On this strange, shortest day of the year, when the world of course did not end but nevertheless continues its alarming drift into polar melt, I just hope that miraculous creatures like the Venezuelan poodle moth are managing to survive.

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The post Winter solstice appeared first on Ouno Design.

Other perhaps some other pagan holiday options? Perhaps we could consider Saturnalia. Or, if it must be organized religion, then the Flying Spaghetti Monster whose mockery-loving followers are known as Pastafarians.

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The post It’s Christmas, time to put the tinfoil antlers on the camel appeared first on Ouno Design.

These are a few of my favourite things. Above, a white painted branch with Kraft-paper wrapped gifts is a minimalist advent calendar, by the inventive DIY Brigg from Norway via The Style Files.

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The post Brown paper packages tied up with string appeared first on Ouno Design.

This is my Holiday post, but I’m referring to the Pastafarian holiday known helpfully as “Holiday.” ‘Pastafarians’ for those who don’t know the term are followers of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (or FSM), the spoof religion invented by American physics graduate student Bobby Henderson who launched his own ‘church’ as a challenge to the Kansas School Board’s attempt to teach creationism in schools. 

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The post “Around the time of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, Pastafarians celebrate a vaguely defined holiday named “Holiday.”” appeared first on Ouno Design.

I hope that whichever winter festival you celebrate, it is happy. Here in Vancouver we will remain buried under three unheard-of feet of snow, waiting helplessly for the thaw and staying clear of the roads, since Vancouverites don’t know how to drive in it.

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The post Snow! appeared first on Ouno Design.

The customary greeting of the Roman winter holiday season sounded like “Yo, Saturnalia!” (The latin word “io” is the equivalent of the prayerful “Ho” in ecclesiastical English, as in “Ho, praise to Saturn.”) Saturnalia was a carnivalesque winter festival celebrating the god Saturn’s birthday and it encompassed the winter solstice, running from December 17 – 23rd.

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The post Io, Saturnalia! appeared first on Ouno Design.