Indonesian Christmas Joy, Scotland’s Odd History


Christmas is upon us!

So warmest Season’s Greetings to all RRA readers!

And here are those Indonesian delights, Cherry Belle, just to show you folks overseas that despite all the horror stories we have to report, seasonal joy is present in Jakarta!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WU7V5Pofbw

cherry-belle-seksi-9

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Meanwhile…further to what I had to say about kill-joys descending on Scotland from overseas…

In the minutes of St Nicholas parish in Aberdeen in 1574 fourteen women are admonished for ‘plaing, dansink and singin off fylthe karrellis on Youll Day’.

A Scots reader, now resident in Australia, sent me this fascinating note on modern history.

In Scotland, Christmas itself was until recent times a purely Religious festival and New Year was and still is the main holiday for Scots. Christmas was not traditionally celebrated in Scotland because it was banned for nearly 400 years until the 1950s. Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) was the real traditional celebration. The reason Christmas was not celebrated until recently go back to the time of John Knox in the 1580s as it was seen to be papist in origin – the ban was strictly enforced in law.

xmas-tree-made-from-different-christmas-elements

Until recently, Christmas was fairly low key in Scotland. It wasn’t even a public holiday until 1958. Up till then, people worked normally on Christmas day, although the children did get presents. If you want to have a real traditional Scottish Christmas, you should go into work on Christmas day!
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Well, tempting though the prospect might be, I guess I’ll give that a miss!
Especially after today’s sumptuous self-indulgence, at the magnificent Dharmawangsa!
No way could I go there in the usual course of events, but I won a lucky draw prize, their Christmas Brunch.
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dharmawangsahotel__4941
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Good grief! Such an array of succulent goodies, such outstandingly courteous and attentive service!
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dharma desserts
Yummy Desserts at Dharmawangsa
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And now I’m home, the end of Christmas, a very merry time.
I hope you have all enjoyed it  as much as I did!