Krampus Redux

It's that time of the year again!

Until this week, the most popular posts on my blog(s) were found by googling the terms "Louisiana gecko" "forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit" and "In Cold Blood vocabulary." But as of today, the search term "Krampus" has found my blog 111 times in the past week and I'm at a loss to understand why! My blog pops up immediately on an image search for the other terms.  But how do people find my blog when it doesn't appear in the first ten pages of an "Everything" search and this picture only shows up on page 6 of an "Image" search?

Here's a lovely video (not mine) of the sights and sounds of Krampus:

On this, St. Nicholas Day, I confess that I miss Krampus night. I miss the brioche Krampusse with their red ribbon tongues and the gingerbread Krampusse from Cafe Mitter.  

Brioche Krampusse - Thanks, Ingrid!

Gingerbread Krampus - Thanks, Caitlin!

And I miss the real Krampusse with their bells and masks and switches! 

Dueling Krampusse

I especially miss the Goaß! 

Decorah Eagle Nestcam

One eaglet has already hatched (first seen at 8:48 am Saturday 2.4.2011). There are two eggs left. Watch as nature unfolds before your very eyes!


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Update: Eaglet #2 hatched Sunday - the two are now engaging in sibling rivalry, fighting over who gets the next morsel of rabbit/crow/fish/unidentified mammal. There were some tense moments Sunday afternoon when one eaglet ventured too close to the edge of the nest. The last egg should hatch in the next day or so. Stay tuned!!!

Update II:  Full house! er... nest!  Eaglet #3 hatched on April 6.  Now we get to watch them grow and fledge.  Fun for the whole family!

Three King's Day

Epiphany (aka Three King's Day) is the official end of the Christmas season.  In Austria, people take down their Christmas trees on January 6.  Children dressed as the three wise men sing the last Christmas carols (these are known as Sternsänger, "star singers") and mark houses with the blessing C+M+B and the year.  There is some argument over what CMB means:  either Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar or "Christus mansionem benedicat" (May Christ bless this house).

Some Americans may be uncomfortable by the representation of Balthasar in black-face.  This is done not to mock African people as it was in minstrel shows in the U.S., but to recreate as faithfully as possible the different ethnicities of the wise men who came from all corners of the earth.

Many thanks to the mother who gave her permission to post this video!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Another IRISHsteirisch video, this one from last summer in Dechantskirchen, Austria.  The band opens their concerts with this traditional Austrian Jodler (yodeling song). Enjoy!

Now playing on YouTube

I FINALLY got around to uploading some videos to YouTube from the IRISHsteirisch concert I went to in January.  Please check them out!