7 April 2009

Share Your Traditions - to win a double pass to the National Folk Festival

| johnboy
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[First filed: April 01, 2009 @ 08:49]

The National Folk Festival (Running at EPIC from 9-13 April) wants to hear about people’s traditions. Which means this is your chance to talk about yourself! (Everyone’s favourite topic)

Some of the sort of stuff they’d like to hear about include (but are not limited to):

    •Does your family have a tradition of music, playing together or joining in song to celebrate important occasions?
    • Do you still make a favourite treat according to Grandma’s ‘secret’ recipe?
    • Did you learn the skills of the family business from your parents, or have you taken up their interest in collecting or in a particular hobby?
    • Do you have a secret passion for writing poetry, painting or photography – with only your family and closest friends aware of your hidden talent?
    • Are your birthdays, Christmases and New Year’s Eves marked with a quirky tradition that’s unique to your family or your culture?

So, blaze away in the comments. The most interesting commenter will win a double pass to the Festival. (Make sure you note in the comment if you’d like to be eligible, competition closes COB Friday 3 April)

Photo by Lushpup Images.

UPDATE: To save trouble I farmed the task of selecting a winner back to the Folk Festival’s media office who came back with this judgment:

    Very impressed by Mickle’s craft tradition and Thumper’s Anzac tradition… it’s tough to go past bloodnut’s Canberra-to-coast commentary… and I almost feel like I miss deezagood’s Aunty Martha as well…

    But I think the prize has to go to Sunbeam for the double-barrelled effort of song lyrics and the salad tradition…

Here’s Sunbeam’s effort for the benefit of the front page brigade:

    traditions?
    Free tickets to the folkie?
    I’ll be in that, for sure…
    In fact, I’ve even written a song about my family’s Christmas-time traditions! here are some sections from it…

    Buying a tree from the rspca
    Sharing a picnic down by the lake
    Watching a slow moving high front on its way
    Presents to give and fruitcake

    Making excited phone calls overseas
    Watching the cricket eating cherries
    Having a snooze dreaming of a cool breeze
    Driving for days and days to be with family

    Laying a wreath at your grave
    Making a salad in your name
    Bagpipes and the Edinburgh Tattoo
    Last minute shopping – anything will do – as long as it’s shiny and new…

    🙂

    …and just to explain the “salad in your name” line – which is also the title of the song: my mum always makes a salad at Christmas that is/was the favourite salad of a relative who can’t be with us or who has passed away. It’s a touching and delicious way of remembering loved ones.

    cheers

Sunbeam has expressed a great deal of delight at having had one over bloodnut.

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Is this ‘Sunbeam’ of fire-twirling Sunbeam???

Congratulations sunbeam – well deserved!

Cletus 2 said :

Fair call.

Well my tradition is to participate in the global capitalism machine. It is an age old tradition that has been refined and perfected over many centuries by my ancestors. The art has been handed down by word of mouth (and also a small amount of indoctrination). I spend about 40 hours per week turning my little wheel. I spend countless hours consuming other, mostly useless, knick knacks that come out of this machine. I don’t have to care about my neighbours or my village or even my family. The machine takes care of them. The machine has a few invisible controllers who wield its ultimate power, but I don’t really care because it feeds me and gives me “TV”. I’m told I’m free to go whenever I like so it can’t be that bad. Apparently there are some people being killed on the other side of the world, but I’m pretty blasé about it because the machine told me those people hate me and want to kill me… besides, they started it.

I continue to uphold this tradition like my father, and his father, and his.

Or isn’t that folky enough for you?

Yours was much better.

Topical.

Funny too.

I like the way it ended.

Does flaming count as a tradition?

Tickets. Please.

A tradition of being wowsers … how quaint!

Fair call.

Well my tradition is to participate in the global capitalism machine. It is an age old tradition that has been refined and perfected over many centuries by my ancestors. The art has been handed down by word of mouth (and also a small amount of indoctrination). I spend about 40 hours per week turning my little wheel. I spend countless hours consuming other, mostly useless, knick knacks that come out of this machine. I don’t have to care about my neighbours or my village or even my family. The machine takes care of them. The machine has a few invisible controllers who wield its ultimate power, but I don’t really care because it feeds me and gives me “TV”. I’m told I’m free to go whenever I like so it can’t be that bad. Apparently there are some people being killed on the other side of the world, but I’m pretty blasé about it because the machine told me those people hate me and want to kill me… besides, they started it.

I continue to uphold this tradition like my father, and his father, and his.

Or isn’t that folky enough for you?

Let’s talk about our traditions rather than partaking of them eh?

Myself, I look forward to the airing of grievances.

I’ll kick it off early this year: bloodnut, I hope you weren’t serious? I don’t think the point was to make an unfunny running commentary of mundane things you do when driving to the coast. Also, keep in mind that Holden bogans also think Ford bogans are bogans. Like the blind leading the blind really… or throwing rocks at one another.

Let the airing commence.

jayz bloodnut.
i think i might make a song from that list.
🙂

Every Christmas, our family buys and drinks a carton of West Coast coolers (errrck) – in memory of my departed Aunt. Aunt Martha (devout Christian and life-long canteen lady) had never touched a drop of alcohol until that first memorable Christmas that West Coast coolers were available. She downed about five of them like they were soft drink (I think maybe somebody told her that they were actually soft drink…), got smashed, and goosed all of the non-blood-related men in the family (including my very surprised Dad). She also flashed everyone during present unwrapping. Best Christmas I ever had. We all still really miss Auntie Martha.

Ours was a small tradition – on each of the children’s 5th birthdays, I would hire a costume and dress up for their party – so over the years I have been a pirate (arrrr), a chicken (buck buck), a cat (meow hiss) and a fairly pov humphrey bear look-a-like (no sound apart from the soft clapping of big furry hands). The kids and their friends loved it – I can recommend it to other families.

Forty-Two Traditions to be Observed Between Canberra and the South Coast

By Bloodnut

1. Boardies. Thongs. Beach towel. One change of undies. Mozzie repellent. Aloe vera. Suncream – check.
2. Late model Ford – check.
3. Summertime-super-heated-seatbelt buckle on pale soft creamy exposed belly skin – check.
4. Dickson BWS. Express delivery of one case and a five kilo bag into empty Eski.
5. Argue underlying ethics of passenger consumption of cold beer while Driver remains sober.
6. Make ‘la-la-la-la’ noise at Driver while covering ears – continue drinking beer.
7. Head along The Federal. Left to Bungendore. Ignore alternative route through Queanbeyan. Dad reckons this way is quicker. Never actually checked though did you?
8. Remove circa ’97 mix-cassette-tape from glove-box.
9. Laugh at poor bastards that now have to work at HQJOC.
10. Double check for fast moving trains at Bungendore level crossing. Check again. Check once more to be sure.
11. Check once again before proceeding.
12. Police car passes. Check speedo. Hide beer bottles under shirts.
13. Pay espects the graffiti rock wishing Darren happy birthday.
14. Dispute claims that Braidwood makes ‘best pie in Australia’.
15. Agree it is simple a marketing tool employed by boutique cafes to describe any food where the main ingredient is offal and the margin between preparation of what constitutes ‘good’ and ‘bad’ is infinitesimally small.
16. Subsequently request pie from Braidwood bakery.
17. Driver cites step 8 as grounds for refusal.
18. Make soft moaning noises while passing Mustang parked at The Model Shop.
19. Give The Bird to recklessly overtaking Commodore.
20. Discuss potential for the legislative name change of vehicle to ‘Commonwhore’, referencing fact that every bogan dickhead has one.
22. Pass pooh corner. Question why it used to be such a big deal.
23. Dare mates to check whether the newly erected toilet block by the bridge in Batemans is still a gay beat.
24. Consume several trays of oysters at the Boatshed.
25. Suggest to mates that now might be the best time to check whether the newly erected toilet block by the bridge is still a gay beat.
26. Refill empty Eski.
27. Proceed to _________ Beach.
28. Change into shorts, thongs and singlet.
29. Move TV and Eski to front verandah.
30. Apply liberal aloe vera to burnt window-arms.
31. Add repellent to ankles.
32. Turn on cricket.
33. Beer – check
34. South Coast – check
35. Dickhead mates – check

Tickets. Please.

My family has a strong tradition of drinking loads of wine at Christmas and birthdays, having a raucous good time…and then shouting at each other and sulking til the next family event.

I’m not sure about passing this tradition onto the next generation.

Mickle said :

There is a very strong tradition of crafting in my family, and it’s a tradition we, as a family, are extremely proud of. Sewing, needlework, crochet and knitting have been the predominant crafts, from my great-Oma, my Oma, my mum, my grandmother and now me. When I create something useful or beautiful out of fabric and yarn, I feel that these strong women are with me every stitch of the way, guiding my hands and helping me remember how things are done. After all, they are the ones who taught me and continue to teach me, and now one of the things I most enjoy about my hobby is the ability to teach others who also want to learn.

PS Didn’t read all the roolz. Yes, I’d like to eligible for the double pass thanks.

There is a very strong tradition of crafting in my family, and it’s a tradition we, as a family, are extremely proud of. Sewing, needlework, crochet and knitting have been the predominant crafts, from my great-Oma, my Oma, my mum, my grandmother and now me. When I create something useful or beautiful out of fabric and yarn, I feel that these strong women are with me every stitch of the way, guiding my hands and helping me remember how things are done. After all, they are the ones who taught me and continue to teach me, and now one of the things I most enjoy about my hobby is the ability to teach others who also want to learn.

Inappropriate11:13 am 02 Apr 09

I’m still undecided if I actually want to go to the NFF.

It is very important, Thumper.

DarkLadyWolfMother6:56 am 02 Apr 09

THeLotus, I did a couple of bellydancing courses through the Erindale College Community Education Program. Look here to see what they’re offering.

Full Disclosure: I’m only associated with Erindale College by way of being a student at their Adult Education classes. Unfortunately, they pay me no commission of any sort for pointing people their way.

was ‘serious entries’ at me? it did ask for granny’s secret recipe…

How could a shit-hot salad maker not be cool, young Sunbeam?

granny: i dunno if my mum’s all that cool, but she’s a pretty shit-hot salad maker, that’s for sure… 🙂

Serious entries please people.

my great grandmother used to make steak and kidney pie for her husband, so my [paternal] grandfather demanded as his birthright this pie, so my grandmother used it regularly for several decades (she also made the most sensational custard tart!). the steak and kidney recipe is a family secret that is made regularly; the twists being that of course grandfather/s and father were master butchers [happily an occupation eschewed by this and future generations] and offal generally is a much loved culinary trait of the [astro’s family name]s. yum, and what a delicious tradition to have!

We have a tradition in my family of wrestling kangaroos out of the house wearing nothing but our favourite Bonds undies.

We traditionally ignore each other as much as possible.

Does that count?

I love the salad tradition, Sunbeam. Your mum sounds pretty cool!

: )

I don’t have a song, but do want to tickets and have an old old traditional family recipe for a gingerbread made with black molasses that I am willing to share (is just spectacular with prunes in port and cream).

We also have a very strange New Year’s Eve tradition of having a dark haired male carrying a lump of coal being the first person across the threshold each year!

traditions?
Free tickets to the folkie?
I’ll be in that, for sure…
In fact, I’ve even written a song about my family’s Christmas-time traditions! here are some sections from it…

Buying a tree from the rspca
Sharing a picnic down by the lake
Watching a slow moving high front on its way
Presents to give and fruitcake

Making excited phone calls overseas
Watching the cricket eating cherries
Having a snooze dreaming of a cool breeze
Driving for days and days to be with family

Laying a wreath at your grave
Making a salad in your name
Bagpipes and the Edinburgh Tattoo
Last minute shopping – anything will do – as long as it’s shiny and new…

🙂

…and just to explain the “salad in your name” line – which is also the title of the song: my mum always makes a salad at Christmas that is/was the favourite salad of a relative who can’t be with us or who has passed away. It’s a touching and delicious way of remembering loved ones.

cheers

I like the photo of the belly dancers. I would be interested to know which school they are from if anyone knows. I am considering taking up belly dancing.

thx for any info.

Does handing down the tradition of extreme denial count?

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