In Sweden 6 January is called the Thirteenth Day (trettondagen), and is a holiday; and Twelfth Night is "Thirtheenth Day's Eve" (trettondagsafton)(analogical with Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, Easter Eve etc). Most people (I think!) leave their decorations up over the 6th, and some keep them longer. In old Swedish traditions the Christmas tree is/was thrown out on (or around) the "twentieth day" = 13 January.
This year I had to start taking down most of my Christmas decorations straight after New Year; it was not that I was particularly eager to get rid of them, but because the Cable Guys will be coming on Tuesday to install a new optic fibre cable for broadband and whatnot. I muttered back in December about the contradictory info we’ve been receiving about the procedure, and it’s not got much clearer since then. I still don’t know exactly how they’re going to draw the cables; but have been told we don’t have to move bookcases, as they’re going to draw the cables high along the ceiling and not along the floor. So I’m just taking down things on top of the shelves along the walls that I think may be involved. And anything else small that may break if it’s knocked over. Anything heavy (like the TV) I cannot move, however, so therefore I’ll just innocently regard that (and the chest of drawers it’s standing on) as a part of the bookcase and hope for the best!
Before Tuesday there is tomorrow; and tomorrow I’ll start back to the rehab pool at the hospital again, two mornings a week, for another six months. Hopefully that will be good. It’s just always something of a hassle to get used to getting up early again after not having had to worry about that for months… and especially not over Christmas/New Year… (Don’t take my complaint too seriouosly. I don’t have to leave home until 8.45 and I’ve chosen the time myself among those available.)
All the best! For both these events.
ReplyDeleteI love your beautiful white flower!! How long do you take off from therapy?
ReplyDeleteSix months on, three months off is what's stipulated. This time it was nearly four months off (because of Christmas).
DeleteOne of the advantages of not putting Christmas decorations up is that they don't have to be taken down. Ever the optimist am I so I'm assuming that your cabling will all go well.
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas decorations were soon to be taken down anyway. It's moving all the other stuff that's a hassle. Feels like just a few months ago that I last had to do pretty much the same thing. (It WAS only a few months ago. September, when they put in new windows...)
Deleteoh goody back to the pool... that is so good for you... i do hope it is heated. LOL... also wishing for you a good day with the cable guys/gals and that nothing else needs to be moved
ReplyDeleteThe 6th of January is always a holiday in my part of Germany, too (Epiphanias, or the day when supposedly the three kings came to present baby Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh), but as it was a Sunday this year, it did not make a difference to anyone's work schedule.
ReplyDeleteI made quick work of taking away what few Christmas decorations I had put up and am now enjoying my clear empty surfaces again :-)
Hope all goes well with the cable guys!
Just now some of my surfaces are too clean and others too cluttered (as a result of having to move things from some of the walls). I do not like it... I'm itching to get things back where they belong! ;)
ReplyDeleteI hope your first visit back at the rehab pool went OK and good luck with the cabling.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to hear about how the holiday season works in Sweden. Although my mum, whose blog is Circle of the Year, has tended to follow the traditional 12 days of Christmas rule, I have tended to put decorations up on 1 December and take them down on 1 January, as Christmas seems to be finished once the New Year starts. Good luck with the rehab.
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