Kissing Under the Mistletoe

Have you kissed under the mistletoe yet this year?  Or if you’re a single woman, have you put a sprig of it under your pillow yet this year?  Kissing under it will bring you good luck, as we know, but did you know that putting it under your pillow will allow you to dream of your Prince Charming?

Frigga, Norse goddess
of love and beauty.

These legends are thought to have originated in Norway with the Vikings.  It is said that Balder, the son of Frigga, the goddess of love and beauty, was killed by a dart poisoned with mistletoe.  Frigga then cried so many tears they changed mistletoe berries from red to white and raised Balder from the dead.  Frigga was so grateful she kissed everyone from then on who walked under the mistletoe.

Mistletoe was a mysterious plant to early civilizations because it has no roots of its own.  It is a parasitic plant that sprouts from bird feces and can eventually take over and kill its host trees.  

Norway's history is steeped in Viking mythology and Norse legends and a beautiful, picturesque Scandinavian country to visit.

Our Ideal House Guests

Our two student house guests from Germany left yesterday to commence a bus tour to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, Las Vegas, etc.  Don't get me started on a rant about why this country can't have a decent - or any - high speed rail system to get us from beautiful place to place and tourists have to resort to days and days along dusty desert roads on a crowded bus.  It's just not right.

They will return after their bus trip to stay with us through the end of September, and we're delighted.  E and K, our guests, have been ideal visitors.  Believe me, we've had vacationers from overseas who won't try Mexican food, don't like the beach, are afraid to speak their (almost perfect) English, and think everything in their country is superior.  This is not E and K.  One of the first things they said they wanted to do when they got here was, "Go to an American football game and eat hot dogs and ice cream!"  Love it.  Love it!  That will happen at the end of the month since football season hasn't started yet, but we took them to a baseball game, fully adorned in team regalia, and ate popcorn and chili dogs.  They were ecstatic.  We sojourned to the beach, the pool, the outlet mall, the supermarket (always interesting to foreigners), the amusement park, and to Ruby's American Diner where they took pictures of their burgers and milkshakes.  The two of them ask lots of questions about our customs and slang and schools and family life.

I know my children are learning from E and K's fine example not only how to be charming house guests but also how to appreciate different cultures.  Now my kids will be just a little more encouraged to try the escargot in France (well, maybe not - maybe just the bouillabaisse), or read the Norwegian folklore, or play the cavaquinho, or join the polka dance.  I like that.

We had a gorgeous day at the beach.

Movie Monday: Song of Norway

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To Europe With Kids presents Movie Monday as a weekly feature to recommend films that might expose children and their families to any small bit of European history, folklore, scenery, or animated imagery as entertainment, perhaps new knowledge, or just a couple of hours of electronic babysitting.

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Just because this movie flopped at the theaters when it was released in 1970 doesn't mean you can't watch it for it's exquisite Norwegian scenery and spark a little Scandinavian wanderlust in your children.  Kids adore musicals, and Carol Brady - I mean Florence Henderson - is in it, so what's not to love?

Song of Norway is a biography of Norwegian composer and pianist Edvard Grieg's early life.  It tells the story of his struggles to find recognition for his classical music in the late 19th century.  The songs in the movie, based on Grieg's, aren't bad, nor is the singing, but the plot is where the musical falls apart.  It tries too hard to imitate The Sound of Music and just doesn't exude the same enchantment.

Watch Song of Norway for the snow-capped mountains, the sweeping fjords, and the Norwegian villages, landscapes, and folk costumes, all shot on location in beautiful Scandinavia.

Other Movie Monday posts:

Sound of Music

The Waltz King

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates

When in Rome

Julie & Julia

Percy Jackson & the Olympians:  The Lightning Thief

Madeline

Winning London

The Secret of Roan Inish

Mary Poppins

Hogan's Heroes

The Moon Spinners

Heidi

Animated Heidi

Around the World in 80 Days

Anastasia

The Great Muppet Caper

National Lampoon's European Vacation

Young Sherlock Holmes

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Star Wars:  Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

I prefer to be the harbinger of easy and enjoyable travel to Europe, but if it's not a volcano, it's a record-breaking snowfall causing trouble.  London's Heathrow airport, the world's busiest international airport, is closed.  Flights are delayed and cancelled in Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin.  Rail travel is stalled in most of Europe.  Many travelers' Christmas plans are ruined.



I can't help thinking about my Christmas trip to Adelboden, Switzerland, next year, with EIGHT high school-aged Girl Scouts in tow!  Sleeping for days on a cot in an airport with a group of very disappointed girls would break my heart (not to mention my patience.)

To keep up the Christmas cheer, let's remember the countries in Europe that can handle snow and ice with ease and beauty (I did not take these photos):

Ballachulish Western Highland, Scotland

Copenhagen, Denmark

Helsinki, Finland

Iceland

Lofoton Islands, Norway

Stockholm, Sweden