Around Town

Events are listed by date, then type. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to sport@list.co.uk for sport or morag.bruce@list.co.uk for all other events. Listings compiled by Morag Bruce.

Glasgow

Talks

Chris Masterton: Seeing is Believing chlicld Si Sicplicn‘s (‘hurch (‘cntrc. Zoo Bath Sti‘cct. 332 28%. 2.15pm. ln lll\ journc} \ through .\’()+ countricx. Ro) al Scottish Photographci' ol~ thc Ycai‘ 2004. map pnhlislicr and guidc (‘hrix Maxtciton hax \ccn thc prcxxurcx and challcngm that pi‘ogrcxx hax hrought to natch popliluliolix. llc L‘UlllL‘\ to talk ahout his uork altcr~1li )C;ll'\ ol‘picturc—taking.

Activities & Events

Cafes Philosophiques Alliance l‘i‘aiicaixc tlL‘ (ilaxflou. 3 Park ('ii‘ciix. 33‘) 428]. 4.30 ()plll. £3 £5. .\ l-i‘cnch tllxctixxioit group on plllltixnplllt‘ttl (lllL‘\llUll\. llighcr l-"rcnch l'L‘L‘llllllllL‘lltlL‘tl.

Soon

Glasgow Warriors v Bath Rugby l’ii'hill Stadium. 7.30pm. 'I’hc might} \Vari'ioi'x inch that lot from Bath uho'll prohahl} nccd oiic al'tci‘nartlx.

Monday 1 9

Activities & Events

Evening of French Christmas Song Alliancc l"i‘;iiicai\c dc (iltixgtm. 3 Park ('ircnx. 33‘) 4231. () 7,3(lpni. l‘rcc. Bring )our omi holtlc and conic along to join in this night ol' l-i'cnch (‘hrixtinax songs. Jti}L‘ll\ Niicl.

Wednesday 21

Talks

Curator’s Favourites Burrcll (‘ollcciion Juno l’ollokxlitm‘x Road. 387 255i). l2.3llpni. l’i‘cc. .\ talk on Rodin'x "I'hc Hchnctinakcik \Vilc' h} Rohcit \\'ciilc_\.

ACilVlileS & Events

Seasonal Tales for a Victorian Fireside (iallcr) ol' Motlcrii .-\rt. ()uccn Strch 32‘) l()()(). 4 8pm. l'i'cc. :\n opportunit} l‘oi' \\ l‘llL'l'\ to galhci' togcthcr and \hai‘c ltl_\lll\. l'olklorc. pocim and \toricx ol' a l'cxth c naturc. Il' )ou arc intci'cxtcd in [k‘l'ltil‘llllllg plcaxc ciiiail lllill't‘\llL'l‘ltlll(l(0 _\ahoo.co.uk as rcading \lot\ will hc liltiilc‘tl.

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THE ROOT OF TRADITION

li/(i/it sonioo/io i‘o lii’gii'io ‘.‘.’/l<’?’7 log," Tut's- f,"7.'_‘~ .' and i’oii'vo stood oo :1 liol". Pagans iw'io coining illt?’7‘. .‘$.1‘, [-3 f-- '

Arie/i0 Russo.

Amidst the ever-increasing commercialisation of Christmas it’s hard to believe that our present day festivities have a strong pagan influence. In fact, our current Christmas celebrations are a mixture of Christian and pagan traditions, but trappings such as Yule logs, mistletoe, holly and ivy are all pagan in origin.

The pagan Midwinter festival takes place around 21 December, traditionally the shortest day of the year and the darkest night. Today’s tree lights and candles hark back to the days when fires and candles were lit to brighten the dark days of midwinter. Fires were lit to keep evil spirits at bay and also to renew the power of the sun around the time of the shortest day.

But who doesn’t relish the task of decorating the Christmas tree? This relates to a pagan tradition of putting lighted candles on pine trees that had lost their

Saturday 24

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leaves, so that light could be provided for woodland spirits who sheltered underneath the bare branches. Our modern Christmas tree is evident of the ancient devotion to trees, but quite what our pagan ancestors would make of us chopping down so many of them is hard to say.

The Yule festival is symbolically a time of renewal and rebirth; evergreens like holly, mistletoe and ivy are significant as they represent fertility. Mistletoe has long been associated with paganism and is considered a magical plant because it grows between the sky and the earth (unusually for a plant, is not rooted in the ground). Its white berries are said to be the seed of the pagan god and so the plant is associated with fertility and sexuality. Anyone for a kiss under the mistletoe?

The traditional Yule wooden log was ceremoniously carried in from the woods on Christmas Eve to provide warmth and light for the festive season. In fact, the burning of the Yule log is a relic of ancient bonfires that characterised the Yule festival. Thankfully, in modern times the Yule log survives only in symbolic form in a chocolate-covered log shaped cake, much easier for your teeth.

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Fairs

Bastille Taverne Market li;i\lillc 'l‘avci'nc. (i3 .-\i‘g_\ lc :\i'c;itlc. III 8‘) l 7. llain Spin. .\ chancc to hit} cool ax a cucunihcr art. clothing. cralt and ltltltl in linic l'or that big \pccial tla) ihai'x happcning at thc cnd ol‘ thc month. No Sltttlc‘ gtltll'ulilL‘L‘tl. (it) [U

u \\ u.llicxcai'citlcal\c‘ii.uk l'oi‘ (lL‘lllll\ oi hou to gct lll\()l\L‘tl.

Wednesday 4

Activities & Events

Curator’s Favourites Buri'cll ('ollcclion. Jooo l’ollokxhaxxx Road. 35'" 3550. l3.3()piii. l‘rcc. Rchccca Quinton lookx at \Ultlt‘ Stuart nccdlcuoi‘k caxkcix li‘oni Ihc collcction.

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nqomq Glasgow Activities 8. l.‘."(?lilf§

Film Discussion Group lllll 1* lit-t (ilaxgou l'lllll 'l'licalic. l.‘ l\'i\\c \iit-cl. 33 MIN. (i. 3llpiii. \lccl lll‘ \\ illi liliii \kllli'l l'tltlic Ilaiiixoii ]‘ll|\ otlici llllll l‘llll\ t‘\\'l\ \ccontl \\t‘t|iic\tl.i} lo may \‘l‘lllli‘lh .iiai [it'lct'l‘lliilh l‘l lt‘t't'lll It‘lt'.:\\‘\ ill l‘illll ailhoiixc .iinl lug lilot'khimci llllll\ Glasgow on Ice l niil \.-.i Siliiai'c. 501 1.731, lllaiii ll’l‘lll l" .ol! pcaki L” illil loll [\‘Jh '5‘ \tliaiict' lo pci'lccl tom liiioiit'llcx mi .11 It'mi .lllt‘llll‘l iiol lalliiig' oii tom lacci .l\ l icoifrc \tiii.iic\ opcii .iii icc iiiik icliiiiix loi .tIli‘lllt'l van Irn-Bru Christmas and New Year Carnival l lllll \iiii l‘ ,l.lll Illi'l \iiii l)cci. SI (1 3. l Illlll\'\l\'ll ()iiav ll.\ ‘ll lllll llllll). tl‘ L‘l" ll \Mtllltllll lic ('liiixliiiax \\|llltllll lzuiopc'x higgAl lllilt‘ill llllll.lll

\i l)\.\ (Il\.“il.l\.

M‘lll .ltllt'llJllll l‘llllll‘lll}‘ .lllkl )oiii luiiiiii) t‘liiiiiaing'.

Tchai-Ovna Games Society \Vctl Il tk \\t-.l .‘\ lict lchai ()\n.i. lo) l)c'.lll\ltlll |)ii\-.~, lil‘l ',‘5i\ iiooii Finn. l'i'cc. l’la} go. t'llt‘\\. llt.ill ioiig and man} olhci gaiiicx. \o lhio\\ ing lhc l‘l‘.'.l\l up in .i hail lciiiiici' il too low lhoiig'li.

Victorian Christmas in the Park Sat

lit-c lit‘ll‘lllitlhli‘ll l’aik. Hcllahouxlon limo. ll.iiii. l’ollock ('ounti} Park. I 3lliini. \iiii l\ licc \ icloiia l’aik. \ icioiia l’ai'k l)|1‘-t'. \\ hit-cinch. ||.iiii. (il.i\go\\ lioiaiiic (lazilt-iis. (jut-en \l.ii;'.nci How. I 3llpin

‘\ ' h 3 ‘li lit- li.iii\i\oitct| hack iii liiiic lll|\ t 'liiixliiin .lll\l lcaiii .ilioiit llic l\‘\ll\\‘ ll.itlll|i‘|l\ ol oiii \ icioi'iaii .iiiccxloh .l\ llic IN \\I [lit-.ilic ('oiiiliani \lagc .i \ci'icx ol iliciiictl H|\‘ll .ni pciloiiiiaiiccx lhioughoul ilic cll_\

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