Festive Spirit
Celebrating 5,000 Writers on Medium with Exclusive Carols and a Heartfelt Surprise 🎄✨
🌟💖 Hey there, Medium Community!
I’m sending all of you big hugs filled with love and thanks for joining me on this amazing journey. In this post, I’ve mentioned you — writers I hold dear and look up to, as well as some whose awesome work I’ve just come across. This is my way of giving each one of you a special nod.
Please read to the end and drop a comment with a traditional tune from your neck of the woods. Let’s spread the holiday cheer and celebrate how different our traditions are! 🎶
To those who celebrate, Merry Christmas! 🎄💖✨
And… if you’d rather not be mentioned in our posts anymore just let me know. 🌟💖🎉
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Reflecting on a Year of Writing and Community
Eighteen months have passed since I began my Medium adventure, twelve months of FOM, and a year of New Literary Society — a period packed with countless stories reading marathons, and the excitement of connecting with numerous new creators.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our editors, Sal Gallaher and D. Denise Dianaty for their crucial support, efforts, and direction.
Our group has given us power in both our work and personal lives.
We’ve just hit 600 Readers and have about 200 Writers.
We’ve conducted great Author Interviews with writers from all corners of the globe, most of which now exist in Romanian. We’ve also run the Summer Memoir Contest and have the Winter Wonders Drabble Contest in progress. Plus… we’re getting ready for the second round of featured stories and for new projects in 2025.
And now… to boost our mood even more, let’s dive into some Christmas Carols, which I put into English a while back, and tweaked and enhanced last year.
Also, don’t forget to stick around till the end for a literary treat.
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A Joyful Celebration of Romania’s “Goat” Carol: Traditions, Tunes, and Festive Spirits
Who doesn’t love a good party? And what better than a party that’s steeped in tradition, alive with music, and brimming with good humor?
Welcome, my friends, to the sparkling celebration of the New Year in Romania — a time when we embrace the rhythm of jingles and drums and get swept away by the Goat Carol.
Now, you might be thinking, “A goat… at a New Year’s party?”
Well, yes! This is no ordinary party and certainly no ordinary goat.
It’s a delightful dance ritual, dating back to our agrarian roots, performed to usher in fertility for the coming year.
Picture a charming little goat, decked out in carpets and jewelry, prancing about from household to household, spreading cheer and prosperity. It’s quirky, it’s fun, and it’s one of our most beloved New Year customs. So, let’s take a closer look at this unique tradition and see what makes it tick.
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Verse 1
From the mountain comes the goat,
With a small white star, afloat.
Antlers adorned with branches wide,
Some large, some small, a scenic guide.
On the mountain, flowers sway,
Where shepherds let their goats graze.
My goat, with beads and charm so fine,
She’s a beauty, truly divine.
A lovely goat, as you will see,
With a carpet and headwrap, fancy and free.
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Chorus
Tsa, tsa, tsa, little goat, tsa,
The Carpathian deer passed by,
To dance with all, oh, how they fly!
With a carpet adorned so bright,
Starry lanterns illuminate the night.
On fields with blossoms so petite,
On waters with pebbles sweet,
From hooves, a spark does play,
Opening paths along the way.
The world rejoices, heart at play,
Tsa, tsa, tsa, little goat, tsa.
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Verse 2
With a carpet and a headwrap too,
For the upcoming year, we sing anew.
May only goodness reach our ear,
In the coming year, and many cheer.
The goat from the mountain comes,
With white stars on her head, it sums.
This, a true goat, I state,
Tsa, tsa, tsa, little goat, tsa!
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Chorus
Tsa, tsa, tsa, little goat, tsa,
May the hosts grant you your due,
And your goblet fill with brew.
Come, little goat, let’s dance away,
Tsa, tsa, tsa, little goat, stay.
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Verse 3
As many shingles on the roof,
As many coins beneath, a woof.
As many feathers on the cocks,
As many children with charming locks.
As many flowers in the orchard bloom,
As many coins in the chest, a room.
As many coals in the oven burn,
As many cattle in the pen, they churn.
Speak, my friend, but speak with glee,
Count the blessings that you see.
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Chorus
May the hosts grant you your due,
And your goblet fills with brew.
Come, little goat, let’s depart,
Tsa, tsa, tsa, little goat, start.
Outro
Tsa, little goat, tsa!
Source: www.crestinortodox.ro
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Final Thanks
A special thank you to all our fantastic Writers, Followers, and Friends for being the heart of our community. I have something special for you…
Although the New Literary Society will not accept new Author Interview submissions until (probably) March 2025, the first writer to respond will have the opportunity to be featured in a promotional interview. Also, keep in mind that we’ll translate the interview. Don’t miss out — this is my way of thanking each one of you for being… you!
Stefan Cringusi , ILJO , Dorin Merticaru , sea-at-sunrise , Aria Grey , Dr James Smith , Derek Morgan , The Momma Dom ~ Playing With Myself And Loving It! , Tina , MCristina Content by Maria Cristina DeBriyn , Mukundarajan V N , El-yadirf Adokauhil , Samiksha Shrivastava , Jordan Lubov , Ann Marie Steele , J. C. Smith , Gloria Lesher , KASATA – TechVoyager , Sammy Naicker , G.P. Gottlieb , Varju Luceno , Mandy MacKearney , Sergii Starodubtsev , Dr. Anirudh Anilkumar , J.M. Troppello , Bruno T. , Bertha Elena Valdivia S.B. , Mark Calee , Ulf Wolf ,
Kaushik Rajan , Diane Nilan , Judy Walker , Unyime Anthony , B.R. Shenoy , Kit Tara , Gael MacLean , Lori Stratton , Atmo Advait (pen name) BlissFlip , Fiona’s Story ❤️🔥🧟♀️🌈 Pregnant & Broke , Wiseword Breakthroughs , Ai WanderingNut News and Blog and Cooking , BarboraAfrica , Sam & Kate , Lindy Vogel , Ugonma E , Mark Boyle , Ashely L. Crouch , Ivannan Pandian , Sara Flower , Lukman Aufbau , Gören , Annelise Lords , Neli Ivanova , Muhammad Kashif , JA Martin , Celeste Wilson , Kamal O. Touhami , Claudia Faith , Pamela Landolt Green , K. M. Lang , Rolando Ochoa , Jeff Eagle , Kris Downey , DIY Affiliate Soul Journey , Oksana Kukurudza’s Sunflowers Rarely Break , D BOHICA , Debra G. Harman , Ms Fischer , Thomas Wedge , Olena Chyrkova , Doctor Gargarian , Dr. E.R. Báez , Steve Dalton , Manisha Dhalani , NRWillick , Sylvan Ember | @thejonmyers , titis.app
Please, clap, engage, and… stay tuned for the next Christmas story…! But, most importantly, a profound thank you to each one of you. Your unwavering support has been invaluable.
If you’d like to support my projects, feel free to show some love here:
Julia Kalman 