Christmas Thread: Santa, Reindeer, Elves & Yule Goats

[Evo]

This was in a letter from Red Rum last night. He's an Irishman living in The Netherlands.

Today is Sinterklaasdag, when the man you interpret as Santa Clause (who is known here as de Kerstman, or Father Christmas) comes sailing from Spain on his white horse with his black and very mischievious helpers, known as Zwart Piet (or Black Peter...How politically incorrect can you get?) doling out presents (cadeautjes), dropjes (candies) and pepernoten (little ginger snaps, I suppose). Dutch kids leave their shoes out for presents. The bold ones get lumps of coal instead of gifts and get kidnapped and taken back to Spain as punishment. This I don't quite understand as enduring the cuisine, climate, language and culture of the Iberian peninsula would hardly constitute punishment for most Dutch citizens.

 

[Moonbear]

Had a nice surprise when I got to work (after having driven through the snow. I had 3 cookies with chocolate kisses on them, a beautiful christmas mug, stuffed with packets of hot choclate, candy canes and chocolate dipped peppermint sticks.

Ooh, that's a nice treat for a snow day!

 

[vincentm]

Hmmm Eggnog and lotsa rum...

 

[Moonbear]

This was in a letter from Red Rum last night. He's an Irishman living in The Netherlands.

I have some Dutch friends, and their version sounds really fun. Zwart Piet is a chimney sweep! How else is Santa going to get down your filthy, clogged chimney without the help of a chimney sweep?

Pepernoten are what we know more commonly by their German name of pfefferneusen. I think there's a slight difference, but they're spice balls (literally, spice nut, I think), those little ball-shaped cookies coated in powdered sugar.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I was around 12 years old, and I thought he and his wife{Dorothy} were the sweetest people in the world. He had the most enchanting smile. He showed me my first guitar chords, and my sisters and I got to sing a few songs with him.

That is just too cool! I guess he was America's Christmas grandpa because he was genuine. AFAIK, everyone loved Burl Ives.

Eddie Arnold was often there too. I never got to know him well, mostly because when he came to Fla. he came to sail. I recall he had a beautiful sail boat. He would get up a regatta, and they would sail from Cape Canaveral to Key West. The wifes and kids would drive down and meet them and have a beach party.

Still, what a treat that must have been. Was your dad in show business related work or was the connection just a fluke?

I got to hang with Michael Landon for a bit at a Rams game when I too was about 12. He happened to be sitting in the next row and right in front of us. I definitely thought that was very cool! It was fun telling my buddies that I was hanging out with Little Joe last Sunday.

 

[hypatia]

My Dad worked for NASA. My Dads co-worker/friend played football with Mr Ives when they were teens.
I did know many of the early astronauts very well. Heheh I would of traded them all for one seat next to Michael Landon:!)

 

[Andre]

Today is Sinterklaasdag, when the man you interpret as Santa Clause (who is known here as de Kerstman, or Father Christmas) comes sailing from Spain on his white horse with his black and very mischievious helpers, known as Zwart Piet (or Black Peter...How politically incorrect can you get?)

Sinterklaas, Heilige Nikolaus, Sankt Nicolaus, is a rapidly declining Mid Europe tradition with one of the last stronghold in The Netherlands. The Black Peter figure however has nothing to do with political, ethnic issues. Indeed, there is little doubt that his skin color has darkened pernamently due to his habit to deliver the goodies by crawling into chimneys into the shoes of the kids and collect the carrots that are left there for the white horse of his master.

However, in Germany "Zwarte Piet" is known as Knecht Ruprecht (knecht (servant)pronounced Knecht - not 'necht' ) and this hint a bit to his real character. He is simply the negative opposite of Sinterklaas, naughty, playful but potentially dangerous. It's the classical good guy - bad guy trade off. Children have to behave and prevent deportation as RR indicated. Other variations for the Knecht Ruprecht figure are Belznickel, Bullerklas, Pelzebock which may orginate from Belzebub, aka Lucifer, Satan although it has also been proposed that Ruprecht originates from German paleo deity Wotan (old german Wuotan - wut = angry) or he may have been a servant of the Goddess Holle.

Nothing to do with politics

 

[Andre]

Glühwein

While eggnog is unknown here in Germany, the traditional Christmas drink here is Glühwein(glow wine) obtainable in about all the stands in the numerous Christmas fairs. Certainly worth trying. The recipe for this "Conditum Paradoxum" goes back to the cooking book of Marcus Gavius Apicius, a Roman "gastronomer" who lived in the first century AD, in which wine and honey are heated with spices.

For a good Glühwein use a sweet red wine, the Germans seem to like using the "Spätburgunder", the Austrians the "Blau Burgunder", the French "Pinot noir" (Don't tell them that those grapes are all the same).

For one bottle of wine use 100 gram sugar, juice of two oranges, two cinnamon sticks, 20 cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)

Slowly bring the wine and sugar to boiling, stick the cloves in a peel of one of the oranges and add to the boiling mass together with the juice and cinnamon. Boil for 10 minutes. Drink warm.

Note that the alcohol has virtually disappeared after boiling.

 

[hypatia]

We make the same drink here, except we call it Glog, we correct the alcohol problem, by adding brandy.

 

[Evo]

Sinterklaas, Heilige Nikolaus, Sankt Nicolaus, is a rapidly declining Mid Europe tradition with one of the last stronghold in The Netherlands. The Black Peter figure however has nothing to do with political, ethnic issues. Indeed, there is little doubt that his skin color has darkened pernamently due to his habit to deliver the goodies by crawling into chimneys into the shoes of the kids and collect the carrots that are left there for the white horse of his master.

However, in Germany "Zwarte Piet" is known as Knecht Ruprecht (knecht (servant)pronounced Knecht - not 'necht' ) and this hint a bit to his real character. He is simply the negative opposite of Sinterklaas, naughty, playful but potentially dangerous. It's the classical good guy - bad guy trade off. Children have to behave and prevent deportation as RR indicated. Other variations for the Knecht Ruprecht figure are Belznickel, Bullerklas, Pelzebock which may orginate from Belzebub, aka Lucifer, Satan although it has also been proposed that Ruprecht originates from German paleo deity Wotan (old german Wuotan - wut = angry) or he may have been a servant of the Goddess Holle.

Nothing to do with politics

I think Red Rum's mention of politically incorrect was referring to how this would go over in the US (I'm American). A caricature like this here and all hell would break loose.

http://www.partyshop.nl/images/Piet%20masker%20plat-l.jpg

 

[Evo]

We make the same drink here, except we call it Glog, we correct the alcohol problem, by adding brandy.

I'm drinking at hypatia's!

Thanks for the info Andre!

 

[Math Jeans]

Has anyone else here been celebrating Hannukah since the 6th?

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Has anyone else here been celebrating Hannukah since the 6th?

We started on the evening of the 5th. I have one of those electric menorahs so I had the change the blessing a little. See if I got this right:
vetsivanu lesovevet et hamenorah shel hanukah
And commanded us to screw in the lightbulb of Hannukah.

My thought for the holiday. If you give an adult a gold coin and they find out that it is just chocolate covered in foil, they will be disappointed. The kids will be disappointed if it's a real coin.

 

[Evo]

We started on the evening of the 5th. I have one of those electric menorahs so I had the change the blessing a little. See if I got this right:
vetsivanu lesovevet et hamenorah shel hanukah
And commanded us to screw in the lightbulb of Hannukah.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Happy Hannukah!

 

[Moonbear]

We started on the evening of the 5th. I have one of those electric menorahs so I had the change the blessing a little. See if I got this right:
vetsivanu lesovevet et hamenorah shel hanukah
And commanded us to screw in the lightbulb of Hannukah.

My thought for the holiday. If you give an adult a gold coin and they find out that it is just chocolate covered in foil, they will be disappointed. The kids will be disappointed if it's a real coin.

Happy Hannukah!

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Happy Hannukah!

Thanks for that. The candlabra at the end was an actual menorah (7 candles) as opposed to the one used during Hannukah (9 candles) which is pedantically called a hannukiah.
The song is ok, but reminds me of a better one from 40 years ago called "When you're in love, the whole world is Jewish".

I've had a lot of thrills in my life
Three kids, a gorgeous wife
(Such looks)
I'm thrilled about my car: a Riviera
My sister Sarah
And John O'Hara's books
But the thrill of thrills that gave my heart a clout
Was the thrilling night when I thrillingly found out

Steve McQueen is Jewish would you believe it?
He's just like you and I, couldn't you almost die?
And Cary Grant is Jewish could you conceive it?
Such a living doll in a prayer shawl
Marlon Brando's Jewish, Pat O'Brien and Richard Conte
Not to mention that lovely couple, Harry and Bela Fonte

Frank Sinatra's Jewish would you believe it?
Sean Connery and Lyndon Johnson too
As a matter of fact the whole world is Jewish
Since I fell in love with you
Rosie McGonegal!
Since I fell in love with you

 

[hypatia]

Yummy cookie baking night!
Ginger bread with lemon frosting
Walnut chocolate chip
Michigan sand bar cookies{my favorit}
Coconut dipped in white chocolate
and last but not least Sugar cookies!

 

[Evo]

Yummy cookie baking night!
Ginger bread with lemon frosting
Walnut chocolate chip
Michigan sand bar cookies{my favorit}
Coconut dipped in white chocolate
and last but not least Sugar cookies!

I make a lemon frosting for my gingerbread cookies too!

 

[Math Is Hard]

Sounds delicious, hypatia! What are the Michigan sandbar cookies?

Can't wait to make a gingerbread house with my siblings when I get to Texas.

 

[hypatia]

They are a cinnamon bar cookie, very much like a shortbread, except you push ridges across the top with your fingertips. The second it comes out of the oven, you dump a ton of powdered sugar and cinnamon on it. Melt in your mouth good eats!

 

[Evo]

They are a cinnamon bar cookie, very much like a shortbread, except you push ridges across the top with your fingertips. The second it comes out of the oven, you dump a ton of powdered sugar and cinnamon on it. Melt in your mouth good eats!

Can you post the recipe?

Spawn of Evo is coming over this week to make her favorite Cherry Winks (cookies made with corn flakes and maraschino cherries) and Moon cookies. I'm going to post both recipes.

 

[hypatia]

Michigan Sandbar cookies

1 cup of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre heat oven to 300

In large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, mix well. Then add flour and mix just until a dough forms. Its really easy to over work this, so with a gentle touch, press it into the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan{ungreased}. I use butter on my fingers to keep it from sticking to me. Push deep ridges across the dough.
Bake for 40 minutes.



Topping 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sift together.
The second it comes out of the oven, sift the sugar/cinnamon over the top.

After it cools cut into 1 by 2 inch bars.

My Mom use to buy little chocolates shaped like seashells to have with them.

 

[Evo]

Michigan Sandbar cookies

1 cup of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre heat oven to 300

In large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, mix well. Then add flour and mix just until a dough forms. Its really easy to over work this, so with a gentle touch, press it into the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan{ungreased}. I use butter on my fingers to keep it from sticking to me. Push deep ridges across the dough.
Bake for 40 minutes.



Topping 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sift together.
The second it comes out of the oven, sift the sugar/cinnamon over the top.

After it cools cut into 1 by 2 inch bars.

My Mom use to buy little chocolates shaped like seashells to have with them.

That sounds so easy! Thanks hypatia!

 

[Math Is Hard]

Great recipe! I think I may have all the ingredients on hand.

 

[hypatia]

Can you post the recipe?

Spawn of Evo is coming over this week to make her favorite Cherry Winks (cookies made with corn flakes and maraschino cherries) and Moon cookies. I'm going to post both recipes.

I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[Evo]

I hope you have a wonderful time.

Thanks, we're going to add your bars!

 

[Moonbear]

Sounds yummy! Are Moon cookies for Moon bears?

I'm in a very good mood tonight. I leave tomorrow for vacation, and just got in some results from an experiment that have turned out beautifully, so can leave in a very good mood (and just gave a grad student the happy news he can start working on writing up the abstract over the Christmas break......to attend a conference in Hawaii! Something tells me the promise of a trip to Hawaii will more than make up for having to work on an abstract over Christmas break, especially since he had other work to do anyway on things that haven't been going as well).

Between good news on this experiment (this was better than just an experiment going "well"...this was GREAT...the sort of results that justify years of beating one's head against walls trying to make sense of strange results that others just wanted to give up on...of course, there's still "part 2" that can go wrong), and leaving for vacation tomorrow (a "the lab better be burning down if you call and disturb me with something work-related" vacation), I don't know how I'll ever get to sleep tonight. I already feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I'm really happy for you, Moonbear. That's great news.

 

[hypatia]

, I don't know how I'll ever get to sleep tonight. I already feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.

I'd say count sheep, but your more than likely immune to that
Have a safe and fun vacation!