A Seasonal Take on the A to Z Challenge from Hilary Melton-Butcher

A – Z: seasonal take for The Blogging 

from A to Z Challenge ...

see how easy it can be ... an ABC of the Aspects of the British Countryside to an A – Z about our Christmastide ... come join the fun – April First 2012 is our starting day – but you’re not a fool to take part ...

The Nativity
by Charles-Francois Poerson, 1667

Advent – from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” – Advent Sunday is the start of the Advent season – fourth Sunday before Christmas Day.

Brandy Butter – an essential addition for Christmas Pudding and Mince Pies

Christmas – Christ’s Mass is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes maesse, a phrase first recorded in 1038.

 Deck the Halls: 
Green Holly and Ivy

Decorations – from pre-Christian times, people in the Roman Empire brought branches from evergreen plants indoors in the winter.  In the 15^th Century in London it was the custom for every house and all the parish churches to be “decked with holm (Holm Oak), ivy, bays, and whatsoever the season the year afforded to be green.  “Deck the Halls” ... a traditional Yuletide/Christmas carol and New Year carol.

Extras: Bread sauce, chestnut stuffing, bacon rolls, turkey gravy from the juices, cranberry sauce, bowls of nuts, custard, creams and chocolates ...  

Family Christmas
Feast 1940s

Flowers to decorate the table – Christmas roses, hollywreaths ...

Grandparents and all family the essentials to Christmastide ...

Holly – was seen as a protection against pagans and witches, its thorns and red berries held to represent the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus at the Crucifixion and the blood he shed.

Ivy – the heart shaped leaves are said to symbolize the coming to earth of Jesus

Mistletoe postcard,
circa 1902

Jingle Bells – an American secular Christmas song

Karpfen in Bier: a traditional Christmas Eve dish in Germany – “Carp in Beer” ... poached, served with a sauce made from the liquor, with brown ale and gingerbread

Leftovers ... sliced ham or turkey, chipolatas, devils on horseback (bacon wrapped around prunes), fresh bread, baked potatoes, pickles and salads ...  then bowls of rich turkey soup, turkey or ham ‘muck up’ ... fried Christmas pudding with brandy butter .... yummmeeee ....

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
at King’s College Cambridge
 – December 2010 – c/o Phillip Cooke

Mince Pies with brandy butter or cream – may be eaten before a snatched kiss under the mistletoe

N for Nativity – Commemoration of Jesus’ birth – popularised by Saint Francis of Assissi from 1223

O Little Town of Bethlehem – one of many traditional Christmas Carols sung in Church or at Carol Services

Plum Pudding .... on which a sprig of holly is set, brandy poured over and set alight, before being served with brandy butter, cream or custard ...

Trafalgar Square, London
– Christmas Tree

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert introduced the Christmas tree to Britain: they were enamoured seeing a tree hung with lights, ornaments and presents placed around.

Remember our loved ones – with a Christmas card, personal telephone call or special handwritten letter --- especially those thank you letters and cards.

Christmas stocking

Santa Claus – leave out gifts for Santa to thank him for his visit  ... Stilton, Mince Pies with a glass of sherry

Tradition – Christmas is a strong Christian tradition, from which over time a variety of Christmas celebrations have developed, that incorporate regional and local cultures.

Units of weight – you’ll be dieting off in January 2012 – sorreeeeee!

Vegetables – roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, roast onions, Brussels sprouts, carrots, red cabbage ...

Wassail Cup

Wassail cup – historically mulled cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger spices, roasted cider apples to decorate and topped with slices of toast, acting as sops.

X - the great unknown .... xxx or perhaps that KISS under the Mistletoe

Yule Log: Buche de Noel – a traditional dessert served at Christmas time particularly in francophone countries and former French colonies.  A sponge cake in the form of a log – filled with chocolate buttercream, covered in a chocolate ganache or frosting, decorated with powdered sugar to resemble snow.

Z       Zizz it all off – just don’t hibernate ‘til April ....

Blogging from A - Z

Lee’s great suggestion of the A – Z posts can be filled with so many ideas ...  good for our creativity, while greeting old friends and meeting new bloggers – come join the fun.

I so enjoyed the Challenge last year - thanks so much Lee for the Christmas opportunity – Happy Christmastide to one and all .. with a very successful 2012 ahead ...

Hilary Melton-Butcher

PositiveLetters Inspirational Stories

         And as Hilary says, The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is as easy as ABC.   Come join us.  Sign ups will begin on January 30, 2012.  Thank you, Hilary, for this special holiday A to Z post.

      

A to Z Reflections from Empty Nest Insider

A Whirlwind of Emotions From A to Z

Empty Nest Insider

                                                                                                  Julie Kemp Pick


It all began when Rhonda from Laugh Quotes sent me an email about the A to Z  Blogging Challenge. The timing was perfect, as I was approaching a milestone birthday, and this was a welcome diversion.

As a new blogger who first started writing in January, I thought this would be an excellent exercise in blogging boot camp. I'm always encouraging my kids to try new things, and felt that this was the perfect opportunity for me to lead by example.

Shortly after I signed up, Arlee Bird introduced himself,  and two other participants quickly followed. I had 3  new followers, before the challenge even began, without begging and pleading! 

The night before the A to Z kickoff, I decided to post my first story around midnight. The next day, I woke up to encouraging comments while gaining new followers! I returned the favors, and searched through new blogs with the handy A to Z buttons. Some of my viewers were quick to rush off, while others generously returned. I looked forward to daily visits from my small, but mighty group of faithful followers.

It was like taking a trip around the world with all of the comforts of home. I laughed, cried, and was often humbled by reading the plights that so many of the bloggers went through.  I was expecting the claws to come out, and that the competition would really heat up. Contrary, it wasn't a competition, it was a challenge as the name suggested; a friendly challenge from within, instead of pitting us against each other.

 I want to thank  all of the hosts for organizing this extraordinary event.  I'm especially grateful to Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out and Talli Rolland. Arlee has the amazing gift of drawing you in, pulling you close, and making you feel like you're part of a private conversation; amidst addressing an audience of more than 1000 people. Throughout the challenge, Talli Roland always made an effort to drop by with  encouraging remarks. In the midst of  temporarily losing her blog, she still kept up the morale without missing a beat.

I'm still reeling from this adventure, that has brought in more than 50 new followers, as well as, insightful tips from all of the hosts. I'm so proud to be  part of such a warm and engaging community. My hope is that we'll continue to knock on each other's doors, and be invited to come in and stay awhile.

              

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2012 starts Sunday April 1, 2012

The Official A to Z Badge Is Ready and the News on the A to Z Reflections Tour

         The official Blogging from A to Z April Challenge of 2012 badge is now available.  Our A to Z artist--the aptly named Ada Z, which is short for Ada Zdanowicz--worked long and hard to come up with this finalized version.

        The smaller badge version actually doesn't do the artwork justice as you miss the crossword puzzle motif in the letters and some of the nuances of color.  When you click on the image to enlarge it you can see what I mean.

          If there is enough interest, Ada may make poster size images of the badge available at a later date.  An alternative option might be to make numbered and signed limited edition prints.  But first she will see if she would have enough takers to make it feasible for her to do so.  Perhaps you can express your thoughts in the comment section.

           She is also considering some other possible A to Z artwork goodies such as mugs or T-shirts.  Tell Ada what sorts of A to Z items you might like to see.   Ada is a young artist who would appreciate any support she can get.   You can visit her at CollagePodge.com.

           Last week we put out a call for your Reflections posts or new guest posts about the Challenge.  As we would have expected from our great bloggers out there, the response was overwhelming.  Many of you stepped forward to answer our call and every date until January 6th has been filled, except for December 24th and 25th.   If anyone wants to do a special Christmas post for either of those days we'll gladly accept it, but we're very happy with the content we'll have over the next month.

        Starting next week on Monday December 12th--The Friends of the Alphabet will be here in force to speak out about Blogging from A to Z.   This is the opportunity for those who want to know more about the Challenge to hear first hand what others have to say about it.  Join us to reminisce about the 2011 Challenge and get ready for the Challenge of 2012.  April will be here before you know it!

         And since there were so many of you who were willing to help out with a post during our preseason kick-off prior to the A to Z sign-ups, We have decided to continue to accept more special guest posts beyond January 6th if anyone else wants to contribute something.

         We'll reprint your Reflections from last year or we'll post something brand new.  We have a number of posts that were written especially for the upcoming campaign.  One you won't want to miss is the special Christmas A to Z post that appears on Tuesday December 13th that comes courtesy of Hilary Melton-Butcher , done in that unmistakable style of her usual blog posts--it's great fun.

        That's just a preview of what's to come.  Just about everything anyone would want to know about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge will be found over the next four or more weeks.  There are plenty of tips on what to do to make the Challenge better.   In fact, much of the information you'll find can be helpful in everyday blogging and not just Challenge blogging.

         Perhaps more importantly these guest posts will help those who did not participate in the previous Challenge to know what it's all about.  We encourage all of you to mention this blog series on your blogs, as well as any social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and so on.  Get the word out.  Blogging from A to Z classes start next week and there's a lot to be learned.

         Also, if you're looking for something to write a blog post about, you can always blog about the A to Z Challenge.  Many of you have done so already.  Thank you, Susan Kane at thecontemplativecat for a great post on November 22nd.

          Excitement is building as we look forward to the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  Check this blog daily starting next Monday December 12 to show your fellow bloggers support for their posts.  Tell others about this campaign.  And let us know if you'd like to be included with a guest spot in January--there are several days available for that .

          Thanks to all of you for your support!

Related articles

• Coming Soon: Your A to Z Stories (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Show Your Support! (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Preparing Ahead for April (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Spreading The Word (a-to-zchallenge.com)

Coming Soon: Your A to Z Stories

            Starting December 12th we'll be hearing stories on this blog Monday through Friday until January 6th.  These will be stories from you who participated in the 2011 Challenge.   There will be repeats of some of your reflections posts from the beginning of this past May.  Also if you would like to submit a post about the A to Z Challenge experience we would invite you to do that as well.

             It's time to start hearing from you, the ones who made the 2011 Challenge the success that it was.  If you would like to give your permission for us to reprint your Reflections post then email us at arleebird at gmail dot com.   We will reprint it here on the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Blog and link back to your blog.  It provides this blog some content that will help others and it will give your blog some of the recognition it deserves.

           Likewise, if you would like to submit a special guest post please send us an email at arleebird at gmail dot com telling us what you would like to write about and when you can get it to us.  Once again it's your blog advertised here, you are helping the A to Z cause, and we link back to your site.

            We're open to just about anything you want to write about and in any format.  We want to build the buzz as we near the day when the A to Z sign ups start.  Can you help us make the 2012 A to Z Challenge even more amazing than the Challenge of 2011?

            On Monday December 12 we'll be posting the 2011 Reflections from Julie at Empty Nest Insider to kick off our campaign.  Julie is the inspiration for this concept and we'd like to give her credit for the idea.  We appreciate her interest and enthusiasm concerning the 2012 Challenge.

           So, please, let us hear from you.  Send us an email to give us permission to reprint your reflections or to suggest an idea that you'd like to talk about on the A to Z Challenge Blog.   Please include the link to your Reflections post to make it easier for us to locate it.  If you would like to participate please let us know by Tuesday December 6th.  That's next week so don't tarry.  Once the days are filled we will stop taking submission requests.  Let us know ASAP.

            Then, let others know about this blog.  If you are not yet a  member please sign up and encourage others to do the same.  If we post your A to Z Reflections or your guest post, we will let you know when it will go on line so you can let your readers know about it.

             April will be here before we know it.  It's not too early to start building for success.  And a huge thank you to all of you A to Z bloggers who are dedicated to the success of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge of 2012.



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Giving Thanks to Those Who Blog from A to Z

Art by Ada Z

          As we head into the Thanksgiving Holiday for those of us in the United States I feel it an appropriate gesture to give thanks to all of you who participated in the 2011 Blogging from A to Z Challenge this past April.  You did a great job in the Challenge as well in the months since then as you have been spreading the word about this event.

          Also, here's an advance thank you to all who will be participating in and helping out with the next Challenge of 2012.  Thanks to you this upcoming Challenge will be bigger and better than ever.

          You have surely noticed the A to Z artwork that has been illustrating most of the posts on this blog as well as on the sidebar.  Some of these samples have been showing up on your blogs as well.  In case you are wondering, our official A to Z artist--the appropriately named Ada Z. (Z is for Zdanowicz)--has been experimenting with badge designs.  I want to thank Ada for her wonderful artistic talent as well as her patience in coming up with a design.   We hope to finalize the official badge very soon.

          Thanks to Sue at TraverseLife.  She is going all out on A to Z promotion as she plugs it on her second blog.  Be sure to stop by to check out what she's done.  While you are there at her blog make sure you tell her thanks.  Perhaps you can use her post as a model for doing something on your own blog.

            And finally, thanks to anyone I haven't mentioned who has posted something about the A to Z Challenge.  Let me know if you have posted something or plan to post something in the future and provide me a link so I can acknowledge it here.

            Thanks to one and all!

Next Tuesday November 29 there will be a special A to Z announcement.  Don't miss it!



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