Fans of Bombadil, Thanksgiving, U2, Mother's Day

[Tabouli]

Tabouli dons her most brightly coloured and silly clothing, pins on a F.O.B. (Fans Of Bombadil) badge, and dances merrily around the willow tree in the local park, raising her voice in song:

Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Unlike the rest of Rings, heavy as a cello,
Those who do not love him yet have humour scant and dreary,
His scenes are funny scenes, and his clothes are cheery!

Meredith:
> I have to agree.  I love Tom Bombadil for the same reasons you mention
above.  *she draws her sword to help defend the Bombadil name* :)<

Fair young Meredith is a worthy maiden,
Bright gold her scabbard is and with taste she's laden!

> David, who quite liked Tom Bombadil when he (David) was 14

Old Dave Frankisworks is a sneery fellow,
As he grows older, fie!  His wit becomes more callow.

Amy Z:
> :wrapping chain mail around kidneys:  Yes, and it's especially hard to 
find in the Tom Bombadil scene.

Mail-clad Amy Z, sharp-eyed as a puma
Sadly lacks the sight to find the glowing jewels of humour
Scattered in the silly songs, shining by the willow
Where dances Tom, merry Tom, Tom Bombadillo!

Barb:
>Aren't there any harvest celebrations at the appropriate time in Australia/New Zealand?

Not that I know of, outside the odd rural festival with a pumpkin competition.  (What?  You mean there are excuses for public holidays Australians haven't found yet?  Sacrilege!).  This might be because in the Southern Hemisphere, Easter falls in autumn (rather ruining the traditional pagan symbolism), and becomes our fallfest by default.  In Melbourne we do have one November event: Melburnians have long prided themselves on being the only city in the world which has a public holiday for a horse race (the Melbourne Cup, held on the first Tuesday in November).

Thanks to all for the information on Thanksgiving.  I've been mystified but too lazy to research further since reading Cricket magazines at the age of 8 (Cricket: "Hey Ladybug, where are you going with that axe?  It's Thanksgiving, and there's a blizzard outside!")

Rachel:
> I'll be worshipping in the Church of U2, listening to 
Reverend Bono speak his healing words of peace and unity 

Ah yes, I do like U2.  Just my luck that their 1993 Zooropa concert in Adelaide (where I was at the time) was held the night before my first Honours exam!  Mutter mutter...

Rita:
> There was some American woman nothing better to do with her time than 
lobby state legislatures and Congress to establish a Mother's Day holiday

I'm glad to hear that "Mothering Sunday" was actually a traditional thing: I was wincing in horror when I heard that Mother's Day was invented by Hallmark Cards.  Is there any truth to this rumour?  Was this American woman Mrs Hallmark, by any chance?

Tabouli.


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