Merry Christmas around the world

Joyeux Noel et Bonne Anne'e!

(Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in French)

Polar Bear Flocke celebrates his 4th Birthday

at the Marineland Aquatic Park

Antibes, France

photo by Eric Gaillard

So many wonderful traditions from so many different people groups.

Let's see a few celebrations of Christmas and the holiday time,

around the world.

1500 school children dressed as Santa Claus

Chennai, India

photo by Babu

Nave sal di mubaraka

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Punjabi,

spoken in  India and Pakistan

Christmas decorations in the

Piazza Venezia, Rome, Italy

photo by Filippo Monteforte

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Italian.

North Bondi lifeguards on Bondi Beach

Sydney, Australia

photo courtesy of www.nydailynews.com

Merry Christmas, mate!

or

'ave a good one, mate!

Merry Christmas in Australian.

(We in the USA always knew they couldn't speak proper English!)

Santacon, 2011

Trafalgar Square, London, Britain

courtesy Luke MacGregor

Happy Christmas!

Merry Christmas said in Proper English by the British!

(Yeah, okay, the British always knew we couldn't say

Merry Christmas in proper English either!)

Malaysia Aquaria, 2011

Kuala Lampur, Malaysia

courtesy of Bazuki Muhammad

Selamat Hari Natal

Merry Christmas in Malay, the official language of Malaysia,

although they have 139 languages spoken there!

Snow in Saint Petersburg, Russia

2011

photo by Alexander Demianchuk

Pozdravlyau s prazdnikom Rozhdestvai

c Novym Godom

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Russian.

a Palestinian nun during Christmas Morning Mass at

the Latin Church of Visitation,

West Bank, Israel

photo by Al-Zababdeh

This photo was a bit tricky to credit a language to, as the West Bank is still in the hands of the Fatah (a Palestinian group) but Israel is the occupying force.

I think.

It gets confusing!

Since I have already had an Arabic Merry Christmas,

how about one in Hebrew?

Mo'adim Lesimkha

Shana Tova

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Hebrew.

the main language of Israel,

although Arabic is a secondary official language.

That's a lot of Merry Christmas's!

- and plenty of Happy New Year's thrown in!

I would like to finish with a sweet Christmas Celebration coloring page.

Perhaps this is the best way to show a tradition that we have nothing to do with.

All of creation (including animals and birds) say

Merry Christmas

to their Creator -

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU TO

http://www.thetoymaker.com/

FOR THE LOVELY HEART AND HOLLY SWAG ILLUSTRATION

Santa Claus around the World

Sung Tan Chuk Ha

(Merry Christmas in Korean)

decorating the Cheonggyecheon stream,

Seoul, South Korea

http://www.nydailynews.com/

I have had a little fun this morning checking out pictures of Christmas

and Santa Claus from around the world.

I found a very nice picture stream at

http://www.nydailynews.com/

Here is another fun picture from Seoul, South Korea

with 2 divers in the Coex Aquarium having a bit of Santa Fun -

yep, those are Santa scuba diver outfits!

Here is a die-hard water ski fanatic,

Maryland National Harbor, Maryland, USA

nydailynews

Evidently some people cannot celebrate Christmas

without getting extremely cold and/or wet!

(I do not count myself in their group! Give me a nice warm fire....)

These popsicles are in the frozen Oranke Lake, Berlin, Germany.

They belong to an ice swim club "Seehunde Berlin".

and yes....that looks like a Mrs. Claus bikini to me!

Another waterlogged Santa:

feeding a sea turtle in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Although it IS nice to remember God's creatures on the special event

of God's gift to us - Jesus Christ.

"Woodland Santa"

A wonderful painting by one of my absolute faves -

Scott Gustafson.

You can find his incredible paintings at http://www.scottgustafson.com/

Why not try your hand at drawing Santa Claus?

Thanks to Dover Publications for sharing!

I'm sure you all know that 'Santa Claus' is called many different names

throughout the world.

In many Eastern European countries,

he is called "Grandfather Frost"

and is accompanied by the "Snow Maiden".

Grandfather Frost (Ded Moroz) and the Snow Maiden (Snegurochka)

Minsk, Belarus

a Russian Saint Nicholas

Here is a traditional (to the USA) Santa Claus,

enjoying some extreme skiing -

Tim Lawler dressed as Santa Claus

Crested Butte, Colorado, USA

That's close to my stomping grounds!

a Palestinian boy lights a candle at Christmas Eve mass,

Gaza City, Palestinian territories

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas,

When it’s mighty Founder was a child Himself.”

--Charles Dickens

Jirasartwitthay elementary school -

Ayutthaya, Thailand

I have enjoyed this bit of international Santa Claus

and I have much more to share, later!

Have a great day,

and buy a small present for someone you don't usually give a gift to!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

A mahout with his elephant at

Multi season free paperdolls

Hi!
Today I want to share with you some paperdolls that have clothes for different seasons, as opposed to a paper doll with clothes dedicated to one season.
Enjoy!

This bear set is by a wonderful paper doll artist, Pat Stahl.
I have several of her 'people' paper dolls for another day!
Private use only please.

A different paper doll bear set!

A foreign made paper doll next - sorry, I don't know what country.

Do you?

Let me know!!

my comments section is SUPER EASY now.

no joining.

no signing up.

no hassle.

only me gets to see first!

this next one I think is from Spain.

I just love all the different costumes in it!

Luba is a Russian set of doll and costumes -

Sugar and Spike are from an old cartoon series.

While I realize this is a "Halloween" set, they have a very versatile grouping,

so I decided to include them!

Coming up is a great set for you to color on a rainy day -

The last three pages of paper dolls I have today are from Germany -

Most if not all of these paperdolls are probably under a copyright of some kind.
Use them for your personal use, and have lots of fun!
DON'T print/scan/adjust and think you can sell them. You can't.

Budget Craft ideas:

Let these images inspire you to make costumes for yourself or some little ones.

Why not print out some, cut and then make greeting cards out of them! Your recipient will have a one of a kind handmade-by-you card to treasure.

You could print out several and attach to yarn/string for a budget home decorating idea.  Wouldn't that be cute in a child's room? Hang the garlands over the top of curtains for a window topper.

You can also print and spray glue a solid color cardstock to the back. Then lamate them together and cut out. Great idea for a mobile in your sewing room, or again in a little girl's room. Go for all boy paper dolls and costumes, and you have a fun decoration for your boy also!

So many ideas jumbling around in my head....
:0)
until tomorrow,
inkspired
http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/



International Musings

kia ora

(pronounced kia o ra)

Maori, literally meaning 'be well/healthy',

but translates into an informal "hi".

I really really like this graphics of the world and its peoples.

So many times we forget that we are all connected.

That's part of the reason I have enjoyed opening my blog with a "hello" or "Good day" in different languages.

Share it with a few people and chances are

you just might remember it!

I like this photo because it shows the world from a different perspective. Do any of you Americans own anything

(jewelry, clothing, scarf, etc.)

that shows the world NOT from the North American perspective?

How about you Europeans?

Do you own anything that shows your world

as NOT from the European angle?

Think about it!

Sooo.....

let's have some international fun today!

"world"



recycled bottlecap magnets or necklaces

with Art Nouveau alphabets

completely hand colored by inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

Japan:

a simple Japanese shore scene

yoshitsune samurai

Garden staircase, Kyoto, Japan

recycled bottlecap magnet by inkspired

Canada

Here are some absolutely GORGEOUS gardens in Canada:

Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada

Halifax Public Gardens created in 1836



another Canadian Garden

"We want to raise our children

so that they can take a sense of pleasure

in both their own heritage

and the diversity of others."

- Mr. Rogers aka Fred Rogers

I would like to share with you

a wonderful, vintage set of paperdolls from OrigamiBears.

Here are the first four:

July 14th is France's Bastille Day.

Holland:

Dutch windmill

"The purpose of life is to listen -

to yourself, to your neighbor, to our world

and to God

 and, when the time comes,

to respond in as helpful a way as you can find...

from within and without."

- Mr. Rogers

Russia:

You can find this book on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Babushkas-Mother-Goose-Patricia-Polacco/dp/069811860X/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310580744&sr=1-6#_

Traditional Russian Babushka Dolls

also called Matryoshka Dolls

Make this your desktop computer background.

After a few weeks, you should recognize all of them!

Turkey:

Istanbul, Turkey

"Peace means far more than the opposite of war!"

 - Mr. Rogers

I will be doing more of the countries from this paper doll set

"10 Dolls from as Many Lands"

c.1934

on future blogs.

Have a super duper day!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com