Lady Grace Hay Drummond-Hay’s 1928 Christmas card.
Lady Drummond-Hay mailed these cards shortly after her first zeppelin flight in October, 1928, when she a passenger on the first transatlantic flight of LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin from Germany to America.
Grace Drummond-Hay and Karl von Wiegand in control car of LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin
A true zeppelin pioneer, Grace Drummond-Hay was also a passenger on Graf Zeppelin’s 1929 Round-the-World flight and Hindenburg’s maiden flight from Germany to the United States in May, 1936.
I would like to share with everyone some ancient Latvian Christmas music to enjoy over the Holidays. The Latvian word for Christmas is ZiemassvÄ“tki which translates directly in English as Winter Fest. It comes down from the pre Christian celebrations of the winter solstice also known as Saulgrieži literally “the sun’s turningâ€. Associated with the ancient Latvian celebrations are the “Kaladu†songs. “Kaladu†has no English translation. I have two renditions of one of the better known and more popular “Kaladu†songs – “Sidrabiņa lietiņš lija†(A Silver Rain Fell). The song has its origins in Latvian mythology. Unlike other ancient cultures where the solar deity was masculine and the lunar deity feminine, in ancient Latvian culture these were reversed. Saule (Sun) was a female deity. Her husband was MÄ“ness (Moon). They had several beautiful daughters, the Saules Meitas. My translation of the lyrics is literal. I translated the word “lija” as “fell” rather than “rained” to accommodate the English. The word “vedÄ“jiemi†a conjugated form of “vedÄ“jiâ€, I translated as “bridegroom’s kinâ€. In a traditional Latvian wedding, “vedÄ“ji†are relatives of the groom and either conduct the ceremonies or bring the bride to the wedding.
Here is a more contemporary performance by LÄ«ga Priede:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMGcmaMs34
Here is the same timeless melody performed on the traditional Latvian instrument, the kokle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hMVENvm2W0
The lyrics:
Sidrabiņa lietiņš lija, ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
ZiemassvÄ“tku vakarÄi, ka-la-dÅ«, ka-la-dÅ«!
Visi sÄ«ki žagariņi, …
Sidrabiņu vizinÄja, …
Visu nakti sveces dega, …
Sidrabiņa lukturosi, …
MÄ“nestiņis ceļu rÄda, …
Saules meitu vedÄ“jiemi, …
Saule deva savu meitu, …
No veļiemi Å¡ai zemÄ“i, …
Translation:
A silver rain fell ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
On the Eve of Winter Fest ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
All the small switches ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
Carried the sliver ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
All night the candles burned ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
In their silver lanterns ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
The Moon shows the way ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
To the Sun’s daughter’s bridegroom’s kin ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
The Sun gave her daughter ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
From the spirits of the departed in this land ka-la-dū, ka-la-dū!
Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus! Literal translation – Happy Winter Fest otherwise understood in Latvian as Merry Christmas!
Dan:
Lovely card. Thanks for sharing. I’d like to take this time share these two recipes for the Holidays. I had to do something with the left over kirschwasser from the Pauline Charteris Hindenburg cocktail.
Kirschwasser Chocolate Mudslide:
1½ oz heavy whipping cream
1 oz Godiva Chocolate Cream liquor
1 oz Kahlua
¾ oz DeKuyper Kirschwasser
1½ tsp DeKuyper Michigan Cherry
1 cup ice
Combine heavy whipping cream, Godiva Chocolate Cream Liquor, Kahlua, DeKuyper’s Kirschwasser and DeKuyper’s Michigan Cherry. Beat until things start to thicken and rise. Do not over beat the mixture or the heavy whipping cream will start to separate out as butter. When the mixture has started to thicken and rise, combine in blender with 1 cup ice. Blend till you get a good thick mixture. Pour into glass and garnish with whipped cream and maraschino cherry or garnish anyway you like.
Here is an alternate recipe for the Kirschwasser Chocolate Mudslide:
1½ oz heavy whipping cream
1 oz Original Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 oz Kahlua
¾ oz DeKuyper Kirschwasser
1½ tsp DeKuyper Michigan Cherry
1½ Squares of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate 72% or greater cacao
1 cup ice
Chop up the 1½ squares of dark chocolate. Combine the chopped dark chocolate, heavy whipping cream, Bailey’s Original Irish Cream, Kahlua, DeKuyper’s Kirschwasser and DeKuyper’s Michigan Cherry. Beat until things start to thicken and rise. When the mixture has started to thicken and rise, combine in blender with 1 cup ice. Blend till you get a good thick mixture. Pour into glass and garnish with whipped cream and maraschino cherry or garnish anyway you like.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!