About Me

Wednesday 31 December 2014

Tuesday 30 December 2014

Υπάρχει τρόπος


Αν έχει σβήσει το φως στη ζωή σας, τότε υπάρχει τρόπος να το ανάψετε ξανά!
Δώστε του εαυτού σας το πιο πολύτιμο δώρο για το 2015!
Το δώρο της ζωής, το δώρο της αγάπης!
Υπάρχει τρόπος! 
αννη

Tuesday 16 December 2014

Colour


Η ζωή σας μπορεί να είναι όσο χρωματιστή, όσο εσείς διαλέξετε! 
Αλλά για να μπορείτε να διαλέξετε τη πολυχρωμία, 
είναι καλά να δώσετε του εαυτού σας το χρόνο να μάθει πρώτα!
αννη 

Your life can be as colourful as you choose it to be! 
But in order to be able to see colour in your life, 
it will be good if you give yourself the time to learn how to do it!
annie

Monday 15 December 2014

Kατάθλιψη




ΕΡΩΤΗΣΗ
Κ. Αννη
Σας γραφω εδω για να με συμβουλεψετε
Εδω και ενα χρονο περιπου εχω χασει ολη μου την ενεργεια και νιωθω συνεχεια κουρασμενη. Ειμαι μονο 29 χρονων αλλα νιωθω 80!
Δεν εχω ορεξη για τιποτε, ουτε να βγω, ουτε να ειμαι με κοσμο. Η μητερα μου λεει οτι εχω καταθλιψη και να παω σε γιατρο να μου δωσει χαπια. Εγω δεν θελω να παρω χαπια.
Τι με συμβουλευετε εσεις
ΚΑ

ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΗ
ΚΑ μου σε ευχαριστώ για την ερώτηση σου.
Η κατάθλιψη είναι απλά μια στάση ζωής, μια επιλογή, μια κραυγή για βοήθεια! Όταν δεν μας έχουν μάθει τρόπους να αντιμετωπίζουμε καταστάσεις στη ζωή μας, τότε λειτουργούμε με ένα αρνητικό τρόπο και το αποτέλεσμα είναι τα συμπτώματα που αναφέρεις εσύ πιο πάνω.
Το να μπορεί να αντιμετωπίσει κάποιος διάφορες καταστάσεις στη ζωή του χωρίς να καταρρέει, είναι το τι ονομάζεται Συναισθηματική Ευφυΐα.
Όσο πιο ψηλό δείκτη Συναισθηματικής Ευφυΐας έχουμε, τόσο καλύτερα μπορούμε να να αντιμετωπίζουμε καταστάσεις στη ζωή μας. Αντίθετα με το IQ, η Συναισθηματική Ευφυΐα μπορεί να βελτιωθεί σημαντικά και να αυξηθεί ο δείκτης.
Για να γίνει αυτό το άτομο είναι καλά να αφιερώσει χρόνο, πρώτα να μάθει πως και μετά να αρχίσει να τα εφαρμόζει στη καθημερινότητα του. Και μετά βλέπουμε τα θαύματα!!
Είσαι πολύ μικρή για να επιλέξεις να ζήσεις τη ζωή σου με τον παλιό τρόπο!. Δώσε του εαυτού σου την ευκαιρία να μάθεις καινούργιους τρόπους αντιμετώπισης της ζωής!
Το αξίζεις!
Θα είναι η καλύτερη επένδυση που θα κάνεις ποτέ στη ζωή σου!
άννη

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Yπάρχει τρόπος


Αν η ζωή σας έχει γίνει βαρετή και άχαρη!
Αν νιώθετε μελαγχολία και μοναξιά!
Αν ζείτε μέσα στη ρουτίνα και το άγχος!
Και θέλετε να τα αλλάξετε όλα αυτά!
Τότε υπάρχει τρόπος!
Φτάνει να θέλετε να αλλάξετε και να αφιερώσετε χρόνο για την αλλαγή!
Η ζωή είναι σύντομη για να την περάσετε άσχημα!
άννη

Saturday 6 December 2014

10 Remarkable Origins of Common Christmas Traditions

10 Remarkable Origins of Common Christmas Traditions

It’s the Christmas season again, and before we get sick of the eggnog, fruitcake, and Christmas music played ad nauseum, we get to enjoy it for a couple weeks. But have you ever wondered where some of our weird Christmas traditions come from? I mean, we tell our kids that a fat man is coming into our house at night; we bring in trees, to shed all over the carpet; and we kiss under plants – all in the holiday spirit. How are all of these even related to Jesus, whose birthday we’re supposed to be celebrating!


Well, sit back, pull in some eggnog and gingerbread, and take a ride on the 10-entry sleigh!



1
Santa




Most people know that Santa’s origins lie in Saint Nicholas, that generous Saint who gave presents to needy children. However, many other figures evolved into the conglomerate we call Santa Claus.

For one, the Dutch Sinterklaas, who himself has basis with Saint Nick, was the main inspiration for Santa Claus. He is nearly identical to Santa: he wears red and white, knows if you’re naughty or nice, and has elf helpers referred to as Zwarte Piet. However, the legend takes on a much darker legend when one hears that the Zwarte Piet’s duties also include punishing naughty children with “jute bags and willow canes”. He also differs from Santa in the facts that he wears a bishop’s hat and comes on a steam boat from Spain, rather than the North Pole.

Another large influence into Santa’s design is the British Father Christmas, a figure developed in the 17th century as the embodiment of holiday joy and mirth. Odin also exists as a potential pagan inspiration for Santa Claus; he lead a hunting party with other gods on Yule, a German holiday at roughly the same time as Christmas; he rode Sleipnir, a legendary horse with 8 legs; like Santa, he has 8 reindeer; and he would fill children’s’ boots with candy.

The modern Santa Claus has been in American folklore since the late 18th century. His name comes from an Americanization of Sinterklaas, and somewhere along the way, he lost his bishop’s hat. One could write an entire list on the origins of individual components of Santa’s story – suffice to say that they all have interesting origins, and I would suggest further reading.







2
Mistletoe




Mistletoe is a parasitic plant which perches on a tree branch and absorbs nutrients from the trunk – hardly one of the most romantic forms of life. But it has been inspiring people to go at it for generations. Mistletoe has a large mythological background across many cultures.

The Greeks believed that Aeneas, the famous ancestor of the Romans carried a sprig of mistletoe in the form of the legendary golden bough. In Norse mythology tradition, mistletoe was the only thing able to kill the god Baldur, since it had not sworn an oath to leave him alone. Amongst other pre-Christian cultures, mistletoe was believed to carry the male essence, and by extension, romance, fertility, and vitality.

Its use as decoration stems from the fact that it was believed to protect homes from fire and lightning. It was commonly hung at Christmas time only to remain there all year until being replaced by another sprig next Christmas. The process by which mistletoe became associated with kissing is currently unknown, but it was first recorded in 16th century England as a very popular practice. 


3
Boxing Day





Boxing Day is, as opposed to the rest of this list, an instance where a secular holiday grew out of a religious one. In most English speaking countries, Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas in which people receive gifts from their bosses or employers.

The exact etymology of the term "boxing day" is unclear. There are several competing theories, none of which is definitive.[3] The European tradition, which has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions, has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown. It is believed to be in reference to the Alms Box placed in places of worship to collect donations to the poor. Also, it may come from a custom in the late Roman/early Christian era, wherein metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen,[4] which in the Western Churchfalls on the same day as Boxing Day.

In Britain, it was a custom for tradespeople to collect "Christmas boxes" of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.[5] This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary entry for 19 December 1663.[6] This custom is linked to an older English tradition: since they would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts and bonuses, and maybe sometimes leftover food. (from Wikipedia)



4
Caroling




Christmas carols grew out of the first Christmas hymns, which developed in 4th century Rome. While these Latin hymns were sung in church for generations, the first true carols developed in France, Germany, and Italy in the 13th century. These carols, written in the vernacular language of the area they were composed, were enthusiastically sung at community events and festivals. They were not composed specifically as Christmas carols, but rather as conglomerate holiday songs that were sung at many separate festivals and celebrations.

Later on, the songs would become associated primarily with Christmas and sung in numerous churches. Carols in Protestant churches were much more numerous, since the Protestant movement encouraged the arts, especially music. The modern practice of going door-to-door carolling likely has something to do with the root word for carol, “carole” or “carula” which both mean a circular dance. The practice may have developed out of the public ceremonies that created the first carols.



5
Christmas Tree









The modern Christmas tree differs greatly from its roots; today, we decorate an everlasting, artificial construct with bright lights and dazzling ornaments, while traditionally, the tree was of course, real and more importantly, decorated with edibles such as apples and nuts. The tradition, as with that of the wreath, started with the elements symbolized by evergreens in pre-Christian winter festivals: immortality and fortitude.

The evergreen was also known to have represented the same values to a variety of cultures, including the Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. The worship of trees was also very common in European druidism and paganism. In Christian tradition, trees were often put up in December to serve the dual purpose of warding off the devil and allowing a perch for whatever birds still remained. Evergreen trees decorated with apples and wafers were also used in Christmas Eve plays during the Middle Ages, to represent the tree from which Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. As for decoration, the first evidence for decorated Christmas trees comes from German craftsman guilds during the Renaissance. After the Protestant Reformation, trees enjoyed a surge of popularity among Protestant households as counterparts to the Catholic nativity scene.



6
Wreaths




Since classical antiquity, the wreath has been used as a symbol of power and strength. In Rome and Greece, kings and emperors often wore laurel wreathes as crowns – a practice they themselves borrowed from the Etruscans, who predated them. The Greeks and the Romans connected the laurel wreath to their sun god, Apollo, and considered the crown to embody his values.

Harvest wreathes – the predecessors to our modern decorations – were used in rituals for good harvests, and predate even written history. Ancient European animists often used evergreen in their wreathes, to symbolize strength and fortitude, as an evergreen will live through even the harshest of winters. As for the connection to Christianity, since wreathes symbolized tenacity and everlasting life, they were often used in funerals of important people, specifically in the burials of saints and martyrs.



7
Stockings




Many people know of Saint Nicholas being the basis of Santa Claus, but the practice of stocking-stuffing can be traced back to his charitable donations in the 4th century. Nicholas believed that childhood should be savoured and enjoyed – but in a time where boys and girls younger than 10 had to work to support their families, this wasn’t always possible.

He therefore gave what he could in homemade food, clothes, and furniture. The bishop even gave out oranges, which would have been very rare and expensive in Lycia, where he lived. The problem became where to leave these gifts so that the children would find them. According to legends, he then saw girls’ stockings hanging above the fireplace, and ol’ Saint Nick (to paraphrase) thought “Why not?”. From then on, children would hang stockings up hoping that Saint Nicholas would visit them that night.

Beyond St. Nick, the practice can be traced back to Scandinavian countries that still held their Pagan beliefs. Children would leave their shoes full of carrots, straw, or other similar foods for Odin’s mythic horse, Sleipnir. When Sleipnir ate the food, Odin would leave candy or other treats in their place.



8
X-mas




While some rather ignorant groups in the Americas believe that the abbreviation “x-mas” is an attempt by the “dirty liberals” to “keep the Christ out of Christmas”, the true origins have a strong basis in Christianity. In the abbreviation, the X stands for the Greek letter Chi, the first letter of the Greek word for Christ. Jesus’ name has also been abbreviated as XP, a combination of the first and second letters of the Greek word for Christ. From XP comes the labarum, a holy symbol in Orthodox Christianity that represents Jesus.

The labarum (Greek: λάβαρον) was a vexillum (military standard) that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol , a christogram formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" (Greek: ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, or Χριστός) — Chi (χ) and Rho (ρ).[1] It was first used by the Roman emperor Constantine I. Since the vexillum consisted of a flag suspended from the crossbar of a cross, it was ideally suited to symbolize the crucifixion of Christ. (from Wikipedia)

The term X-mas has been used since the 16th century, though it gained prominent usage in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the modern world, X has been taken to be used as an abbreviation for any word with Christ or the “krys” sound in it, even in words which have no etymological connection. Chrysanthemum, for example, is sometime shortened to “xant” on florist’s signs, and crystal has sometimes been abbreviated as “xtal”.



9
Gift Giving




It is sometimes said that the tradition of gift-giving started with the 3 wise men, who visited Jesus and gave him gifts of myrrh, frankincense, and gold.

If you want to start a Christmas tradition, I suppose the first Christmas would be a good date to start. As with many other entries on this list though, the true origin of gift-giving lies in Pagan beliefs.

During Saturnalia, children would often be given gifts of wax dolls – an act with a rather macabre history itself; the dolls were used to represent human sacrifices that Rome had given to Saturn in the past as payment for good harvests. Branches of certain trees and other plant matter were also common gifts during Saturnalia, and were used to represent bounty and good harvests.



10
Christmas




Christmas, as most of us know, is the Christian tradition of honouring the birth of Christ – though it is not celebrated solely as such in our modern society. To us, Christmas represents a time of joy, gift-giving, and family. Christmas as we know it evolved out of the Roman tradition of Saturnalia, a festival honouring their god of agriculture, Saturn, on the winter solstice.

Due to the already rampant celebration taking place on the date and the revering of light and the sun, it was a natural development to celebrate the birth of Christ on the same date. Many Roman writers give references to the date of December 25th and Christianity between the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and it is believed that the holiday was widely celebrated by Christians by the turn of the 4th century. Though Christmas is celebrated as the birth of Jesus Christ, we don’t know the exact date, or even the year of his birth.

Friday 5 December 2014

Be free!


Το παρελθον σου, τα πιστευω σου, τα συναισθηματα σου, οι συμπεριφορες σου, ολα αυτα σε βαραινουν!
Τωρα μπορεις να τα αφησεις και να απελευθερωθεις απ' ολα αυτα τα βαρη και να προχωρησεις μπροστα χωρις αχρειαστες 'αποσκευες'!
Υπαρχει τροπος! Δωσε του εαυτου σου το χρονο να το μαθεις! 
αννη

Your past, your beliefs, your emotions, your behaviours, all weigh you down!
You can now release and let go of all of these weights and move forward 'baggage free'!
There is a way! Give yourself the time to learn it! 
annie

cool