25 December 2018 - MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS

G'day folks,

Well, here we are again. If you are reading this, you have survived another year. Be grateful for that, as many are denied the opportunity. 

Many thanks to all who have graced this blog in 2018. Forty people have been guests this year, and what an array of talent they have. One can only hope that all you writers become top selling authors, and make enough loot to be happy and contented. If you are an author, don't forget to also write a review for, or make a comment on another writer's website. 

I've been writing this blog now for over eight years, and in that time I've managed to interview hundreds of people. Why do I do that? It's my way of supporting others, and I only hope it makes a difference. Sadly, as I listen to world affairs on a daily basis, I'm disappointed with the leadership that reigns across the globe, especially in this country. Australia is an extraordinary piece of land, endowed with many natural gifts, people and resources, but I guess like many countries, we also lose our way every now and then. Let's hope things improve sooner rather than later. 

Anyway, have a great Christmas, and don't forget the forgotten ones. They could be a work colleague, a neighbour, or maybe a complete stranger. Someone once said that a stranger was 'a friend you hadn't yet met.'

To those who have regularly made comments on this blog, I thank you for following and taking the time to write a comment.

Stay safe and well, and have one for me as well.

I'm ...

1 January 2016 - HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR

G'day folks,

Happy New Year to you all, and let's all hope we can find more peace in the world. So, what do we do in Australia on this day? Well, for many years I had a big barbecue at my home for all of my friends. Why, because most of us were hungover after the night before, so I thought why not all suffer together. Man, they were top barbecues. 

Australia

New Year's Day is on January 1 and is the first day of a new year in the Gregorian calendar, which is used in Australia and many other countries. Due to its geographical position close to the International Date Line, Australia is one of the first countries in the world to welcome the New Year. 

 What do people do?

In Sydney, the start of the New Year is heralded by a huge fireworks display. It is estimated that one to one-and-a-half million people watch the display at the Sydney Harbour. In other towns and cities, smaller displays are organized by local authorities.

For many people, New Year's Day is a time to recover from New Year's Eve parties the evening before. Others use the day to travel home to end the summer vacation or to spend time with family members. People who enjoy horse racing may watch or bet on the Perth Cup. The race is run over 3200 meters (just over two miles) at the Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Western Australia. The prize money for the race totals 400,000 Australian dollars.

 Public life

New Year's Day is a public holiday. If January 1 is a Saturday or Sunday, the public holiday moves to Monday, January 2 or 3. Schools and other educational establishments are closed, as New Year's Day falls in the summer holiday. Many organizations and businesses are closed.

Stores may be open or closed according to state laws and local custom. In the states of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, there are trading restrictions on New Year's Day. In these states, many stores do not open on New Year's Day or the first Monday in January if January 1 is a Saturday or Sunday. In some areas, public transport is limited. In other areas, there are no services. There may be some congestion on roads and at airports, as people return from holidays or from relatives' homes.

 Background

New Year's Day marks the start of a new year according to the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced to Australia by European settlers. It replaced the Julian calendar, which used a year that was slightly shorter than the solar year. Over time, the seasons moved out of line with their positions on the calendar. The Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII on February 24, 1582. It was adopted immediately in some areas of Europe, such as Spain, Portugal and parts of Italy, but it took hundreds of years before it was used throughout Europe. In Great Britain, it was introduced in 1752.

The start of the year according to the Gregorian calendar is not the only New Year observed in Australia. For instance, Australia's tax year begins on July 1 and the Asian lunar year starts on the second or third new moon after the December solstice, sometime between January 21 and February 20. The Hindu, Coptic, Jalali, Jewish and Islamic New Years are also celebrated in some communities.

Before the European settlers arrived in Australia, Indigenous Australians used a variety of methods to track the passing of the seasons. Some reflected patterns of weather conditions and the life cycle of different plants. For instance, the people of the Crocodile Islands of Arnhem Land recognize six seasons that are important in their ritual life, movements around the land and how they hunt. Since the timing of this type of event can vary from year to year, the relationship between these and the Gregorian calendar changes.

However, this type of calendar was important in maintaining the connection between Indigenous Australians and their land. The movement patterns of the stars were also important to many Indigenous Australians. They used this method to predict when certain plants were ready for harvesting or when they could supplement their diet with migratory birds.

Clancy's comment: Health and happiness to you all for 2016. Never  give up. Now, here is something from me to you for the coming year ...

I'm ...

25 December 2014 - MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS

G'day folks,

Merry Christmas to all of you. This blog now goes to more than 48 countries every day, so  I've tried to wish you a merry Christmas in as many languages as possible. Forgive me if I've made any mistakes.

Afrikaans - "Geseënde Kersfees en ‘n Voorspoedige Nuwe Jaar."
Arabic - "I'd Miilad Said Oua Sana Saida"
Argentine - "Felices Pasquas Y felices ano Nuevo"
Armenian - "Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand"
Basque - Eguberri on
Bohemian - "Vesele Vanoce"
Breton - "Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat"
Bulgarian - "Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo"
Chinese - [Mandarin] - "Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan"
Chinese - [Catonese] - "Saint Dan Fai Lok"
Cornish - "Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth"
Croatian - "Sretan Bozic i Nova Godina" (Merry Christmas & Happy New Year)
Czech - "Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok"

Danish - "Glædelig Jul"
Dutch - "Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar"
Inupiaq Eskimo (Kotzebue area in NW Alaska)-
Quvianagli Anaiyyuniqpaliqsi suli Nakuuluni Ukiutqiutiqsi-
(Merry Christmas) (and) (Happy New Year)
English - "Merry Christmas"
Estonian - "Haid joule ja head uut aastat"
Farsi - "Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad"
Filipino-"Maligayang Pasko"
Happy New Year in Filipino
"Manigong Bagong Taon"
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Filipino- "Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon"
Finnish - "Hyvaa joulua"
French - "Joyeux Noël"
German - "Froehliche Weihnachten"
Greek - "Kala Christouyenna"
Hawaiian - "Mele Kalikimaka"
Hebrew - "Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova"
Hindi - "Shub Naya Baras"
Hungarian - "Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket"
Icelandic - "Gledileg Jol"
Indonesian - "Selamat Hari Natal"
Iraqi - "Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah"

Irish - "Nollaig Shona Dhuit"
Italian - "Buone Feste Natalizie"
Japanese -" Shinnen omedeto, kurisumasu omedeto.
The first part is translated "Happy New Year.
Kurisumasu omedeto means Merry Christmas.
Japanese people generally add the expression gozaimasu to indicate humility.
Korean - "Sung Tan Chuk Ha"
Latvian - "Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu"
Lithuanian - "Linksmu Kaledu"
Navajo - "Merry Keshmish"
Norwegian - "God Jul"
Pennsylvania German - "En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr"
Polish - "Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia"
Portuguese - "Feliz Natal" "Boas Festas"(Good Holidays.)

Romanian - "Craciun fericit" (Merry Christmas), "Sarbatori Fericite" (Happy Holidays) Thanks Julia!
Russian - "Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva s Novim Godom"
Serbian - "Hristos se rodi"
Slovakian - "Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce"
Samoan - "La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou"
Scots Gaelic - "Nollaig chridheil huibh"
Serb-Croatian - "Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina"
Slovak - "Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok"
Slovene - "Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto"
Spanish - "Feliz Navidad"
Swedish - "God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År"
Tahitian -Merry Chrismas :" Ia orana te Noera"
and Happy new year is "Ia orana i te mata iti api"
Thai - "Sawadee Pee Mai"
Turkish - "Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun"

Love ya work, Santa!

Ukrainian - "Z Rizdvom Khrystovym !" - "Merry Christmas"
" Z Novym Rokom !" - "Happy New Year"
"Z Rizdvom Khrystovym i Novym Rokom !" - both greetings together.
Vietnamese - "Chuc Mung Giang Sinh"
Welsh - "Nadolig Llawen"
Yugoslavian - "Cestitamo Bozic"

Clancy's comment: Well, have a great day, folks. No doubt, most of you will be enjoying yourself with family and friends, and eating way too much. I've spent Christmas day in a variety of locations over the years. One Christmas I spent with homeless men in Melbourne, Australia. Another Christmas day was spent in Rome, eating pizza with a gorgeous woman from Colombia. However, the best Christmas day ever was spent with beautiful kids in an orphanage run by a wonderful friend of mine. Why was it the best? Easy. The kids could not speak English, but they blew me away when they stood up and sang one of Australia's most favourite songs - Waltzing Matilda. Yep, my friend had taught them the song to surprise me and thank me for my support over many decades. Wow, I was gob smacked. To be hugged by more than 200 kids who can offer you nothing is an awesome experience.

So, be gentle and peaceful this Christmas, and give some thought to those around the globe who are finding it hard to find any meal ... Especially kids.

I'm ... Santa Tucker ...