Ladies and Gentlemen I can now announce that for the northern hemisphere spring has sprung!!!
Oh I know, officially it is the 20th of march. At least here in the UK. But who cares what the man tells us because here in Scotland we know instinctively when spring comes.
It's in the blood.
And on the first day of march where the sun shines undiluted by cloud. We feel it thrumming through our body. And it bursts forth as taps aff
But what is taps aff I hear you cry?
Today was such a day!! Look at that temperature. 8 degrees (feels like 7!) At the sniff of glory that is such temperatures the wreckless Scots will throw off their upper garments, baring their palid grey torsos to the sun and rejoicing!
So the cat is out of the bag.
A tap is a Scottish slang pronunciation of top. A top as we all know can be a shirt or a t-shirt. Anything worn on top.
Aff is another slang pronunciation of off
So what taps aff means it to take your top off and celebrate the sun in all its magnificence. Even to the extent of getting terribly sunburnt.
Don't worry, that's not me. Just some un-Scottish fool
Now that was a scorcher by anyone standards. At one point as a race we almost fell to the ground in awe when the heat threatened to go into double figures. Can you imagine such a thing!
Obviously for me it was time to get in the garden with my top off.
To do otherwise would have angered the elders
Later, I trotted to the shop. To buy haggis for taps aff day.
On the way home I stopped and admired the burning. This is another grand tradition of the Scots on taps aff day. The gigantic bonfire where we burn winter itself
So there you have it. Do you have any peculiar traditions to welcome spring in your country?
8 degrees - that's a Scottish heatwave isn't it? I like the tradition of burning winter - sometimes I think she deserves it!
No customs here that I know of for celebrating Spring's arrival. I'm in Australia, and up north they are probably still going to the beach, but with my ancestors being partly Scottish, they chose the coldest part of Australia to settle. That's tradition for you :)
It is a heatwave lol. At least for this time of year. I always get heartened by the first time that the sun shines and you feel the warmth in your skin.
Burning winter is a splendid thing!
How cold is the coldest part of Oz? Go on, make me jealous :0)
Here in Melbourne, 8 degrees would be a cold winters day :D
Sorry! On the rare occasion less, with snow in the hills around. But not in the city. There are colder places but not too many people live there - like Tasmania, cold (by Oz standards) but stunningly beautiful.
HA, I kind of thought that would be the answer. I was almost dreading hearing it! That explains why a lot of Scots move down under as they say! I shall comfort myself with the heather strewn peaks of the highlands. And the cold brrrrr!! ;O)
Well I'm married to a Scot, from Dundee, so yes there are those who move down our way :) But the Highlands almost make up for the cold - and at least you guys build your houses solid and insulated! We still haven't discovered that science, lol.
Really, from Dundee!! Holy keek!! So am I, married to a Dundonian that is!! Except we live in Glasgow and not quite so far away. That is a splendid coincidence!!
Taps aff - Air da bawbags! Great post!!
Thought ye might like that one, Cheers dude!!!
Love the taps aff! We really don't have an official tradition, but on the ski slopes in March you might see lots of suits and shorts:
(no, that isn't me ;-)
Oh that's perfect!!! In many ways similar! :0)
WHAT! I had heavy rain and giant snowflakes at the same time here today- I thought it was Armageddon. Obviously it was the weather reacting to you having your "Taps Aff" up North'!
It was tropical up here!! Well, it was sunny! Taps aff madness. Must be like the opposite of a rain dance! :0)
Taps aff and a can in hand. That fire looked a little out of control!
Lol, it was the big news today. Someone set fire to a scrap yard... it looked like Armageddon in the sky from all over Glasgow and I am six miles from it!
For the Chinese HSIA calendar, spring started 3rd February though I always felt early February is too early to see sign of spring.
That does seem early! Then again I suppose if it comes down to climate maybe not so much? In February here it still snows!!
Several years ago when I lived in Kansas City it was even snow one day in early May. Totally, caught us by surprise.
That would be quite the surprise!! It can occasionally do that here but by May you like to think you are past the worst of it!
For a second there, I really thought Taps Aff had a deeper meaning. Why I keep falling into that trap, I know not why. Nice of you to censor the sensitive parts, mate. Would've been tagged NSFW otherwise.
Come to the Philippines, you can take your top off all day everyday and you'll still feel hot haha!
Hehe, glad someone picked up on the censorship!! Hehe, its so profound... taps aff!! Hehe, the Philippines sounds so enticing!
I was looking out for you dude, awaiting the next cool post!
I was supposed to put it up today, but life's been a wee bit hectic these past couple of days. Watch out for it tomorrow (or approximately 12 or so hours from now)! I keep forgetting that tomorrow for me might not be tomorrow for someone else here haha
Haha yeah it might be my tonight or something!!
Lol, I await eagerly dude!!
I appreciate your enthusiasm, man! Your comments have proven to be one of my go-to encouragements here. Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to reading them!
You don't look sickly here, just very, very white, whiter than fish belly white. Got a battle cry thing happening for spring in those shots. Love the censored nipples, LOL (that was the hot topic last night on the stream btw, not your nipples, just nipples in general).
Canadians don't have any spring rituals, instead it's this
Oh man, that would be cold!! We have a similar thing here but it isn't as popular. A handful of people in various parts of the country do it. Nutters.
I laughed when censoring myself. It's the best kind of censorship :0D
Yes, nutters, nutters that I'm sure some will never see descend again after that plunge.
LOL, that's funny. Totally get it.