Marilyn Monroe blowing out a candle. Duh.
Tomorrow it is the first Sunday of Advent, which sounds more religious than it probably is experienced among all families lighting the first out of four candles before Christmas. It's not like everyone is looking forward to honor the birth of Christ - we just want our damn Christmas presents. And gingerbread cakes, glögg and saffron buns. What do Americans eat at Christmas, anyway? I can't imagine a Christmas without glögg. Mmm.
Anyway, Christmas is soon here! And I will spend it studying, obviously. In fact, I am avoiding my studies this very moment.
My next post will be on what is considered the first feature film in the African film industry - Ousmane Sembène's Black Girl (La noire de..., 1966). It's fascinating how some film industries didn't emerge until 70 years after others... Wonder what caused that. *clearing throat, silently pointing towards my last post*
Okay that might be to simplify matters slightly. But the fact remains that Sembène wouldn't have been able to make this film if the Film Bureau created by the French de Gaulle government's Ministry of Cooperation in 1963, had gotten what they wanted. Instead they wound up purchasing the distribution rights to the film. Oh no, there was no European hegemony still in the 1960's...
Well then. Off to write another examination. I have no time for my blog nowadays.
Clara Bow in nighties that I desperately want for Christmas.
The American equivalent of glogg is eggnog: milk/cream, beaten egg whites, sugar, spices, and rum/brandy/whiskey. People either love it or hate it. We basically only drink it at Christmas time. Traditionally we're also really big on ham, fruitcake and gingerbread for Christmas celebrations (although my family eats none of those).
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Ousmane Sembene was a director! I've read some of his books for my classes . . . I'll have to check out his movies, too.
I am probably not the right person to answer what do Americans eat for Christmas because I don't celebrate it but I think Ham & Turkey are popular main dishes. Hot Chocolate and Nutmeg for drinks and lots of cakes and cookies (gingerbread is also popular here).
ReplyDeleteOh and Candy Canes!
We usually eat the same thing for Christmas as Thanksgiving, turkey, mashed potato, stuffing, etc
ReplyDeleteOh I have this Russian mail order bride if you're interested :P
haha that's what Christmas means to me too ;-D
ReplyDeleteIn my family we have ham (though I'm a vegetarian so I get Tofurky, kind of like a fake version of turkey), potato salad, kielbasa, cookies, pumpkin pie and applesauce.
Heather:
ReplyDeleteHmm, I think I was offered eggnog once... Don't remember if I liked it though, but I think I didn't! I think glögg without alcohol us much more yummy than with (says the wine fetishist)!
Oh yes, an African pioneer! Or Senegalese pioneer, at least. Fun that you knew about him :)
Kim:
Turket in thin slices on bread is a pretty common New Years Eve menu in Sweden, but I don't eat meat neither. Quorn Christmas Smorgasboard here!
Trixie:
Haha, come to think of it we eat the same food Christmas and Easter. Tradition food don't seem too unique!
Hmm, does that mean that you are spam? ;)
Kate G:
Tofurky? Haha, sounds interesting! I'm a vegetarian too, but for some reason I haven't eaten much tofu! Kielbasa? I heard it in a Scrubs episode, but I have no idea what it is. Sounds Greek! Mmm, pumpkin pie! Sounds like the American Christmas food is more varied than the Swedish one with sausages and meatballs.
Just want to say what a great blog you got here!I’ve been around for quite a lot of time, but finally decided to show my appreciation of your work! Thumbs up, and keep it going!
ReplyDeleteLOLITA IS IN THE HOUSE!
ReplyDeleteYESSS!
Anyway.
My family is having the stinkin' complete advent celebration this year...candles and readings and EVERYTHING! (actually my mum MAY have had to drag us all away from the TV tonight to go light the candle, but still...) ;-D
Hmm. Actually at Christmas time (along with the typical turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, peppermint ice cream...) we eat an overwhelming amount of home-made joululimppu AND EVEN CRAZIER amount of Finn Bread.
(If I wasn't your adopted little sister, I would DEFINITELY want to be your crazy half Finnish cousin! ;-D)
Anyway. It's lovely to see you again! :-D
Millie:
ReplyDeleteHaha, love your mother! That's the Christmas spirit! My mother has a mental breakdown over the renovating of a bathroom where EVERYTHING goes completely wrong (including my granddad hanging the door upside-down... she has hired people now, but it still goes wrong), so she has begged her kids not to hate her for not changing the curtains and putting up little santa clauses all over the house. As long as I get awesome presents, I don't mind ;)
Joulolimppu? I guess that's "Christmas loaf" in translation, right? Not that I can speak any Finnish (God, what an ugly language. Sorry granddad.), but if I were to invent a Finnish word for the Swedish "jullimpa", I guess it would sound like that ;)
Ew, my mother has told me about HER crazy Finnish cousins. That's sauna rednecks for ya, haha. Please don't be my crazy Finnish cousin!