Silvester! - Happy New Year!!!

 Happy New Year to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Hanka Koebsch
"Schwertlilien in Blau und Violett"
"Irises in Blue and Violet"

Frank says to this picture:
"Die Idee für das Aquarell Schwertlilien in Blau und Violett geht auf einem Ausflug in unserem Dänemark Urlaub zurück.
Im Juni kann man in vielen Gärten, Park und auch so manchem Wegrand Schwertlinien (Iris) bewundern. Sie haben majestätische Blüten in ganz unterschiedlichen Farben."

"The idea for the watercolour Irises in Blue and Violet originated during a trip to Denmark on our holidays.
In June, you can admire irises in many gardens, parks, and along roadsides. They have majestic blossoms in a wide variety of colours." 

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. 

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Let me introduce you to the word for New Year's Eave in German:
Silvester!

The association of the end of the year with that name comes from the word Forest man, from Latin *silva*, meaning forest, and  dates back to 1582. At that time, the Gregorian calendar reform moved the last day of the year to the anniversary of the death of Sylvester I († December 31, 335). And so, that name stuck, not only in German but also in other languages, especially in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

In Low German, we say: Ooldjahrsavend. This means the evening of the old year.

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There is a lot of superstition about this time of the year. I just saw this joke on the internet: One of my grandmothers always told me I should not go into the new year with dirty laundry. My other grandmother said it is unlucky when you wash "between the years".

And that is the last info about it. From Christmas to New Year, we live between the years, the old one is as good as over, the new one has not yet begun. Do you have those sayings in your languages?

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I wish everyone a happy new year with the words of a wise woman:

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." Oprah Winfrey

🕛 I wish you all a Happy New Year! 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ 🕛