Virtual Advent Tour 2020: Favourite Holiday Songs Vol. 2

Virtual Advent Tour is hosted by Sprite Writes. Drop by her blog to see other stops on the tour with many interesting titbits about advent traditions. 

Music is an essential part of many if not most celebrations and that particularly holds true for Christmas time. 

In 2016, I shared my favourite English holiday songs. 

This year, however, as the only non-native English speaking country participant, I want to provide some 'exoticism' 😉 and share with you what we call folk church songs, that is, songs for church/Christian holidays (in this case, Christmas) that are widely known and sung among people.

We have a long, centuries-old tradition of folk church songs, many originating from unknown authors and spreading among the people, others being written for choir but becoming widely popular among everyone, and some imported and translated from other languages and being loved so much they are now considered our own. 

I will start with one of the latter, perhaps the most popular and most frequently translated Christmas song of all times across the world, Sveta noč, or, as you may have already guessed, Silent Night. 

Poslušajte, vsi ljudje (Listen, all people) is a personal favourite because it mentions St. Joseph; it talks about how Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem where after looking for a place to stay they finally found it outside the town in a barn where Jesus was born.

Another few of my favourites are Glej, zvezdice božje (Look, heavenly stars), Rajske strune (Heavenly  Chords), and Kaj se vam zdi, pastirci vi (What do you think, o, shepherds ye').

As I said, these are all very popular and sung by everyone en masse at church, but of course the above examples are choir and bands recordings, because unsynchronised people's singing would have been unintelligible. Then again, all of these are probably unintelligible to you, but I hope you at least enjoyed the catchy melodies. The music of the last one is played on European zither, which has an especially apt sound for Christmas songs.

I will end with another version of Silent Night in honour of my uncle, because I learned halfway through writing this post (on Friday, and TBH continuing writing it in the breaks between crying kept me sane) that he had died. Lojze Slak, also deceased, is one of our most renowned musicians and my parents' favourite, he was from one of the neighbouring villages to that of my father and uncle's home village and my father – and, I think, also my uncle – knew him personally, so this is for him. At least they are all together now, I believe. 

I apologise for ending on a morose note. I wish you all happy holidays, even if you don't get to spend them with your loved ones due to Covid-19, I hope you are able to spend them at least with the knowledge that they are alive and well and that all of you stay that way!

Virtual Advent Tour 2020: St. Lucy

The Earth keeps making its way around the Sun even in 2020 and the time has come again for Virtual Advent Tour, organised by Sprite Writes.

Today is the name day of St. Lucy of Syracuse (283 – 304 AD). She is associated with light and brightness as her name comes from lux, the Latin word for light.

According to a legend, one of her suitors fell in love with her beautiful eyes, so she gouged them out and send them to him, but an angel came to her and restored them; therefore, she is a patron saint of the blind and a protector of sight.

Due to various legends telling of St. Lucy losing her eyes either by torture or her own hand, she is often depicted with a pair of eyes on a platter. (Image source.)

Before the Gregorian calendar reform, December 13^th was considered the shortest day of the year, symbolising the return of light into long winter nights and thus rebirth and new life, similarly to the winter solstice.

We have a folk custom, especially in the countryside, of planting Christmas wheat on this day – it is believed that if it sprouts by Christmas, it will ensure a good harvest the following year. 

Christmas wheat in a small pot is a nice decorative element in a nativity scene or on its own. (Image source.)

Do you have any special traditions or celebrations on this day? If so, I would love to hear about them.

Virtual Advent Tour: Santa's Train

Virtual Advent Tour is hosted by Sprite at Sprite Writes.

I have always liked trains. And then, by a coincidence, I moved to live right along the railway. And I love it, especially in December when we get to see the so-called Santa's train.

For the past few years in December our national railways offer special rides in different directions across the country on a composition of a historic steam engine and old carriages, decorated with Christmas lights, with Santa and his elves aboard.

It is a great attraction, especially for families with children, but also for everyone else, even if you just watch it huff and puff by.

The steam engine was built during WW II for the German army's transportation needs (hmm, yeah) and was a part of reparations to our country. It is extremely gratifying that a tool made for our destruction was used to rebuild after the war and is now still used to bring joy. Choo-choo!

Virtual Advent Tour 2019: Winter Evenings

Virtual Advent Tour is hosted by Sprite at Sprite Writes.

There is something magical about winter evenings when you are warm and comfy while it is freezing and windy outside. With the fire going and a hot beverage, it is nice to just be in comfortable silence and perhaps enjoy a good piece of poetry.

One such piece is a poem that hit me straight in the heart when I first heard it many years ago, a romantically melancholic, just like a Slavic soul likes best, and I had that instant 'a-ha' feeling of relating to it, for back then I did literally live in an old house in the middle of the marshes and cold, wild wind knocking on our shabby windows was a familiar visitor during many a winter evening while sitting by the wood stove with my grandmother.

I know it by heart in Slovene translation and it takes me straight back to my childhood whenever I remember it. Incidentally, its title is Winter Evening and it remains one of my favourite pieces of poetry. I am pasting it below with some imagery that reminds me of the 'olden' days. ;)

Winter Evening
by A. S. Pushkin

O'er the earth a storm is prowling, Bringing whirling, blinding snow.
Like a beast I hear it howling,
Like an infant wailing low.
Now the thatch it rustles, playing
On our roof; now at our pane
Raps like someone homeward straying
And behighted in the plain.


Old our hut is, dark and dreary,
By a candle dimly lit...
Why so sad, my dear, and weary
At the window do you sit?
Is't because the storm is moaning
That so very still you keep?
Does your spindle's mournful droning
Put you quietly to sleep?

Come, O comrade solitery
Of this cheerless youth of mine,
Take a cup, and let us bury
All our many woes in wine!
Of a maid out by a river
Sing a little song to me
Or a tomtit, one that never
Leaves its home beyond the sea.


O'er the earth a storm is prowling,
Bringing whirling, blinding snow.
Like a beast I hear it howling,
Like an infant wailing low.
Come, O comrade solitery
Of this cheerless youth of mine,
Take a cup, and let us bury
All our many woes in wine!

(Translated by I. Zheleznova.)

Do you have a favourite piece of poetry that reminds you of winter and/or childhood? 

I'm Still Alive

... and I'm still reading, too. Actually, I'll set a new record this year.

However, I don't know what to do with this blog. Hence, the nearly year-long hiatus.

I don't want to abandon it, but even just posting this reminds me of why I'd been struggling lately over the last few years and then vanished into this hiatus - all the signing out and in already takes s much energy. Not to mention other hurdles.

Blogger really isn't user-friendly. Or I've been spoiled by other platforms (*cough* tumblr *cough* - although that comes with its own set of problems). That and perhaps I burden myself with too high standards of what sort of posts both content- and format-wise I want to make. Maybe I should lower those.

I am thinking of maybe setting up automatic cross-posting from GR - or at least try it to see if it works satisfactorily. And/or doing monthly (or some such) recaps of my reading and watching exploits. I will have to mull it over some more and then decide.

But, first thing first, it is my favourite time of the year and that means Virtual Advent Tour! I will have two stops here on the 9th and the 16th, but do check out everyone else's stops as well, because people always share interesting things.

Virtual Advent Tour 2018: Favourite Holiday Movies

I am again participating in Virtual Advent Tour, hosted by Sprite at Sprite Writes.

This year I decided to share some of my favourite Christmas movies, because who doesn’t like to bundle up in a warm blanket with some hot beverage of your choice and watch something sweet or funny or touching or all of the above combined?

The first Christmas movie that always comes to my mind and that I never find boring is the first Home Alone (1990) movie, mostly hilarious, but poignant at times.

Love Actually (2003) is all of what I mentioned above, funny and sweet, sometimes sad and thought provoking, and most of all simply showing the state of being human.

In While You Were Sleeping (1995), a lovely comedy about accidentally finding love and a family, the road to happiness is paved with good intentions and a few blunders.

Artistically well-made movies sometimes fail to emotionally resonate with me, but The Holiday (2006) is wonderfully heart-warming and fun story about finding love and friendship.

A tale of the Christmas truce of 1915, Joyeux Noel (2005) is a touching and poignant reminder that we are all only people no matter the artificial sides we choose to divide us.

What are your favourite holiday movies?

My Life According to the Books I Read in 2017

Since I've had a very rich reading year this year, I decided to do the my-year-in-books-I-read end-of-year wrap up meme which was created by Christine at The happily ever after:

Describe yourself: Night Owl by M. Pierce

How do you feel: Wicked all the Way by Shayla Black

Describe where you currently live: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The Summer Palace by C.S. Pacat

Your favourite form of transportation: Angels' Flight by Nalini Singh

Your best friend is: Treasure Island by R.L. Stevenson

You and your friends are: Beyond Jealousy by Kit Rocha

What's the weather like: Dark Skye by Kresely Cole

What is life to you: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

Favourite time of day: Shadow's Seduction by Kresley Cole

Your fear: Closed Doors by Kit Rocha

What is the best advice you have to give: Truth by Sherri Hayes

Thought for the day: Blank Canvas by Kit Rocha

How I would like to die: Beyond Doubt by Kit Rocha

My soul's present condition: Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

And that's it for me this year, book blogging-wise. 

Have a nice New Year's Eve and many good books (and all other good things) in 2018!

Virtual Advent Tour 2017: Winter Reads

It is that time of year again! Time for Virtual Advent Tour, organised by Sprite at Sprite Writes.

Considering this is a book(ish) blog, I think it is high time for a book-related Virtual Advent post. (How haven’t I done one in all these years yet?) So, here are some of my favourite reads for winter time.   

As a child, I loved The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen. Although I cried my heart out every time I read it. I guess my masochist fiction preferences were showing early on. ;)
     

The crying continued as I was a bit older with Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight. A good part of it is set in winter and it does contain the spirit of the season, implicitly if not explicitly.

I find His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman a good read for dark months of autumn and winter, both for its setting, story lines, and the philosophical and religious questions it provokes.

One of my all-times favourite books is The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse. Happening over a winter night in the Pyrenees, it is a poignant and touching story, written in beautiful, lyrical prose. 

And lastly, a novella from my favourite paranormal romance series (best read in order) to warm you up (ahem ;)): Untouchable (IAD #8) by Kresely Cole. Ice, winter, and Christmas – it has it all.

I am always on the look-out for new book recommendations. 

What are your favourite winter/Christmas reads?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, reading and otherwise, to all of you who stumble across my humble blog!

I'm going to kick the new (reading) year off with Bout of Books 18.0, as for the rest, I'm not making any plans or resolutions (reading-wise), so we shall see how it goes.

Virtual Advent Tour 2016: Favourite Holiday Songs

I'm not feeling the Christmas spirit all that much yet, perhaps for the lack of snow (which sort of became the norm lately – a proof of the climate changing if you ask me, because snow for Christmas used to be a given when I was a kid), but at least it is cold.

Another prerequisite of this time of year are winter songs and Christmas carols. Listening to those is definitely a way to get into the holiday spirit, so I decided to share some of them with you to spread the merriness.

So, you are all invited to sit back, close your eyes (or not) and relax for a little while. In no particular order:

Christmas Lullaby



Let it Snow

Winter Wonderland

O, Little Town of Bethlehem

White Christmas

That's it. I hope you've enjoyed.

What about you? What are the things that bring out your festive spirit?

This post is a part of Virtual Advent Tour, organised by Sprite at spritewrites.

Virtual Advent Tour 2016: St. Mary

Again, it is time for Virtual Advent Tour, organised by Sprite at spritewrites.

In Catholic calendar, the 8^th of December is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the most important celebrations in this merry holiday month.

Immaculate Conception by Murrillo
(source)

Commonly, people think that Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Jesus, but it is not so.

The Immaculate Conception, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, was the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne, free from original sin by virtue of the foreseen merits of her son Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was conceived by normal biological means, but God acted upon her soul (keeping her “immaculate”) at the time of her conception. (source)

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a very special day to me because it was my late grandmother’s name day, and on this day, all the fond memories of her are especially present in my mind.

My grandma Mary was a warm, caring person, knowledgeable in the way countryside people are – for example, she knew natural remedies for all ills – and although I didn’t get to see her more than a few times a year, I felt very close to her, nevertheless.

Along St. Nicholas’ day (December 6^th), the celebration of St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception is the day that signifies the beginning of Christmas time, my (everyone’s?) favourite time of the year. If only it didn’t go by so fast! Maybe we can slow it down with great virtual advent posts? ;) I’ll have another stop here for you on December 16^th. 

Yearly Overview and Happy New Year 2016!

Since it's only a few hours until New Year here, it is time to do a little recap of 2015.

I haven't been around much this year and certainly not as much as I'd like, mostly due to RL trials and troubles, but let's not dwell on that as we are about to turn a new leaf and start a new, hopefully better year.

I have read only five new-to-me books and reread two, but if I counted all thousands upon thousands of words of fanfiction I've also read (on daily basis), that number would be at least about 20 decent-sized novels.

Including this post, I have made 20 posts on this blog. However, over on my tumblr, I have written many many more posts discussing TV shows (as I've said before, I watch a lot of those) and related things.

I have also written quite a lot this year, even if only fanfiction, and I am very proud of that.

Her Majesty the Cat has continued to make my days better, ruling the household as well as ever, making me laugh (and sometimes get mad :P) and taking care I kept being busy and got enough exercise. ;)

Her she is, sleeping peacefully on my chair just this afternoon:

And with that, this post comes to its end. All that is left is for me to wish you a happy new year.

May you be happy, healthy, full of joy, and blessed with good luck, good people around you, good books, and all other good things you enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Or happy holidays! And if you don't celebrate anything, have a great time just the same! :)

Virtual Advent Tour 2015: St. Nicholas

Once again I am participating in Virtual Advent Tour, this year organised by Sprite at Sprite Writes.

Today is the 6^th of December, one of very special December days, because it is the name day of Saint Nicholas, the good man who brings presents for the good (kids) and hazel rods and coals for the naughty. ;)

St. Nicholas was a bishop in Myra in the 3^rd/4^th century. As per one of the legends, there lived a poor man who couldn’t afford a dowry for his three daughters, so the bishop secretly brought three purses of gold coins, one for each daughter, and threw them into the house through an open window at night, so they could get married.

That and numerous other good deeds of generosity earned him the reputation of a gift-giver, so his name day became the day when ‘St. Nicholas’ brings gifts to children (well, nowadays, adults may get a little something as well) in Central and Western Europe.

Saint Nicholas (source)

Nowadays, with consumerism and all, in some families gifts can be quite fancy, and St. Nicholas is no longer the only gift-giver, since most people adopted the tradition of Santa Claus (and Grandpa Frost) as well.

However, most people where I live still consider St. Nicholas the main gift-bringer of the season and they mostly keep up the tradition of modest gifts, usually things a child needs.

Traditional St. Nicholas gifts are fruit, either fresh (oranges and mandarins) or dried (plums, pears, and apples, or figs), and nuts (most often walnuts, hazelnuts, or peanuts), clothes (such as new underwear and socks or winter-wear like gloves and hats or even a new pair of shoes/boots or a new piece of clothing to wear for the Midnight Mass.) Books, colouring books, or notebooks and writing/colouring utensils are also traditional gifts.

Of course, the most important part of celebrating St. Nicholas is the anticipation, trying to be as good as one can, or at least a little bit better than before, and writing letters to St. Nicholas.

If one was really, really naughty, St. Nick might give them over to devils, or so the adults would scare the kids. In the weeks before the holiday, the adults or older children from the neighbourhood would go around other houses where younger children lived in the evening and rattle with chains or knock on windows, pretending to be devils waiting to ‘get’ the ‘naughty’ child, but the scare usually only adds to the thrill.

On the evening before the holiday, the kitchen table would have to be made extra tidy and a large bowl would be placed on it, which would be full of presents in the morning.

In Catholic families, St. Nicholas would bring some presents at home, but he would also bring some at a church event, so the children can ‘meet’ him, and usually there would be also a short play with St. Nicholas, angels, and devils (who would in the end go hide behind the altar and lay in wait should St. Nick deem any kid naughty enough to give him or her over to them – which never happens, of course. ;))

It would all be very exciting, albeit a little scary, but the scare is part of the excitement, as I’ve said.

St. Nicholas's procession in Ljubljana (source)

Now I’ve relived some of my favourite childhood memories and I am grinning from ear to ear. And why, yes, I still get excited about St. Nicholas like a five-year-old, not as much for potential gifts, but for the spirit of the holiday.

What about you? Have you heard of St. Nicholas bringing gifts on the 6^th of December? Is it him or someone else bringing presents where you live?

I’d love to hear some of your memories and gift-giving traditions, so feel free to share them in the comments. 

Which Level of Hell Are You Going to?

I came across this Dante's Inferno Test, and since it is books-related, I decided to share it for your amusement. Well, I find it amusing, at least.

Here's what I got:

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!

Purgatory

You have escaped damnation and made it to Purgatory, a place where the dew of repentance washes off the stain of sin and girds the spirit with humility. Through contrition, confession, and satisfaction by works of righteousness, you must make your way up the mountain. As the sins are cleansed from your soul, you will be illuminated by the Sun of Divine Grace, and you will join other souls, smiling and happy, upon the summit of this mountain. Before long you will know the joys of Paradise as you ascend to the ethereal realm of Heaven.

Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repending Believers)	Very High
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	High
Level 2 (Lustful)	Low
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Moderate
Level 8 - The Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Low
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Very Low

Apparently I'm not as big a sinner as I thought I was. But then, I am trying not to be, so... ;)

What about you? If you want to find out, take the Dante Inferno Hell Test.

Getting to Know You: Celebrity Crushes

Getting to Know You is a new feature, started by Jenni Elyse who wants to get to know fellow bloggers. I like the idea, so I decided to join in, albeit (a little) late. This week’s topic is celebrity crushes.

My list of celebrity crushes is very very long, and tends to change a lot, so I decided to share a handful of current(ish) younger (with one exception) ones, all not just gorgeous and talented but also wonderful people. Oh, yes, and I threw in some ladies, too.

In case you don’t recognise them, from left to right, top to bottom:

1. Daniel Craig
2. David Lyons
3. Nina Dobrev
4. Brett Dalton
5. Tracy Spiridakos
6. Daniel Gillies
7. Hayley Atwell
8. Simon Kassianides
9. Joseph Morgan

What are your celebrity crushes? Any in common?

If you want to share your celebrity crushes, go ahead, and don’t forget to link up on Jenni’s post so we can all get to know each other better.

* Disclaimer: Celebrity photos are not mine and belong to their respective owners.

Yearly Overview and Happy Holidays!

Winter is here, or it should be, since it’s the 21st, although it has been snowless so far where I live.

However, since Christmas is coming, I decided to do a somewhat early overview of my reading and blogging and what not in 2014.

Reading-wise this year has been much better than 2013. I have not only completed my Goodreads challenge to read 20 books but surpassed it and am currently reading book 24, though I don’t think I will finish it this year with all the holiday things to do and all.

I am 5 books behind on my reviews, because I have been busy with other things. (Read: I hammered out 21,000 words in the last month or so. Which makes me feel very accomplished, since my writing was rather sparse in the first part of the year.) But that is okay, if nothing else, I will have something to blog about in 2015, for a start.

I have also watched a lot of films and reviewed some of them, which you have probably seen. Basically, I have fallen in love with Marvel’s cinematic universe, albeit late – I only saw both Thor films and The Avengers before this summer and then I suddenly discovered there are a lot of other awesome things out there. ;)

So, there is that, and now I’m hard-core fan-girling Agents of Shield and I am super excited for Agent Carter to start in January.

Her Majesty the Cat was a little sick in November and got me worried and consult a vet, but after a few days of listlessness, she got back on her feet on her own and is now okay. She still rules the place as well as ever. ;)

I am, unfortunately, still hunting for a regular job while taking on what I can to get by. But hopefully, a new year will bring new opportunities and a brighter future and that is what I wish for myself and for each and everyone of you. May good luck, health and prosperity be with you wherever you are!

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

May all your wishes some day come true,
- if not all, a few will do.

When life gives you poo
And makes your thoughts blue,
Remember: I am here too.

Even if we both have no clue,
We are stronger when two.

Time will all misfortunes undo
And make everything new,
There is nothing you can’t get through.

But at the end of it, no matter who
It is that is you, be just that - you.

From the bottom of my hear to all of you who read this blog and stick with me through rough patches and reading and blogging slumps: Happy New Year! Many good books, good people, and good times!

(I did the above rhyming at 1.30 a.m. but what the heck, right? )

Cat Diary Special Edition: 2013 Recap and Happy Holidays

Since you haven’t heard from me in more than a year, and Jo, or Pepca, or whatever she likes to call herself these days –

you know, she does the same to me; she calls me Mitzi instead of Pumpkin or gives me lovely nicknames such as ‘little thing’ or ‘naughty’. *hisses*. Anyway, I digress, I beg your pardon –

well, since my mistress/servant girl is busy with holiday preparations and other things, I thought I could give you this year’s highlights.

I can say I have been very happy with this year as it has been sufficiently lazy and peaceful for me, and I have accomplished some things which make me proud:

• after years of persistent and courageous fighting for it, I have secured my right to sleep on the living room couch. Ha!
• I exercised my right to freedom and treated myself to a nice half-day excursion in the neighbourhood on a sunny autumn day, just to show Jo I am an independent and confident cat. Of course I came back, I’m not so stupid as to abandon the safety and luxury of my palace, duh.
• I have started inspecting Jo’s bookshelves on regular basis, making sure they are dusted and the books are properly categorised.

Now, let me tell you about what Jo has accomplished in 2013:

• loads of volunteering and tutoring and copy-editing a lot (which made me whiny because she wasn’t that much at home and I was lonely. But she has made up by it by cuddling and letting me do what I rightfully can, see above.)
• reading a total of 6 books, two of which were rereads; *tut-tuts*
• also reading a lot, and I mean A LOT, of fan-fiction, at twice as much as ‘original’ books;
• learning a ton about photo- and video-editing;
• writing a lot of fan-fiction (comparable to a length of a novel, now you see where her blogging and reading time has gone);
• and she has survived all the financial and health problems and other turbulences of life. And that’s a real accomplishment.

How have you been this year? Well, we hope.

What else is left to say at the end?

Nothing much, except that both

      
  &     Jo

wish you a

Merry Christmas

and Happy Holidays!

And if you don’t celebrate anything, just have a great week!

Virtual Advent Tour 2013: Christmas Cards

 In the spirit of the season, I am participating in 2013 Virtual Advent Tour, hosted by Kailana from The Written World and Marg from Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. Head over to Advent Blog Tour to see the schedule and visit other participants’ posts.

One of the things I used to always look forward to as a child was getting Christmas Cards. When I was little, my family didn’t have a phone and there was no internet yet, so visiting people in person or writing were the only way of communication, and we only wrote when it was something urgent.

Christmas time was that one time of the year when we heard from distant relatives and friends, a sign that we were all still alive and thinking of each other, even if the distance, work, money issues or illness prevented us from visiting each other.

A week or two before Christmas we would sent out our Christmas cards and at the same time started anticipating the arrival of Christmas cards others had sent to us. It was really exciting, especially for me as a child – it was as much about greetings as about pretty images – and all the way till my late teens. Each card was carefully read and we proudly displayed them all on the cutlery drawer for a few weeks.

Things have changed since then, and staying in touch with people is easy with mobile phones and via the Internet, but sending and receiving Christmas cards remains a tradition close to my heart, even though I have abandoned it for the past few years due to financial problems (postage is more expensive then calling a person or sending an e-card), but I hope to resurrect the tradition some day (that is, if other people don’t abandon it entirely.)

Until then, I will keep up the tradition of sending holiday greetings via other means of communication and from time to time I will perhaps look through the old Christmas cards I have saved, with the picturesque winter- and holiday-themed imagery, much similar to the few examples below.

(Source)

(Source)

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(Source)

(Source)

What about you? Is sending/getting Christmas cards one of your holiday traditions? Or have you switched to the electronic means of sending out holiday greetings?