It's the Holiday Season...
It is the most wonderful time of the year - especially to be a polyglot! My fellow polyglots and I all over the world joined together to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season! I am so thrilled to have such talented colleagues all around the world. Thanks to the Internet, we are able to connect, inspire, learn, and grow with one another. I am so thankful that everyone who I asked said yes to participate in this project! Please make sure to follow along with all of our multilingual adventures - you never know which language we will be speaking next! 
Meet the Polyglots Ikenna - Polyglot, music producer with a passion for music from around the world YouTube Lina - The Busy Linguist (I’ve mentioned her videos here on my blog before!) YouTube E-Book Bryce - Finite Languages Website YouTube Lindsay - Lindsay Does Languages Website YouTube (Check out her latest Language Stories video!) Azren - Azren the Language Nerd YouTube Kamila - Polyglot’s Diary Website YouTube Rye - Rye Talks to the World Website Anne - The Californienne Website Nikki - Speak at Home Tonight Website YouTube How to Say Merry Christmas in Twenty Languages
Make sure to like, comment, and share the video! Let us know your favorite way to say Merry Christmas :) P.S. There are only a few spots remaining if you’d like to take advantage of Speak at Home Tonight’s New Student Special. Can't wait to see you soon!
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Heute - Today Heute ist Freitag! - Today is Friday! Seit ihr bereit für das Wochenende? - Are you guys ready for the weekend? Ich schon! - I sure am! {Deutsch/German} Hallo! Wie geht's euch heute? Heute ist Freitag. Also ich bin bereit für das Wochenende. Ich kann nicht warten. Was macht ihr am Wochenende? Was machst du am liebsten? Schläfst du gerne? Oder gehst du in die Stadt? Was machst du? Lasst mich wissen! Wir sehen uns. Tschüss! {Englisch/English} Hello! How are you all today? Today is Friday. So, I am ready for the weekend. I cannot wait. What are you all doing this weekend? What do you like to do most? Do you like to sleep? Or do you go to the city? What do you do? Let me know! See you. Bye! 
As always, let me know if you have any questions and stay in touch with me here, over on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and check out the secret videos over at Patreon! 
When is St. Nicholas Day 2017? This year, St. Nicholas Day is Wednesday, December 6th, 2017. Every year on this day, people named Nicholas, Nicole, Nichole, Nikola etc. celebrate their name day. Who is St. Nicholas? The true story of Santa Claus begins with St. Nicholas who was born in 270 AD. He was a bishop in Asia-Minor (Modern day Turkey). 
Saint Nicholas was Person Who Helped Those in Need His wealthy parents died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God. I love following the Blessed is She Instagram account and I took a screenshot of this story they shared the other day that really helps us understand St. Nicholas' life and deeds and why he is so beloved. One day, he heard of an impoverished family with three daughters. They had no dowries and were going to be sold to slavery. Mysteriously on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home - providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, early awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. 
How is St. Nicholas Day Celebrated in Poland? In many Polish households, the morning of December 6th, is referred to as Mikołajki in Polish. Children find small gifts under their pillows, in their slippers or (nowadays more and more often) in a stocking carefully hung out for that purpose the evening before. The gifts are usually tiny – small toys or sweets are the most popular option, since bigger presents are still yet to be given on Christmas Eve, by the very same person – Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas or Santa Claus. So, why does he visit Polish kids twice a year? In the past it was on the Saint Nicholas feast when the little ones received gifts, and Poles generally did not hand out presents on Christmas Eve. With time, when the Western customs of giving major gifts around Christmas started to reach Poland, it became natural that Mikołajki is just a prelude to bigger celebrations starting on December 24th. How is St. Nicholas Day Celebrated in Germany? On the night of December 5 (in some places, the evening of Dec. 6), in small communities in Austria and the Catholic regions of Germany, a man dressed as der Heilige Nikolaus (St. Nicholas, who resembles a bishop and carries a staff) goes from house to house to bring small gifts to the children. Accompanying him are several ragged looking, devil-like Krampus, who mildly scare the children. Although Krampus/Knecht Ruprecht carries eine Rute (a rod), he only teases the children with it, while St. Nicholas hands out small gifts to the children. In some regions, there are other names for both Nikolaus and Krampus (Knecht Ruprecht in northern Germany). When I was an exchange student in Germany, Saint Nikolaus and Krampus both made a personal appearance at my host family's home. Krampus mentioned to children and parents in the neighborhood some things the children did well and also some itmes they misbehaved as a reminder to listen to their parents. Nikolaus and Krampus don’t always make a personal appearance. In some places today, children still leave their shoes by the window or the door on the night of Dec. 5. They awaken the next day (Dec. 6) to discover small gifts and goodies stuffed into the shoes, left by St. Nicholas. This is similar to the American Santa Claus custom, although the dates are different. Also similar to American custom, the children may leave a wish list for Nikolaus to pass on to the Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas) for Christmas. How Croatians Celebrate St. Nicholas Day In northern and central Croatia, St. Nicholas (Sveti Nikola) brings gifts to children on his feast day, December 6th. It is the main day for gift-giving. On the night of December 5th, children polish their boots until they gleam before placing them on a windowsill or near the door to wait for the saint. St. Nicholas fills well behaved children's shoes with candy, fruit, dried fruit and gifts. Krampus, who comes along with the saint, leaves golden twigs for naughty children—the worse the behavior, the larger the twig. Don't worry though - every one gets a twig as a warning; every one gets sweets as well! 
What is a Name Day? A name day is the day that corresponds to a date in the Catholic calendar when the respective saint's day is celebrated. When it’s your name day, you are congratulated by a large number of people. This is especially true in European countries and it is SO nice. This is due to the fact that the date of birth is seldom known and the person's name is known to many. This is extra true for me because my name day is a well known and oft celebrated day of the year. Name Days in Poland aka Imieniny Traditionally, name day celebrations (Polish: imieniny) have enjoyed a celebratory emphasis greater than that of birthday celebrations in Poland. However, birthday celebrations are increasingly popular and important, particularly among the younger generations. Imieniny involve the gathering and socializing of friends and family at the celebrant's home, as well as the giving of gifts and flowers at home and elsewhere, such as at the workplace. Local calendars often contain the names celebrated on a given day. How I Celebrate My Name Day I have a slightly complicated history with my name. When I was younger, all of my Polish-American friends had really cool, super Polish names. I was born in the United States (first Generation American here), my parents decided to name me a more American name. Nowadays, Nicole and Nikola are popular, well known and used names in Poland but when I was growing up, it just sounded so American to me compared to my sister's name Dominika and our friends Paulina, Malvina, Klaudia, Katarzyna, Magda, Camila, Agatka, Patrycja. The other thing you might notice is that girls names in Poland end with an a. Even though my parents, of course, Polish-ified my name to Nikusia, Nikola, and Nikolka, It technically didn’t end with an a and that bothered me. I love all variations of my name and I love celebrating my name day on St. Nicholas Day every year. My husband always makes sure I get a visit from St. Nicholas (and Krampus too) which still surprises me every year! I make sure to leave a (tall!) boot out on the night of December 5th. Last year, I got a twig in my boot as well as tickets to the aquarium. We had so much fun! 
Do you celebrate your name day? Do you know when your name day is? Let me know and if you want to find out when your name day is, ask me below and I’ll find out! Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube & Patreon for all the latest! 
The Best, Thoughtful Gifts As we approach the end of the year, we have a lot of occasions coming up where we get together and celebrate with friends and family. Today, I'm rounding up my absolute favorite maps and globes which make the absolute PERFECT gift for everyone. I'm talking as a hostess gift, I'm talking for your boyfriend, I'm talking for your father-in-law who is difficult to shop for or for your mother-in-law who has everything. Or as a thoughtful, personalized gift for your bridal party. Or even for nieces, nephews, Godchildren, or any of the kids in your life! I own every single one of these items and love them enough to keep them in my tiny home (in which I have very limited space). When you love to travel, you can never have enough maps. It is so much fun to study geography by looking at a huge map on your wall rather than watch TV. SERIOUSLY. Learning is cool :) Without further ado, here are my favs: 
For your Partner: This to scale National Geographic world map makes the perfect gift for your partner (this make a great 1st anniversary present as well since it is made out of paper that is laminated). It's under $50 and looks so much more luxe. When we lived in Slovenia and didn't have a TV, we used to just "watch" this map. I absolutely love it and you can see it as my background in most of my lessons and videos! 
For the children in your life: (This also makes a great gender-neutral baby shower gift!) This colorful map is educational, beautiful, under $50 and kids love the animal paintings. 
For your bestie/sister/brother/friends who you will most definitely go to Paris with one day :) This vintage Paris map in a simple black frame is such a chic gift for anyone in your life. The map itself is less than $10 and that is including shipping! It looks completely authentic and helps you get to know all of the arrondissement so you can prepare for your next trip! 
For Your In-Laws/Aunts/Uncles/Teachers/Babysitters/Hostesses/Bridal Party: Personalized globes from my friend Cassie’s small business Blush Design Company! Each globe is gorgeously hand lettered which makes such a great gift that is beautiful to display (and inspirational too!) Each personalized globe is $49. 
For anyone headed to Zagreb, Croatia Town Tales Zagreb which is a super fun game for tourists and travellers to explore Zagreb in a fun, interesting and challenging way. You get a handy map of Zagreb with a recommended walking tour and a deck of 54 illustrated cards. Your goal is to follow the cards around Zagreb, complete challenges and have a huge amount of fun while interacting with locals. The game is EUR 18.50. This was 100% created by our best man, Lovro, who is just the greatest. He drew each of the drawings on the cards! Incredible :) 
For your boss babe, freelancing, entrepreneur friends: Support small business owners by purchasing a personalized cuff or necklace featuring the name of a favorite city, their business, or a hashtag they can relate to from Carolyn at Simply Southern Baubles. This is not sponsored - I just love supporting my fellow small business owners! A personalized cuff is $28. 
Speak at Home Tonight
Finally, I have to mention Speak at Home Tonight's New Student Special that will only be available until Dec. 31st, 2017. Get a gift certificate before prices go up. They are valid for 1 year. What is the best, most thoughtful material gift you've ever received? Let me know below and remember to stay in touch with me here, over on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and check out the secret videos over at Patreon! |
Nikki PršaPolish-American Polyglot, Language Expert, German Teacher, M.Ed., married to my dream guy, the Croatian Sensation. Let's connect! 
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DISCLOSUREI aim to provide as much free content as possible to help teach others around the world how to speak another language. I am trying out using affiliate links, which means that I may earn a tiny commission if you click on a link or make a purchase through a link posted here. All opinions and materials are my own, unless otherwise stated. If you use and like my materials, let me know! :)
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