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Newsletters |
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This page is a selection of Past and
Current Newsletters. All
articles are copyrighted Celtic Attic & Kristin Olsen
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September
2009 Newsletter
Top O' The Morning To
All,
Ce'ad Mi'le Fa'ilte (100,000 Welcomes)
September
Celtic Attic Newsletter
TABLE
OF CONTENTS:
Some Great Websites
Tips N Hints - Songs from the Old Country
Irish Recipes & Travel
Scottish Recipes & Travel
Welsh Goodies
Celtic History & Myth
Celtic Attic Free Giveaway
Removal Policy & KC's Notes
Advertising
Fr.ee
Shipping on most orders placed until September 9th, 2009. Some
heavier items will be 1/2 off instead of fr.ee, but that is still a
great deal! The shipping will be removed AFTER you place your
order. We are also giving away a Gift with each and every order. We will
be processing all credit cards in the store so that we can take off the
shipping costs. Plus get a candy bag with each and every order. EVERYTHING
ON THE SALES PAGES IS MARKED DOWN 50% OFF FROM NOW UNTIL IT ALL SELLS.
http://celticcallings.com/shopping/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CSC&Category_Code=GFC
To order Personalized: Girls
or Boys Coloring Book or Alphabet
Coloring Book!
Alphabet Coloring Book Also available in Non
Personalized PDF Format for $5.00US
Also available in Non Personalized PDF Format for
$5.00US Girls
or Boys!
http://celticcallings.com/shopping/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CSC&Category_Code=SP1
We have just added a bunch
of new Viking Products to the website and some great Whiskey Barrels and
Whiskey making kits! Oh just in time for
summer!
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/irish_kitchen/more_irish_kitchen.htm
Order
the your copy of A Leprechaun's Pot of Gold - a Guide to
Internet Business Now! Goes on sale September, 2009! Just in
time for Christmas will be the first of a series of Irish Fairy books
written by Celtic Attic owner, Kristin, so stay tuned for more on this
series of books.
GREAT WEBSITES WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED:
E-mail is Great....Bed Mail is Better! Always
feel connected, capture your thoughts, dreams and hugs on a Dream Sak.
http://celticcallings.com/shopping/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CSC&Product_Code=DSCC3&Category_Code=
All things Viking
http://www.vikingattic.com
TIPS N HINTS: Songs from the Old Country
The Galway Shawl
At Oranmore in the County Galway,
One pleasant evening in the month of May,
I spied a damsel, she was young and handsome
Her beauty fairly took my breath away.
Chorus:
She wore no jewels, nor costly diamonds,
No paint or powder, no, none at all.
But she wore a bonnet with a ribbon on it
And round her shoulder was a Galway Shawl.
We kept on walking, she kept on talking,
'Till her father's cottage came into view.
Says she: 'Come in, sir, and meet my father,
And play to please him " The Foggy Dew."
She sat me down beside the fire
I could see her father, he was six feet tall.
And soon her mother had the kettle singing
All I could think of was the Galway shawl.
I played "The Blackbird" and "The Stack of Barley",
" Rodney's Glory" and "The Foggy Dew",
She sang each note like an Irish linnet.
Whilst the tears stood in her eyes of blue.
'T'was early, early, all in the morning,
When I hit the road for old Donegal.
She said goodbye, sir, she cried and kissed me,
And my heart remained with that Galway shawl.
IRISH RECIPES:
Drop by the Celtic Attic's Irish Food section:
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/irish_food.htm
Check our New Irish Kitchen Section:
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/irish_kitchen.htm
Boxty (Potato Griddle Cakes)
1/2 lb Raw potato
1/2 lb cooked mashed potato
1/2 lb Plain flour
Milk (see recipe for amt.)
1 Egg
1 medium onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
Grate raw potatoes and mix with the cooked mashed potatoes. Add salt,
pepper, onion and flour. Beat egg and add to mixture with just enough
milk to make a batter that will drop from a spoon. Drop by
tablespoonfuls onto a hot griddle or frying pan. Cook over a moderate
heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with a tart apple sauce: or as
part of an Ulster Fry, with bacon, fried sausage, fried eggs, black
pudding, and soda bread...
*************
An old poem says:
Boxty on the griddle,
Boxty in the pan,
If you can't make boxty,
You'll never get a man.
IRISH TRAVEL:
The Ring of Aran
The (much-romanticised) legend of the Claddagh Ring, the traditional
Irish wedding ring is well known, and not just in its native Galway. It
is probably one of the most famous symbols of Ireland and has an
oft-disputed history. One particularly controversial story says the ring
was the standard gift to a lady on her first time to 'entertain' the
visiting sailors docked at Galway Bay….
The three parts that make up the Claddagh Ring - the heart, the hands
and the crown - each have their own importance. The heart symbolizes
inner tenderness; the hands symbolize the intimacy between giver and
receiver; the crown for the protection of the heart. The direction the
ring is worn in is also just as important: heart facing in or out lets
people know if your heart is 'available' or not! And there are many who
dispute even these aspects of the legend.
Less controversial is the inspiration behind a new ring to be designed
in another part of the region. Celebrating the heritage and culture of
the Aran Islands, the Ring of Aran has echoes of the stories and legends
behind Aengus, the Celtic God of Love, the Aran sweater, wild Irish
salmon and Dun Aengus - all guardians of ancient Irish folklore.
The ring has three design elements - The Heart - The Aran Sweater Motif
- Wild Irish Salmon or Salmon of Knowledge. The two wild Irish salmon
signify that fishing is at the heart of all Aran Islanders. The Trellis
and Diamond stitch motif at the top of the ring, is symbolic of the Aran
Sweater. The heart symbolizes Aengus, the Celtic God of love.
Unlike the Claddagh, the Ring of Aran should be worn in only one
direction: with the sweater motif faced inwards, keeping it close to the
heart, thus acknowledging and celebrating a love for a unique island
heritage.
With its history in the annals of Irish folklore, it was a fitting
tribute that the first Ring of Aran to be produced was presented to
Ireland's most senior citizen. 105 year old Bridget Dirrane, has been a
witness at three centuries and is a native of the largest of the Aran
islands, Inishmore. Bridget was presented with the ring by its designer
Thomas Taaffe Brady, and the Mayor of Galway.
Emigrating to the US in 1927, Bridget later worked for John F. Kennedy
and has written an account of her life, the best selling, 'A Woman of
Aran'.
To get to Inishmore by sea:
Island Ferries daily service to the Aran Islands all year around.
Regular departures from Rossaveal with coach connections from Galway
city centre, at Victoria Place, Galway to Rossaveal Pier, Connemara, Co.
Galway.
For Advance Bookings: Ph (091) 572050; (091) 568903; (091) 572273;
(evening) (091) 561767 Fax: (091) 568538 Or visit the Island Ferries Teo
website
Doolin Ferry Co. Travel to the Aran Islands from Doolin, Co. Clare. 20
or more sailings daily from April to October. Shortest and fastest
routes. For Advance Bookings: Ph (065) 74455/74189 or (091) 567676 Fax:
(065) 74417 (091) 567672
By Air:
Aer Arann run daily flights to each of the Aran Islands. Their main
office is at Connemara Airport, Caislean, Inverin, Co. Galway Ph
091-593034. Or visit the Aer Arann website - http://www.aerarann.ie/.
SCOTTISH RECIPES:
Tandori Chicken
Ingredients:
12 Chicken drumsticks and/or breast pieces (skin removed)
1 cup plain yoghurt (pref.) or 2 cups Buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp. GARAM MASALA powder (available at any/all Indian grocery
stores)
You can prepare Garam Masala at home by dry grinding to a powder the
following:
(20 black pepper corns 0r equivalent black pepper powder, 5 cloves,
1 inch cinnamon stick, 4-5 cardamoms, 1 tsp. cumin powder, 2 bay leaves
Meat tenderizer (optional)
2 tbsp. salt (use less if tenderizer contains salt)
IF YOU LIKE IT HOT AND SPICY , ADD 1 TBSP. EXTRA OF ALL SPICES
Instructions:
TANDOORI in INDIAN stands for an earthen oven which is sortof
cylindrical and uses coal as the fuel. This recipe will need a bar-b-que
grill as a substitute. It can be also cooked in a gas or electric oven,
but it will lose most of its flavour. Also, the chicken has to be
marinaded for at least 6 hours, ideally 12 hours overnight. Prick the
chicken pieces with a fork all over. apply the tenderizer to the chicken
pieces and let it stand for an hour or so.
The Marinade :
Take a wide and deep bowl about 12 2 inches wide and deep enough to hold
all the chicken pieces. Add the yoghurt plus one cup water or the
buttermilk with no water into the bowl. Add all the spices from nos. 3
thru 8 into the bowl and stir to form a homogeneous mixture. Now add the
chicken pieces into the mixture, so that they are all covered with the
paste/mixture. Cover the bowl with a lid and let it stand for 6 hours.
If you plan to marinade for 12-15 hours, put it in the refrigerator. The
more time it is marinated, the better it will absorb the spices and the
tastier it will be. When you are ready to grill the chicken, apply
melted butter to the chicken pieces with a brush or spoon all over and
you are ready to grill the chicken on the barbeque in the normal
fashion. turn over the chicken pieces when they look brownish red in
colour or darker if you prefer it well done. Slice finely onion into
rings, add some salt and lemon juice to it, to be served as a salad with
the tandoori chicken. lemon juice sprinkled on the cooked pieces also
adds to the flavour , if you wish.
(Serves 4)
SCOTTISH TRAVEL:
Dundee is Scotland's fourth biggest city and is sometimes referred to as
the largest village in the world. This title has, no doubt been gained
by the friendliness of the natives and the fact that, when you walk down
the High Street, everyone seems to know one another. Dundee's
river-front situation is noted for its fine views over the Tay to Fife
and an exceptionally rich hinterland of mountains, moorland and farms.
Through the past two centuries, Dundee has been a working-class town
with large numbers employed in the jute and textile industries. This
industrial base has now all but disappeared leaving the town with one of
the highest rates of unemployment in Scotland. Despite efforts to brush
up its image and attract more inward investment, recent militant action
and the departure of several large companies from the industrial scene
is about all that has attracted media attention. Despite this, the city
retains a certain earthy quality that visitors seem to enjoy. In the
seventeenth century, Dundee was considered to be the wealthiest burgh in
Scotland, making good use of its natural harbour to trade. Its
prosperity declined when the Duke of Montrose's army pillaged the town
in 1645 followed by a second sacking in 1651 by an army of Roundheads,
lead by General Monk. The burgh and its people suffered greatly from the
second ravaging and did not re-emerge as a robust community until the
mid-1800's with the coming of industrial expansion and occupations such
as whaling and jute. Today, the most impressive approach to Dundee is by
the Tay Road Bridge, built in 1967 to replace the old ferries that
crossed between the town and Wormit in Fife. The present town centre
extends around a medieval layout with four principal streets or 'gates'
leading to the High Street and old market area. The Cowgate, Seagate,
Marketgate and Overgate still exist although the Overgate suffered
unconsidered sixties re-development which replaced the crumbling old
tenements and closes with a ghastly, concrete shopping tunnel. It
remains an architectural eye-sore, set amongst some relatively pleasant
Georgian buildings. Dundee's renown seems to revolve around the delights
of the palate with its celebrated Dundee Cake as well as jam and
marmalade. Its most famous preserve, Keillor's Marmalade, was
established in the eighteenth century when a trading ship was stranded
by storms in port with a hold full of sugar cane and bitter Spanish
oranges. James Keillor's wife, using a quince recipe, created the famous
'marmalett' or marmalade after purchasing the cargo, in danger of
deterioration. Now, a local company, Mackay's of Carnoustie, is again
making Dundee marmalade to the original recipe. The famous Keillor's
name lives on as a trade mark for Scottish Spring Water. The main City
Square is a focal point that houses the main tourist information office
as well as the Caird Hall where many cultural events take place. Further
along the High Street outside St Paul's Cathedral is a an oddly shaped
statue to Admiral Adam Duncan, a local mariner, not very well known for
his victory over the Dutch off Kamperduin in 1797.
A walk north along Reform Street brings you to another group of
distinctive buildings, the most impressive of which is the Victorian
McManus Galleries containing the city's principal museum and art
gallery. The museum building, a splendid Gothic showpiece, contains an
over-all impression of the area's history from the prehistoric Picts to
the Tay Bridge Disaster of 1879. There is a re-creation of an old pub
with its original mahogany bar as well as insights into the town's
social fabric. Upstairs, the Albert Hall contains sculptures, silver and
displays of furnishings while paintings from Dutch, Finish, French and
British artists as well as frequent contemporary exhibitions are found
in the Victoria Gallery. The Gallery Café is found on the lower level
and is good for a morning or afternoon snack but be wary at lunch time
when, judging by the wait to be served, the staff seem to be taking
their lunch break also. The dark-red sandstone building opposite the
gallery is the headquarters of the D.C. Thomson empire, publishers of
universally cherished titles such as the Sunday Post, People's Friend,
the Scot's Magazine, the Dandy and the Beano comics and many more
popular journals. Across the road is Dundee's oldest burial ground, the
Howff, a fascinating place to stroll through if you enjoy tombstones
from as far back as 1567. The Barrack Street Museum, in sight to the
west, specializes in natural history.
One of the most interesting buildings that survived the many conflicts
of Dundee's past is the Old Steeple or St Mary's Tower just west of the
City Square, reached by following Barrack Street south through the
Overgate. This fifteenth-century tower is a fragment of the largest
medieval church in Scotland, burnt down in 1841. The City Churches now
surrounding the tower, are nineteenth century.
Dundee's history as a major jute process centre is captured at Verdant
Works in West Henderson's Wynd, west of the Marketgait. It was not so
long ago mills like these were in full production, turning the Indian
harvested jute into bags and carpet backing. The story is unveiled with
multi-media displays, exhibitions and artifacts. Due to the town's
nineteenth-century commercial interest in whaling, Dundee became a
centre for ship-building. It was for this reason that Captain Robert
Scott came to the town to find a ship for his two Antarctic expeditions.
The story of the Discovery and Scott's quest to reach the South Pole is
unfolded at Discovery Point, where the ship is now berthed, the
strongest wooden ship ever built with a hull 75cm at its thinnest point.
In 1911, Scott and his companions died in sub-zero conditions only 11
miles (18km) from sanctuary. The RRS Discovery came back to Dundee in
1986 from St Catherine's Dock in London to great fanfare from the town's
marketers. Further east along the river-front at Victoria Dock, lie two
other floating relics, the HM Frigate Unicorn and the North Carr
Lightship. The Unicorn is Britain's oldest surviving battleship, a
46-gun wooden war vessel launched in Chatham in 1824 but never once
firing her guns in anger. The adjacent North Carr Lightship did service
off Fife Ness for more than 40 years. Currently it is not open to the
public but this may change in the future. For eating and drinking in
this area, the Deep-Sea Restaurant in the Nethergate has been around for
decades and serves an old-fashioned sit down meal of fish and chips
served with white bread and margerine. The Phoenix Bar along the street
offers more good food and hospitality or try the Parrot Cafe a few
blocks further west for a more demure snack. The Campbeltown on the
Hawkhill is an unsophisticated example of how pubs in Dundee used to be
while the Speedwell Bar nearby on the Perth Road serves some excellent
guest beers. At Camperdown Park on the north-west edge of town there is
a Wildlife Centre with brown bears, eagles and Scottish Wildcats along
with a good, if rather hilly 18-hole golf course. There is a camping and
caravanning park here also. Near Camperdown and well sign-posted is
Shaw's Dundee Sweet Factory, where you can watch confectionery being
made. Caird Park, at the opposite end of the Kingsway is the venue for
Dundee's Highland Games in June and has one 9-hole golf course along
with a relatively flat but testing 18-hole course. For an overall view
of the city and its surrounds, it is possible to drive 571 feet (174m)
above sea level to the top of a volcanic plug, the Dundee Law. In 1831,
Scotland's first passenger railway, the Dundee to Newtyle line, ran
through a tunnel under this hill, now blocked off. Balgay Hill is
clearly seen from here and is the site for Britain's only permanently
manned public astronomical telescope at Mills Observatory. The Tay Rail
Bridge, which you can clearly appreciate from the Law, was built between
1871 and 1878, designed by Sir Thomas Bouch. The first narrow, poorly
designed structure collapsed in 1879 giving rise to the death of 90
passengers on board a train which happened to be crossing at the time.
The second and existing construction is 2 miles (3 1/2km) long supported
by 86 piers. The stumps of the original bridge can still be seen
alongside the present piers.
East of Dundee towards the mouth of the river is the old fishing village
of Broughty Ferry, now a suburb of the city but with its own distinctive
character. It is a good place to walk around or visit for a meal and a
drink in the evening. The ferry has a reputation for many good pubs and
restaurants. There are interesting little shops, art dealers and gift
outlets on Bruce Street and Gray Street. Along the foreshore, there are
extensive views across to Fife and up the River Tay to the two bridges.
Broughty Castle stands at the mouth of the Tay, overlooking the harbour,
built to defend the river from Crimean Russian warships. The existing
castle is now a branch of Dundee Museums and, on four levels, it tells
the story of the local fishing community, and whaling.
WELSH RECIPES:
Welsh Tea Cakes
2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup butter
½ cup currants or raisins
1 egg
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl; blend well. With a pastry
blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, stir in
currants. Place egg in a 1 cup measure; beat lightly with a fork. Add
milk to the ¼ cup mark; pour into flour mixture and stir with fork to
make a soft dough. A little more milk may be needed.
On a floured surface shape dough into a ball and knead lightly 5-6
times. Roll to ¼-inch thickness and with a floured small biscuit
cutter, cut into rounds. Bake at 350°F on a cookie sheet until slightly
browned. Cool on rack. Keeps well stored in a metal container.
WELSH HISTORY:
The bulk of West Wales cottages surviving today were built as a result
of a large nationwide population growth which swept through Wales
between the middle of the eighteenth and the middle of the nineteenth
century. This put enormous pressure on available land. Encroachments on
the commons by means of the famous tai unnos became widespread.
This cottage is a typical north Pembrokeshire thatched cottage which has
survived almost unchanged since the 19th century. It was first built as
a "ty unnos" or "one-night house" in about 1800 and
later rebuilt in stone.
The tai unnos. were squatters huts erected on common land or the grass
verges of public roads. The squatter believed that if he could build the
house in one night and have smoke rising from the chimney by morning,
the house and the land around it were rightly his. The boundary was
decided by throwing an axe from the new front door in various
directions.
The house was built with whatever materials were at hand. Turf was
generally used fbr the walls and the roof would typically have been
roughly thatched.
Once the cottager had staked his claim on the land and felt secure
enough, he would have built a more permanent dwelling on the site.
Part 1 of 2 (celtic cottages)
CORNWALL RECIPES:
Pork Fillet in Mustard Cream Sauce
A rich dish combining the best of the west - pork, mustard and cream.
INGREDIENTS: Pork fillet or tenderloin - 700 g (1* lb) cut into 1.25 cm
(* inch) slices, Butter - 15 g (* oz), Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp, Garlic
clove - 1 crushed, Medium dry white wine - 150 ml (* pint), Soured cream
- 150 ml (* pint), Mild wholegrain mustard - 2 tbsp.
COOKING: 1. Slightly flatten each piece of pork with a rolling pin or
meat mallet. A
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the garlic for
1 minute without browning it. Add the meat and brown on all sides.
3. Push the meat to one side of the pan and pour in the wine. Stir to
loosen any sediment at the bottom of the pan, then add the soured cream
and mustard. Mix the meat into the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes,
stirring. Serve hot.
CORNWALL MYTHS & HISTORY:
First farmed over 4000 years ago by bronze age settlers Bodmin Moor is
of one the last great unspoilt areas in the South West and much of its
prehistoric and medieval past remains untouched by the passing of the
centuries.
The Moor is dominated by dramatic granite tors which tower over the
sweeping expanses of open moorland. Marshes and bogs on the high moor
drain into shallow moorland valleys before the rivers cross onto softer
shales around the Moor and carve themselves deep river valleys,
providing shelter for rich, damp oak woodland.
Historically, Bodmin Moor was a landscape which engendered fear and awe,
but which has also provided inspiration for writers, poets and
sculptors. It has generated folklore and legend, with fact and fiction
at times blending into one another as tales were passed down over the
generations.
This site intends to provide Bodmin Moor and the people who live and
work here with a home on the internet and will provide anyone with an
interest in the area or who intends to visit with all the information
they need. The site will be split into four main areas accessed through
the menu at the bottom of each page. These are -
The Moors ~ The history, the landscape, the wildlife, myths and legends.
The Villages ~ A page for local business & local people with details
of objective one funding.
Where to Stay ~ A guide to local B&B, cottages and camping.
What to do ~ Walking, Horse Riding, local attractions, where to eat,
details of our moorland code and other essential local tourist
informtaion.
CELTIC HISTORY & MYTH:
TIME TO PLUG SOME OF OUR PRODUCTS:
Car Chimes: Hang them from your rearview mirror.
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/celtic_car_chimes.htm
Home Decor: Wonderful products to add a celtic touch to any house.
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/home_decor/home_decor.htm
Remember
to enter the Monthly Free Giveaway. This Month we will be giving
away a Celtic Basket as well as two of our Pewter Celtic Cross pendants.
The basket will have teas, coffee cup, plenty of candy and some other
goodies. Value of this Gift is $30.00. http://www.celticattic.com/contact_us/back_to_school_giveaway.htm
As Always, Peace
Kristin and the staff at the Celtic Attic
150 Elk Road, Quilcene WA 98376
360-765-0186
www.celticattic.com
www.celticcallings.com
www.vikingattic.com
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1528892918
http://www.myspace.com/celticattic
To be removed, hit reply and put your name and eMail address in
the subject line.
ADVERTISING:
Irish Culture & Customs: Traditions, History, Folklore & More -
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com
For newsletter advertising information:
http://www.celticattic.com/contact_us/links/advertisement_links.htm
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October
2009 Newsletter
Top O' The Morning To All,
Ce'ad Mi'le Fa'ilte (100,000 Welcomes)
October Celtic
Attic Newsletter
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Halloween Spookies
Some Great Websites
Tips N Hints - Songs from the Old Country
Irish Recipes & Travel
Scottish Recipes & Travel
Welsh Goodies
Celtic History & Myth
Celtic Attic Free Giveaway
Removal Policy & KC's Notes
Advertising
We just lowered prices on over 75 Sales Items and we sold a bunch
already - Thanks so much... Come on folks scoop them up now while they
are marked down BELOW our costs. We need to make room for our
Christmas Products. So we are offering this Weeks Special Get a
$10 Gift with each order over $50. Get a $5 gift with each order
over $25. This includes Sales and Discontinued items. Stock up now
for Christmas! We are offering 1/2 off on Shipping as well between
now and October 10th. The discount will be
removed AFTER you place your order. We will be processing all credit
cards in the store so that we can take off the shipping costs. Plus get
a candy bag with each and every order.
http://celticcallings.com/shopping/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CSC&Category_Code=GFC
CHRISTMAS IS ONLY 2 MONTHS AWAY, FOLKS, START YOUR SHOPPING NOW!
The Celtic Attic Gratitude Club is still open for everyone to join...
sign up now!
http://celticcallings.com/shopping/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CSC&Product_Code=JTCGGC&Category_Code=
To order Personalized: Girls
or Boys Coloring Book or Alphabet
Coloring Book!
Alphabet Coloring Book Also available in Non
Personalized PDF Format for $5.00US
Also available in Non Personalized PDF Format for
$5.00US Girls
or Boys!
http://celticcallings.com/shopping/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CSC&Category_Code=SP1
HALLOWEEN SPOOKIES:
It is almost Halloween, shop now and get some awesome
personalized gifts and goodies.
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/halloween_gifts.htm
- Halloween is actually the night
before where lanterns (Gaelic: samhnag), Hallowfires and such are
supposed to scare the souls that will emerge at midnight, away from
your house. Samhuinn is also used in Gaelic for the entire month of
November. The name "Samhain" entered Canadian folklore as
"Sam Hain", the name of the guy doll which children would
wheel round.
- Halloween customs in Scotland these
days consist chiefly of children going door to door
"guising" (or "Galoshin" on the south bank of
the lower Clyde) dressing up and offering entertainment of various
sorts in return for gifts. The Witchcraft Act of 1735 contained a
clause preventing the consumption of pork and pastry comestibles on
Halloween although these days sausage rolls seem to a popular treat
for children - the act was repealed in the 1950s.
- The children are invariably
dressed up as something supernatural or spooky and the entertainment
usually consists of singing, telling a poem or joke etc. They
don't 'trick' you if you do not give, as in America. However,
after the showing of ET in the early 80s, the influence of
American "trick or treating" seems to have become more
prevalent at least in England. Hollowed out turnips with candles
in them are sometimes displayed or carried. Note that many
children in America do not 'trick' either.
- Halloween parties often consisted
of various games, for instance 'Dooking fur aiples' where the
children had to bite apples floating in a basin of water, once
they had one by the teeth they could retrieve and obtain it.
Sometimes flour would be sprinkled on the surface of the water.
- For younger children a more
modern game is 'Forkin fur aiples', an easier task, where the
children stood on a chair and held a fork handle in their teeth,
taking aim, they would release it into the basin of apples and
water and retrieve and keep any apple they so skewered. Another
game was 'treacle scones' where children had to eat a scone
covered in treacle hanging on a piece of string.
- One custom associated with
Halloween in the Western Isles was to put two large nuts in the
fire. These were supposed to represent yourself and your
intended spouse. If the nuts jumped together when they warmed up
then this was deemed to be a good omen, but if they jumped apart
then it was time to look for someone else!
GREAT WEBSITES WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED:
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connected, capture your thoughts, dreams and hugs on a Dream Sak.
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TIPS N HINTS: Songs from the Old Country
This Irish song is historically significant and often sung in Ireland. Pádraig
Pearse was an instrumental figure in the Irish bid for independence in
1916. He was also responsible for the revitalization of the Irish
language and culture in the almost completely Anglicized Irish society.
He was executed by firing squad for his part in the Easter Rising on May
3, 1916. Read more about Pádraig Pearse
Gráinne Mhaol is Grace O' Malley, the sixteenth century pirate/patriot
Chieftain of the Galway region of Ireland. In the song she's
representative of the Irish diaspora coming home to fight for their
country. Correct Irish reference to her is Gráinne Ní Mháille.
Read more about Gráinne Ní Mháille.
Lyrics:
Sé do bheatha a bhean ba léanmhar
Ba é ár gcreach tú bheith i ngéibheann
Do dhúiche bhreá i seilibh meirleach
's tú díolta leis na galla!
Curfá (chorus):
Óró sé do bheatha 'bhaile
Óró sé do bheatha 'bhaile
Óró sé do bheatha 'bhaile
'Nois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.
Tá Gráinne Mhaol ag teacht thar sáile;
Óglaigh armtha léi mar gharda
Gaeil iad féin is ní Frainc ná Spáinnigh;
Is cuirfidh siad ruaig ar Ghallaibh.
Curfá
A bhuí le Rí na bhFeart go bhfeiceann;
Muna mbíonn beo ina dheoidh ach seachtain,
Gráinne Mhaol is míle gaiscíoch;
Ag fógairt fáin ar Ghallaibh.
Curfá
Translation - from "The Collected Works of
Padraic H. Pearse" (New York, 1917)
'Se do bheatha, O woman that wast sorrowful,
What grieved us was thy being in chains,
Thy beautiful country in the possession of rogues,
And thou sold to the Galls,
Chorus:
Oró, 'se do bheatha a bhaile,
Oró, 'se do bheatha a bhaile,
Oró, 'se do bheatha a bhaile,
Now at summer's coming!
Thanks to the God of miracles that we see,
Altho' we live not a week thereafter,
Gráinne Mhaol and a thousand heroes
Proclaiming the scattering of the Galls!
Chorus
Gráinne Mhaol is coming from over the sea,
The Fenians of Fál as a guard about her,
Gaels they, and neither French nor Spaniard,
And a rout upon the Galls!
Chorus
IRISH RECIPES:
Drop by the Celtic Attic's Irish Food section:
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/irish_food.htm
Check our New Irish Kitchen Section:
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/irish_kitchen.htm
Beef in Guinness
The Guinness in this recipe has the same function as Beef in Guinnessthe
wine in Coq Au Vin - the acid and moisture combined with the long, slow
cooking help tenderise the tough but flavoursome meat.
2 1/2 lb/ 1 kg shin of beef
2 large onions
6 medium carrots
2 tbsp seasoned flour
a little fat or beef dripping
1/2 cup dry cider
1/2 pt/ 250 ml/ 1 cup Guinness with water
sprig of parsley
(serves four)
Cut the beef into chunks and peel and slice the onions and carrots. Toss
the beef in the flour and brown quickly in hot fat. Remove the beef and
fry the onions gently until transparent. Return the beef and add the
carrots and the liquid. Bring just to the boil, reduce the heat to a
very gentle simmer, cover closely and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Check
that the dish does not dry out, adding more liquid if necessary.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with plainly boiled potatoes.
From the Appletree Press title: A Little Irish Cookbook.
IRISH TRAVEL:
Cork County exhibits the magnificent diversity of Ireland with its
mixture of vivacious city life, remote country towns, quiet coastal
villages, rolling green hills, jagged mountain peaks, and shimmering
rivers and coastlines. In addition, Cork Ireland offers some of the most
delectable food in the country, thanks to its abundance of local farms,
fields, lakes, and coastlines and its growing number of superb chefs.
Aided by the vivid landscapes, gripping history, and warm community of
Cork tourism in this region has grown exponentially over the past few
decades.
While past travelers had to use rail and boat transportation to reach
this region, the advent of the automobile has made the trek incredibly
easy. With growing numbers of tourists opting for the additional freedom
of car rental Cork Ireland has quickly become a must-see destination.
Travelers can make reservations through independent car rental companies
or seek the help of Cork Ireland tourism businesses that are located in
many cities. With the growing popularity of Cork Ireland tourism groups
worldwide have begun adding the capital city and surrounding county to
their suggested travel itineraries. In addition, for tourists who choose
car rental Cork Ireland becomes a wonderful stop-over between larger
destinations, such as cities and sights in nearby Waterford and Kerry
counties.
The city of Cork rests on the banks of the River Lee, buzzing with
energy and activity. Often compared with Dublin (though much smaller),
Cork boasts countless pubs, restaurants, art galleries, museums, parks,
and historical sites. One famous spot is the Beamish & Crawford
Brewery, located on South Main Street. Entertaining guided tours are
available, complete with a beer tasting at the tour’s end. Several
craft and artisan centers are located throughout the city, and Cork
tourism groups can provide interested patrons with the centers’
respective hours and locations. While the central parts of the city are
easily navigated by foot, visitors may want to rent a car for trips to
surrounding areas, such as Blarney Castle, Fota Wildlife Park, Jameson
Heritage Centre, and Gougane Barra Forest Park. Busses, trains, and sea
travel options are available, but with car rental Cork Ireland visitors
have more independence and control over their travel plans. In addition,
many of the best landscapes, adventures, and sights are hidden between
destination points and require a lively excursion off the beaten road.
Through learning about the intricacies and events in Cork history
Ireland travelers can get a small taste of this country’s diverse and
dramatic past. The city of Cork began in the 6th century, when St.
Finnbarr founded a monastery on the banks of the River Lee. With time,
the settlement evolved into the main city of the Kingdom of South
Munster, managing to defend itself against numerous Norse raids. In
1185, for the first time in Cork history Ireland (and Cork) fell under
control of the English Crown. For centuries, control of Cork regularly
changed hands between Irish and English forces. The city suffered blows
from William of Orange’s armies, harsh famines, and the battles of the
Irish Civil War. Because of the varied, turbulent, but undeniably Irish
Cork history Ireland historians and writers often use the city and
surrounding county as a symbol of true Irish spirit and courage. Many
Cork Tourism groups will gladly lead you on a tour of the capital city,
pausing at significant sites such as St. Finbarr’s Cathedral, the Holy
Trinity Church, and the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery.
Drawn by the charming beauty, impressive history, and amazing vivacity
of Cork Ireland tourism groups are quickly discovering the breathtaking
majesty of southern Ireland. Explore by foot, rent a bike or horse, or
journey by car—whatever the mode of transportation, the beauty of Cork
is waiting for you to discover it.
SCOTTISH RECIPES:
Howtowdie
3 lbs Broiler, frying chicken
6 Medium onions
¼ cup Margarine or butter, melted
1 Large onion finely chopped
¼ cup Margarine
1 cup Regular rolled oat
1 tbsp Salt
½ tsp Ground coriander
½ tsp Pepper
1/8 tsp Grated nutmeg
Cook and stir the large onion in ¼ cup margarine in 10 inch skillet
over medium heat unitl light brown. Stir in rolled oat, salt, coriander,
pepper and nutmeg. Cook and stir until oats are golden brown and crip,
about 3 to 4 minutes.
Fill wishbone area of chicken with stuffing mixture. Fasten neck skin to
back with skewer. Fold wings across back with tips touching. Fill body
cavity lightly. (Do not overstuff) The stuffing will expand while
cooking. Place chicken, breast side up, in shallow roasting pan. Cut the
medium onions in half and arrange around the chicken. Brush chicken and
onions with margarine. Roast uncovered in 375°F oven, brushing chicken
and onions several times with remaining margarine until chicken and
onions are done, about 1½ hours.
Makes approximately 6 servings.
SCOTTISH TRAVEL:
The Marvels of St. Andrew's Aquarium
The sea - a mysterious world with its dark watery spaces, marveled at,
researched, but yet less understood by man than outer space. We are
continually awed by the magnitude and might of this secretive aquarium
but beneath in the remotest of corners to the open shallows lies a world
beyond our comprehension. A little piece of this world is found at the
marvelous St. Andrews Aquarium.
The aquarium exhibition is made up of thirty tanks filled with a variety
of exotic fish and aquatic creatures ranging from the lethal piranhas to
the toxic dart frog, mortal rays to the sharks, cunning fugitives of the
deep waters stealthy and impressive and terribly misunderstood, to the
more delicate and fragile seahorses and sea urchins. The tour lasts up
to just over an hour but permits you a full day’s entrance from 10am
till 6pm into this remarkable world under the sea. If a yearning for
nourishment should take a hold of you as you pass through this
remarkable hidden passage then Catch a café associated with the St.
Andrews Aquarium overlooking St. Andrews bay is something of a must
though beware if you’ve taken a fondness to any of the aquatic
wildlife you may want to pass over the seasonal catch of the day cooked
to perfection. Not forgetting the interesting St. Andrews gift shop and
themed play area for the younger generation who wish to rid themselves
of excess energy in an aquatic underworld.
St. Andrews Aquarium can be located neighboring the renowned clubhouse
the ‘Royal and Ancient’ and the British Golfing Museum which
overlooks the magnificent West Sands beach. Easy signs within the town
of St. Andrews will take you directly to the entrance of the aquarium
where an unmistakable feature known as Laurel and Hardy, the residential
common seals who were unfortunately forsaken in different areas near
Oban as little pups in 1991, love the attention they acclaim from
passerby’s and from the observation desk to which they take full
advantage in overdramatic play for those who get caught up in their
amusing whims! So from the beauty beneath the deep oceans to the array
of delicious food found at Catch the local St. Andrews café, St Andrews
Aquarium is something of a must.
WELSH RECIPES:
Pice Bach
Welsh Cakes
1 lb Plain flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Mixed spice
4 oz Margarine
4 oz Lard
6 oz Caster sugar
4 oz Currants
2 Eggs
Milk
Sift the flour, baking powder, and mixed spice; rub in the margerine and
lard; add the sugar, currants and beaten egg. Mix in Milk to make a
stiff dough and roll out ¼" thick. Cut into 2" rounds and
bake on a hot griddle until golden brown, after about 4 minutes on each
side.
Makes approximately 8 servings.
WELSH HISTORY:
The original cottages would have small windows these are still seen in
many locations throughout Wales.Welsh cottages have evolved and
developed becoming larger, often two stories.
Whether they originated as tai unnos or not, most of the permanent
cottages put up during the great phase of cottage growth would have been
homemade, built by the owners with the help of friends and neighbours.
Age-old skills such as clay walling and thatching were used, but subtle
changes were slowly taking place as a result of external influences.
Smallholdings were being swallowed up into large estates and
pattern-book designs filtered down to even the smallest dwellings.
By the second half of the nineteenth century, a superior breed of
cottage was appearing, two-storeyed throughout and luxurious compared to
its predecessor. These were built, not by the cottagers, but by builders
employed by the large estates or tenant farmers.
Better communications via the railways brought sawn timber and good
quality slates. Even small quantities of brick, mainly for chimneys,
reached the less remote areas.
Pretty cottage gardens which now enhance the properties were originally
cultivated for vegetables to sustain the family throughout the winter
months.
Part 2 of 2
CELTIC HISTORY & MYTH:
Celts, a people who dominated much of western and central Europe
in the 1st millennium BC, giving their language, customs, and religion
to the other peoples of that area. The earliest archaeological evidence
associated with the Celts places them in what is now France and western
Germany in the late Bronze Age, around 1200 BC. In the early Iron Age,
they are associated with the Hallstatt culture (8th century to 6th
century BC, named for an archaeological site in what is now
Ober,sterreich (Upper Austria). They probably began to settle in the
British Isles during this period. Between the 5th and 1st centuries BC,
their influence extended from what is now Spain to the shores of the
Black Sea. This later Iron Age phase is called La T'ne, after a site in
Switzerland.
The word Celt is derived from Keltoi, the name given to these people by
Herodotus and other Greek writers. To the Romans, the Continental Celts
were known as Galli, or Gauls; those in the British Isles were called
Britanni. In the 4th century BC , the Celts invaded the Greco-Roman
world, conquering northern Italy, Macedonia, and Thessaly. They
plundered Rome in 390, sacked Delphi in 279, and penetrated Asia Minor,
where they were known as Galatians. The Cisalpine Gauls of northern
Italy were conquered by the Romans in the 2nd century BC; Transalpine
Gaul (modern France and the Rhineland) was subdued by Julius Caesar in
the 1st century BC, and most of Britain came under Roman rule in the 1st
century AD.
In the same period, the Celts of central Europe were dominated by the
Germanic peoples. In medieval and modern times the Celtic tradition and
languages survived in Brittany (in western France), Wales, the Scottish
Highlands, and Ireland.
Way of Life
The various Celtic tribes were bound together by common speech, customs,
and religion, rather than by any well-defined central governments. The
absence of political unity contributed substantially to the extinction
of their way of life, making them vulnerable to their enemies. Their
economy was pastoral and agricultural, and they had no real urban life.
Each tribe was headed by a king and was divided by class into Druids
(priests), warrior nobles, and commoners. The nobles fought on foot with
swords and spears and were fond of feasting and drinking. Celtic
mythology, which included earth gods, various woodland spirits, and sun
deities, was particularly rich in elfin demons and tutelaries, beings
that still pervade the lore of peoples of Celtic ancestry.
Celtic Christianity
The Christian faith was well established in Celtic Britain by the 4th
century AD, but in the 5th century the Saxons and other Germanic peoples
invaded the country, driving most of the Celtic Christians into Wales
and Cornwall. At the same time, Saint Patrick and other British
missionaries founded a new church in Ireland, which then became the
center of Celtic Christianity. The Irish church developed a distinctive
organization in which bishops were subordinate to the abbots of
monasteries . The Irish monks, devoted to learning as well as religion,
did much to preserve a knowledge of ancient Roman literature in early
medieval Europe. Between the late 6th and the early 8th centuries, Irish
missionaries were active in Christianizing the Germanic peoples that had
conquered the Western Roman Empire, and they founded numerous
monasteries in present-day France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
Celtic Christianity in Ireland was weakened by the Viking invasions of
the 9th and 10th centuries, and by the 12th century its characteristic
institutions, which were incompatible with those of the dominant Roman
church, had largely disappeared from Europe.
TIME TO PLUG SOME OF OUR PRODUCTS:
Order
the your copy of A Leprechaun's Pot of Gold - a Guide to
Internet Business Now! Goes on sale September, 2009! Just in time
for Christmas will be the first of a series of Irish Fairy books written
by Celtic Attic owner, Kristin, so stay tuned for more on this series of
books
Home Decor: Wonderful products to add a Celtic touch to any house.
http://www.celticattic.com/treasures/home_decor/home_decor.htm
Remember to enter the
Monthly Free Giveaway. This Month we will be giving away a Celtic
Basket as well as two of our Pewter Celtic Cross pendants. The basket
will have teas, coffee cup, plenty of candy and some other goodies.
Value of this Gift is $30.00. http://www.celticattic.com/contact_us/back_to_school_giveaway.htm
As Always, Peace
Kristin and the staff at the Celtic Attic
150 Elk Road, Quilcene WA 98376
360-765-0186
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this coupon code: CELTIC. This gives 50% off Unlimited Gold
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The Economy getting you
down? Job troubles? Relationship stresses? Need some advice or help
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