The Garden of Unearthly Delights: Christmas Special
Welcome to The Garden of Unearthly Delights: Christmas Special. This is the place where anything can exist, the weird, the wonderful and the just plain scary. All sorts of stuff is in here, some of it may even be of interest! You just never know.
Feel free to have a a poke round and if you come across a piece of roadkill that takes your fancy, poke it with the toe of your boot, give it a lick, stroke it a little, take it home and call it Erik...
Feel free to have a a poke round and if you come across a piece of roadkill that takes your fancy, poke it with the toe of your boot, give it a lick, stroke it a little, take it home and call it Erik...
St Nick
The feast of St Nicholas is on December 6th named after a rich Bishop who lived in Myra (now a part of Turkey) in the 4th Century.
According to the story he took pity on same poor people and lobbed some bags of gold through their window. Some say that he chucked it down the chimney and it fell into a shoe or stocking which had been left to warm.
According to the story he took pity on same poor people and lobbed some bags of gold through their window. Some say that he chucked it down the chimney and it fell into a shoe or stocking which had been left to warm.
Christkindl
During the 1600s, the Germans thought they would reinvent the year-end celebration and turn it into some religious bash, so they came up with the idea of celebrating the birth of the Christ Child, or Christ Kindl.
Over the years, colonials have bastardised this to Kriss Kringle, an alternative name for Santa Claus.
Over the years, colonials have bastardised this to Kriss Kringle, an alternative name for Santa Claus.
Must visit website!
This web site is just the thing if you're feeling a bit under the weather, as many of you are, judging by the look of you!
You, in the anorak, you look as if you've been moon-bathing and you, at the back, definitely have several Level 4 notifiable diseases, I'm sure.
So, enjoy website of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta GA. It has an A-Z that you may find very useful when filling in your sick note.
Point your browser at www.cdc.gov and have fun finding out what exotic diseases you have.
You, in the anorak, you look as if you've been moon-bathing and you, at the back, definitely have several Level 4 notifiable diseases, I'm sure.
So, enjoy website of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta GA. It has an A-Z that you may find very useful when filling in your sick note.
Point your browser at www.cdc.gov and have fun finding out what exotic diseases you have.
Coke Santa
The popular image of Santa as a red-suited, black booted; white-bearded, chubby little bundle of loving and giving was actually a creation of the Coca-Cola Company.
Back in 1931, they needed an image for their Christmas advertising campaign, so artist Haddon Sundblom came up with the Captain Birdseye wannabe.
Back in 1931, they needed an image for their Christmas advertising campaign, so artist Haddon Sundblom came up with the Captain Birdseye wannabe.
La Bafana
La Befana was an old Italian woman who once delivered presents to children. The story has it that she was visited by the Three Wise Men and invited to pop along and see little baby Jesus. Befana, who had lost a child to the plague, was too upset to go along so the Wise men left without her.
However, after they had left, she changed her mind, hopped on her broomstick and gave chase. She never did find them but legend has it that every time she came across a good child's stocking she filled it with toys and sweets. Bad children got their stockings filled with coal.
However, after they had left, she changed her mind, hopped on her broomstick and gave chase. She never did find them but legend has it that every time she came across a good child's stocking she filled it with toys and sweets. Bad children got their stockings filled with coal.
Sinter Klaas
The visit of Santa Claus has not always been regarded as a good sign.
For little Dutch children, the prospect of a visit form Sinter Klaas was enough to scare them out of their clogs.
The Dutch Santa had a little helper called Black Peter whose job it was to whip children who had been naughty. When Dutch migrants took the legend to the States, they left Black Peter behind.
For little Dutch children, the prospect of a visit form Sinter Klaas was enough to scare them out of their clogs.
The Dutch Santa had a little helper called Black Peter whose job it was to whip children who had been naughty. When Dutch migrants took the legend to the States, they left Black Peter behind.