Scott J MillerFeb 16
Ciara
‘Oxveckorna.’ Now there’s a word I needed, but didn’t know existed until now. ‘The ox weeks.’ The long, dark, featureless weeks between New Year and Easter when there are no public holidays, and everything’s dull, and the weather is harsh, and you just trudge to and from work, day in, day out. The weeks when you slog through every day like a toiling ox. Tack, my Swedish friends, for naming the concept.
Feb 15 at 3:14pmWeb
Show threadshomFeb 15
@CiaraNi Fika all day during Oxveckorna because nothing is hygge (a little Norwegian assist)!
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@shom It's why hygge was invented, to get us through these weeks. Coffee, certainly, but also candles and blankets and hats with the cosiest of ear flaps.
Show threadshomFeb 15
@CiaraNi speaking of coffee and blankets... I need to get out from under the latter to make the former. I'll bring you a cup, stay hygge!
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@shom Ha - milk, no sugar - mange tak!
Show threadshomFeb 15
@CiaraNi both are milk, no sugar. Your pick!
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@shom Aw thank you! Those look delicious. I'll have the smaller cup, please and thank you ☕ 🙂
Show threadAnnieFeb 15
@CiaraNi Oh yes...🥱☁️☁️🌧️🌨️
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@theappletree Those are all the right emojis! The snow is kinda wearing thin now, right enough. Well, the ice and the too-long-uncleared pavements are, at least.
Show threadAnnieFeb 15
@CiaraNi Everything is so very true!
Show threadRay McCarthyFeb 15

@CiaraNi
We have (St) Brigid (recently added) and St. Patrick's* days, two of Ireland's three patron saints.

[* Patrick became popular during late 17th C due to Lent getting stricter, because a Feast Day over-rides a Fast. Canny folk here. However he never cast out the snakes and is unlikely to have had to use a shamrock (from Irish for young clover) to explain the Trinity. See Celtic Triple Aspect.
There are 2 Brigids. One is a fire goddess. Same day.]

Show threadCiaraFeb 15

@raymaccarthy The addition of Brigid's Day as a public holiday stung a little seen from Denmark because it was introduced just as one of the Danish public holidays ('Great Praying Day', please don't make me explain that) was removed. Am delighted Ireland got an extra one, at least.

There's no October bank holiday in Denmark either, so we're fierce deprived of a free day off in these current Ox Weeks and the short-dayed weeks between Summer and Christmas.

Show threadRay McCarthyFeb 15
@CiaraNi
How can a public holiday be removed without riots and cars burning in the street(Belfast, Derry, Dublin and France?).
And January is sooooo long. About 5000 days?
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@raymaccarthy This is why January is named after someone two-faced -- the days are both very very short and very very long. And yes, at least 5000 of them.
Show threadElaine SanfeyFeb 16
@CiaraNi @raymaccarthy Does Denmark give days in lieu for public holidays that fall on a weekend? My Swiss and Italian colleagues were surprised that Ireland does this because their countries don't. I pointed out that we only had 9 public holidays (at the time), so to lose one or two would be unfair. They each got about 15 with all the weird religious sounding ones that Ireland never had.
Show threadCiaraFeb 16

@elainesanfey No days off in lieu in Denmark either when the moveable-feast public holidays land on weekends. When Christmas Day and Stephens' Day fall on a Saturday and Sunday, it's called an 'Employer's Christmas'. But then again, there are a fair few public holidays here in Summer plus a minimum of 5 weeks of paid leave, typically 6, so we haven't really too much to moan about in the grand scheme of things.

@raymaccarthy

Show threadElaine SanfeyFeb 16
@CiaraNi @raymaccarthy that's terrible about the Christmas days. I rely on the fact that no matter how it falls I only have to take 3 annual leave days to not have to work between Christmas and new year.
Show threadCiaraFeb 17

@elainesanfey On the plus side, it feels like a lovely win in the years when the public holidays do fall on weekdays. But otherwise yes, it is great to have a fixed system where you always know that three days of leave always gives you a full Christmas week off.

@raymaccarthy

Show threadAmy KirkFeb 15
@CiaraNi Christmas Day and New Years Day are the only public holidays my workplace is closed for. For me, all year is 'oxveckorna'
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@CottonCandyandRazorblades Ah, that is pretty difficult. Hardly any free days off at all so. We are lucky and privileged here.
Show threadCaz MockettFeb 15
@CiaraNi oh yes. This definitely resonates. 😭
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@cazmockett It really does, doesn't it. I fell upon the word like a long-lost friend when I heard it for the first time ever today. Every year, I have needed it and not known it existed.
Show threadCaz MockettFeb 15
@CiaraNi those Swedes are wise 😊
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@cazmockett I wouldn't want them to hear me admit it, so just between you, me and the internet: yes, agreed, those Swedes are wise
Show threadCaz MockettFeb 15
@CiaraNi 🤫🤭
Show threadProjektionsytaFeb 16

@CiaraNi

I heard you... But the Danish are also very wise, possibly even wiser than the very very wise Swedes. 😉

@cazmockett

Show threadCiaraFeb 17
@projektionsyta @cazmockett Now all we need is for a very very very very wise Norwegian to enter the chat 🙂
Show threadCaz MockettFeb 17
@CiaraNi @projektionsyta 👀🇳🇴🇳🇴🇳🇴
Show threadTobiasFeb 15
@CiaraNi Maybe that's why the (west) Germans put their Carnival in that time…
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@krono Every little happening helps!
Show threadTobiasFeb 15
@CiaraNi I'm from eastern Germany, I can't stand the jollieness xD
Show threadCiaraFeb 15
@krono Haha - 'we'll be having none of that 'joy' nonsense'
Show threadTroed SångbergFeb 16

Tagging the ox himself for knowledge spreading of this wonderful and festive period: @llamasoft_ox

@CiaraNi

Show threada stinky ox 🐂Feb 16
@troed @CiaraNi well it is true that the weather in these days has made me grunt and moo rather more than usual! 🐂
Show threadCiaraFeb 17
@llamasoft_ox @troed 🙂