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- *He said, she said* (http://www.forumihorizont.com/forumdisplay.php3?forumid=325)
-- Let's talk about the holidays!!!! (http://www.forumihorizont.com/showthread.php3?threadid=6563)
Postuar nga darke datë 04 Nëntor 2004 - 01:15:
Halloween!
Two thousand years ago, when the Celts occupied what we know as Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, they celebrated the new year on November 1st. The festival we now know as Halloween was once called Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Winter was a cold, uncompromising time in Northern Europe and was often associated with death. The Celts believed that on New Year's Eve (October 31st), the line between the spirit world and ours became blurred. Spirits were able to cross over on this evening and could stay if they were able to find a body to possess. Obviously the living didn't want to have another spirit inside of them, so they made their homes as uninviting as possible and often dressed up like ghouls to scare the spirits away. In the 800s, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1st as All Saints' Day, as a church-sanctioned alternative to the Celtic holiday of the dead. This was also called All-Hallow's and All-Hallowmas, and the evening preceding it came to be known as All-Hallow's Eve, and later Halloween.
Trick or Treat!
The American custom of "trick-or-treating" was first seen in England during the early All-Hallow's parades. Poor people would sit at the side of the parade and beg for food and families distributed rich pastries ("soul cakes") in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. This custom was soon taken up by children, who went house to house asking for money, food, and ale.
Modern Traditions
As more immigrants flooded to America in the second half of the nineteenth century, the festival of Halloween came with them. Drawing on Celtic and English tradition, Americans began dressing up in colourful costumes and celebrating the feast of the dead. In the late 1800s, there was a move to make Halloween a more community-oriented holiday, shifting the focus away from ghosts and witchcraft.
Because of these efforts, much of the superstition of Halloween was lost, replaced by parades, games and parties that were fun for the whole family. The practice of trick-or-treating was revived in the 1920s as a way for the whole village to participate in the celebration. In theory, families could prevent tricks from being played on them by giving small treats to the neighbourhood children. Halloween has continued to grow strong over the years and Americans now spend an estimated 6.9 billion dollars on costumes and candy per year, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday.
In theory, families could prevent tricks from being played on them by giving small treats to the neighbourhood children.
ok, now that you know what Halloween means, I tell you:
trick or treat?:p:p:p
Postuar nga Cindi datë 16 Nëntor 2005 - 23:24:
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving may provide a prime opportunity to teach kids about American history and giving thanks—but don’t let what’s on your holiday table serve as a lesson for what those at the original feast dined upon.
While historians aren't sure what the Pilgrims ate at the very first Thanksgiving back in 1621, they do know that they weren’t sitting down to a meal of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie. Many of the foods that we eat are reminiscent of those indigenous at the time, but not the actual dishes served. Case in point: Cranberries were available, but since sugar had not yet traveled to the New World, no doubt cranberry sauce didn't make an appearance until years later.
Still, the Thanksgiving meal is replete with symbolism, providing a wonderful occasion for sharing the American story of determination, survival, freedom, and celebration.
So, what could have been on that 17th-century menu? While wild turkey may have been the main course, it was probably accompanied by venison and fish such as herring, shad, cod, sea bass, and eel. A glazed ham wouldn’t have made an appearance, however, because the Pilgrims most likely had no pigs back then. And scratch potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes off the earliest holiday menu; they had not yet been introduced to New England.
Native to America, corn—or maize—came in wide variety, including red, yellow, white, blue, and yellow. It was a new addition to the Pilgrim diet, and these early settlers might not have survived the long winter without it. Another side dish may have included peas, squashes, and beans.
Pumpkins, easy to grow and able to last in the cellar during the long winter, was a favorite of the early settlers. Forget about baking it in a pie with whipped cream! The all-American apple pie wouldn’t have been served up for dessert, either. Apples aren't indigenous to the United States, first coming to this country years later. But nuts—such as walnuts, chestnuts, acorns, and hickory nuts—may have made for a fine dessert, along with fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, grapes, plums cherries, and blueberries (although these would have been dried, as none would have been in season).
Regardless of early dishes, today’s turkey day is creating a tradition all its own. The turkey is still the culinary symbol of the November feast—91 percent of Americans eat the fowl on Thanksgiving. Of the 300 million turkeys raised annually, 45 million are consumed on the fourth Thursday every year.
If you decide to reenact the feast, your tots may be thrilled: Pilgrims dined with spoons, knives, and their fingers —but no forks. Also interestingly, at that time, social status helped determine what would be on an individual's menu. Since diners tended to eat what was placed in front of them, the choicest foods were placed in front of the most important people.
Whether the first Thanksgiving feast featured roast turkey or baked eels, there's one thing for certain: Thanksgiving has an important place on our calendars and in American culture. Just as the Pilgrims rejoiced over a fine harvest after a cold, hard winter, we celebrate what we have reaped over the past year. On this day, we remember that what's on the table takes a second place to who is around it.
Postuar nga Cindi datë 17 Nëntor 2005 - 00:21:
DOUBLE LAYER PUMPKIN PIE
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4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
1 cup milk
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
MIX cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and the sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Gently stir in half of the whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust.
POUR 1 cup milk into large bowl. Add pumpkin, dry pudding mixes and spices. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over cream cheese layer.
REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until set. Top with remaining whipped topping just before serving. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.
Postuar nga Cindi datë 23 Nëntor 2005 - 19:55:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL WHO CELEBRATES THIS BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY
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It's one of the new holidays that I celebrate with my family as an albanian in America and I like this holiday so much. It makes so sence to celebrate this holiday, just to give our thanks to the GOD for all the goods he brings to us, human beeings. I have been through other fests of other cultures and countries, but I see that holiday one of the most happiest, comfortable and joyfull holiday. Gathered with all your family, friends and your loved ones without any conection to religius, ethnicity or race. Eat, drink, laugh, talk and eat again and again
And most of all is so close by the date to our country's independence day and liberation's day from nazist. We always remember these days and celebrate with all albanian.
Love you all and a lot of Thanks to GOD who connected us through this FH.
FOOTBALL
Postuar nga ~Enigme~ datë 23 Nëntor 2005 - 20:39:
Happy Turkey Day!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all the Albanians that live in the USA. I just want to thank football for the beautiful writings that she contributes here.
Keep writing football and don't let turbulence bother you 
.
Best regards 
Postuar nga Cindi datë 23 Nëntor 2005 - 20:46:
Re: Happy Turkey Day!!!
Citim:
Po citoj ato që tha ~Enigme~
Happy Thanksgiving to all the Albanians that live in the USA. I just want to thank football for the beautiful writings that she contributes here.
Keep writing football and don't let turbulence bother you .
Best regards
Thank you very much, Enigme!
The only problem we have that day, we don't like much turkeySo we turn it in our tradition albanian food:p:p:p
Postuar nga iliriusa datë 01 Dhjetor 2005 - 13:05:
Okay people, I thought it was better to write about every holiday in the same place, so that we don't have them all scattered around. So I just gathered them all up in here. I think it's easier like this. So write up!!!
Christmas is coming up next, anybody got anything to say about it?
It a meaningfull and beautiful holiday, one of the most important of the year.
Let's hear it. What have you got to say about it????
Postuar nga Kela datë 05 Dhjetor 2005 - 20:43:
Xmas is my favourite time of the year, because it’s the party season! I am off work, have finished all my exams and have lots of time to spend with friends and family and have to get presents for the people who mean do much to me.
This year I will be off from 15th of December to 3rd Jan and my family will be arriving in London to spend Xmas all together. My parents have organized to go 1 week skiing in French Alps and then come back on 23rd to celebrate Xmas and New Year with my cousins in London, and the others coming form states and Canada. There will be so much Albanian food, music and dance, I really can’t wait!!!!!!
Postuar nga iliriusa datë 06 Dhjetor 2005 - 10:23:
Today I started decorating the house and the Christmas tree with my four year old neice. There's so many decorating to do... I sometimes get tired just as I think about it. But it's fun too! You get to be a kid again.
The only problem when it comes to the Christmas tree is that from the first day that I decorate it, till New Year arives ('cause everybody knows Albanians keep their trees up until New Year's) I will decorate it and re-decorate the tree a thousand times over. After a while I tend to get tired of the look the tree has and I want to give it a makeover .
I wonder if anybody else has the same problem as me?????
Postuar nga eliz datë 06 Dhjetor 2005 - 12:18:
No i don`t have that problem,but i do need to have a real tree every year.I love the smell of it and gives you the feeling of being outside.
I hate fake trees!