funkoma vintage*the recycled life: Cozy Plaid and that Xmas thing...

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Cozy Plaid and that Xmas thing...

Not all plaids are tartans.......but all tartans are plaid....at least they are now....2 McQueen tartans from Alexander McQueen, used in charming ways.

Late fall, all of winter, because of the dark days and the Holidays makes me desire plaid even more.

Tartan is a check pattern made of crossed horizontal and vertical lines or threads in multiple colours. We think of Scotland when we hear "tartan". Did you know the word plaid, is from Scottish Gaelic plaide, meaning "blanket"?
Early forms of tartan have a history dating to pre-Roman times. Hallstatt culture, dating to 400 BC - 100 BC, produced tartan-like textiles in Central Europe and when the Celts entered the British Isles, they brought their talents and culture along.
Here's a list with pretty pictures of almost 400 tartans !!
Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the highland tartans were associated with either regions or districts, rather than by any specific clan....Highland.......Lowland......This was because tartan designs were produced by local weavers for local tastes and would tend to make use of the plant-based dyes available in that area. Want to know more? Turn to your trusty friend, Wikipedia. and donate some $$ to Wiki...You can be Scotch.....just $10. bucks will do.

The Scottish Register of Tartans was established by an act of the Scottish Parliament in 2008, to protect, promote and preserve tartan. The Register is a database of tartan designs, maintained by the National Records of Scotland.

Dress Stewart is very popular, right? here it is. Jaunty 60s wool cap, and a vintage CPO shirt in a soft brushed wool.

OK. Now on to Christmas. Why are the traditional colors of Xmas.....Green and Red?
When Christianity started taking over ancient cultures, Christians took rituals from their pagan days and incorporated them into their "new" Christian beliefs and traditions.
Pagans celebrated Yule during the dark winter months and the colors of Yule are red, green and gold.
So we have the Yule log...a huge chunk of wood, or a tasty cake made to look like wood....faux bois.
December 25th was celebrated by Roman people who would hang wreaths of holly, with its red berries. This festival was to welcome back the sun at the time of the winter solstice. Its name is " natalis solis invicti", Birth of the Invincible Sun.
Pagans used evergreens in their homes as symbols of life during cold dry dead winters. Nothing smells so good, or looks so hopeful...as a lovely spray of evergreen foliage......or hey, how about a tree brought inside for some cheery cheer. And grog. And mead.

Xmas = Christmas, and ignorant modern people have been told that Christ is being driven away from Christmas which is....drivel. Back in the old old old old days, most peasants and many wealthy people could not write or read or spell. So...Christ was written as X. Now it makes sense, don't it? Don't be ashamed to write Xmas. I do it all the time..and I'm a Preacher's Kid!
the other explanation is this--- The X actually comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of Χριστός. which translates to ..... Christ.

Hey look!! Vintage Converse Christmas Holiday Sneakers !!! in Red and green....and in Plaid!! woo hoo......we came full circle.