Lantern festival at the Nazgul's library

[yakalskovich]

At the library where brickling works (the International Youth Library at Blutenburg castle on the outskirts of Munich -- one of the coolest places ever to work!), there is a lantern festival every year during advent, referring to some old Bavarian customs about or around St. Lucy's Day. It takes place on the pond behind the castle, which you here see in last fading light of the evening.



For that, the children of the area who use the 'Book Castle' as an everyday lending library made those little houses, churches, castles and towers from cardboard and coloured transparent paper during the last few weeks at the library, glued them on a bit of wood or clapboard, and brought them to let swim on the pond with a tea light inside for this festival.



They came in a procession with candles from the local church a stone's throw away (complete with brass band playing Christmas carols) and then put the little 'light houses' on the pond. Most hugged the shore, though, as the kids had them on string and wouldn't let them go. The Nazgul said as far as she knew, not letting go wasn't the point of the celebration, but well...



It did look very pretty, though.-

And then we went and had mulled wine at the Christmas market inside the castle.

Comments

[yakalskovich]

When there are so many amazing traditions to be rediscovered -- what a pity!

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

It's tragic, how watered down everything is in an effort to promote mindless consumerism.

Corporate World 1 Humanity 0

[yakalskovich]

Let's see what happens in the next few years when people start being too broke for real...

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

Are you kidding??? This culture is so brainwashed, people are skipping paying bills in order to buy shit for Xmas. I keep suggesting they try giving their children meaningful experiences (time together backpacking or some such), but it's all iphones and this, that, and the other.

[yakalskovich]

Eventually, money will be done and the Chinese will cut the credit line; and then there is no more shit to buy...

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

This society defines itself but what it owns/consumes (which, tragically, does not mean education).

So long as what you wear/drive/own defines who and what you are, there will always be money, greed, deceit, and the myriad of problems that go with it.

[yakalskovich]

But money will be what the others have, in the case of America, in not too far a future, I'm afraid. I wasn't thinking utopia, I was thinking national bankruptcy and general insurmountable private debt crisis.

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

I think national bankruptcy is a whole lot closer than most people realize. Economics is subject to financial instruments and the governments will continue to pull rabbits out of hats as they all stand to lose if consumers stop consuming.

What bothers me most of all is that increasingly, the corportations are turning to slave labor to keep the profit margin intact. This means that ultimately global society shall be in one of two camps: the enslaved and the consumers.

It's appalling that that is what we are fast becoming.

[yakalskovich]

And then it will all go bang, and being prepared is not buying up all the cans in the shop, but learning new skills in time that will serve us when the economy collapses.

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

I wonder that Obama hasn't pushed for more work in changing the nature of the economy.

I had to laugh when I was reading about Texas towns sinking millions of dollars into pipes to bring water in from the outside. I have long advocated an environmental revolution in this country to transform us to a 21st c economy.

[yakalskovich]

If they are lucky, the pipes will be finished before the great economic collapse comes. Otherwise, they will just have no water.-

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

You laugh but this is SERIOUS.

We had no water this summer and predictions for next year are even worse.

[yakalskovich]

I know that is serious. I do feel sorry for your horses!

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

I feel much sorrier for the things that require water to live -- ducks and what have you. They are the hardest hit.

[yakalskovich]

And your feral cats! They are originally desert creatures, of course, but they need some water!

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

They have plenty from me!

I always leave water outside for them and my catdoor is always open.

[yakalskovich]

But if there is no more water to be had?

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

They say the drought will continue to worsen over the next ten years. No relief in sight.

[yakalskovich]

It may mean that eventually, even water for feral cats may be an issue...

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

Water for everyone is an issue...

[yakalskovich]

And everyone is not yet realising. I know.-

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

Texas knows how bad it is. Everyone is already talking about how we will survive.

So what is a good Christmas movie to watch?

[yakalskovich]

This one. It has Alec Guiness, and Patrick Stewart long before he became famous -- I think he even still has hair there!

[idylchild.livejournal.com]

Oh this looks wonderful!

I love Alec Guiness.

Thanks! <3