxford.

Westwood was a Fellow of the Linnean Society and president of the Entomological Society of London (1852–1853).

Among the prominent writers and naturalists he associated with was James Rennie, whom he assisted in the editing of Gilbert White's The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne in 1833.

Dame Peggy Ashcroft, DBE (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991)  was an English actress whose career spanned 48 years. In May 1986 Ashcroft was awarded an honorary degree from the Open University as Doctor of the University.  Ashcroft was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1951, and raised to Dame Commander (DBE) in 1956.

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton Wykeham Fiennes (born 22 December 1962), better known as Ralph Fiennes (pron.: /ˈreɪf ˈfaɪnz/), is an English theatre and film actor. A noted Shakespeare interpreter, he first achieved success onstage in the Royal National Theatre.

Fiennes' portrayal of Nazi war criminal Amon Goeth in Schindler's List (1993), earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. His performance as Count Almásy in The English Patient (1996), garnered him a second Academy Award nomination, for Best Actor, as well as BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations.

Since then, Fiennes has starred or appeared in The Prince of Egypt (1998), The End of the Affair (1999), Red Dragon (2002), The Constant Gardener (2005), the Harry Potter film series (2005–2011), in which he played Lord Voldemort, The Reader (2008), and Clash of the Titans (2010). In 2012, Fiennes played Gareth Mallory in the James Bond film Skyfall and Magwitch in Great Expectations.

In 2011, Fiennes made his directorial debut with his film adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy Coriolanus, in which he also played the titular character. Fiennes won a Tony Award for playing Prince Hamlet on Broadway.

December 21

Birthdays

1831

C. S. Calverley - English writer

"Read not Milton, for he is dry."

1892

 

Dame Rebecca West - English writer

"It was in dealing with the early feminist that the Government acquired the tact and skillfulness with which it is now handling Ireland."

 

1905

 

Anthony Powell - English writer

"Dinner at the Huntercombes' possessed only two dramatic features—the wine was a farce, and the food a tragedy."

 

 

December 20

Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is an English footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. Primarily a left-back, Cole is considered by critics and fellow professional players as one of the best defenders of his generation.

Born in Stepney, London, Cole began his youth career at Arsenal and made his full debut for the club in November 1999, going on to make a further 228 appearances, scoring nine goals. With Arsenal he won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and was an integral member of "The Invincibles" team of the 2003–04 season, who went the entire league season undefeated. Cole also made an appearance in Arsenal's first UEFA Champions League final in 2006; the club lost 2–1 to FC Barcelona.

In August 2006, after a protracted transfer saga, Cole completed a move to rival club Chelsea, with whom he won further honours, including the Premier League in the 2009–10 season, four FA Cups, one Football League Cup and oneUEFA Champions League. With seven winners' medals, Cole has won the FA Cup more times than any other player in history, and is one of two players to have won the Double with two different clubs, along with Nicolas Anelka.

Cole has been an England international since 2001 and played at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups, as well as Euro 2004 and Euro 2012. He was voted England Player of the Year in 2010. As of Feb 2013, has won 100 caps, making him England's most capped full back  and most capped black player.

Alan Parsons (born 20 December 1948) is a British audio engineer, musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor. Parsons' own group, The Alan Parsons Project, as well as his subsequent solo recordings, have also been successful commercially.

Adrian Mitchell FRSL (24 October 1932 – 20 December 2008)  was an English poet, novelist and playwright. A former journalist, he became a noted figure on the British Left. For almost half a century he was the foremost poet of the country's anti-Bomb movement. The critic Kenneth Tynan called him the British Mayakovsky.

Mitchell sought in his work to counteract the implications of his own assertion that, "Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people."

In a National Poetry Day poll in 2005 his poem "Human Beings" was voted the one most people would like to see launched into space. In 2002 he was nominated, semi-seriously, Britain's Shadow Poet Laureate.  Mitchell was for some years poetry editor of the New Statesman, and was the first to publish an interview with the Beatles.  His work for the Royal Shakespeare Company included Peter Brook's US and the English version of Peter Weiss'sMarat/Sade. 

Ever inspired by the example of his own favourite poet and precursor William Blake, about whom he wrote the acclaimed Tyger for the National Theatre, his often angry output swirled from anarchistic anti-war satire, through love poetryto, increasingly, stories and poems for children. He also wrote librettos. The Poetry Archive identified his creative yield as hugely prolific.