#FunFact: What’s the most popular Russian fairy tale in the English-speaking world? No, it’s not Masha and the Bear, despite the cartoon’s popularity. The correct answer is Baboushka and the Three Kings. Не слышали о такой? Вот краткий сюжет: 👇

К одинокой русской старушке приходят три волхва и зовут к новорожденному Исусу. Бабка долго собирается, выходит лишь под утро, и не может найти дороги. С тех пор каждое Рождество она выходит на поиски, бродит по заснеженным тропинкам, по пути раздавая всем детишкам подарки.

In most editions (there are dozens), it’s labeled as a Russian folk tale. Some sources even claim it’s the main association foreigners have with Christmas in Russia —apparently, gifts for Russian children are traditionally brought by the Baboushka (WTF!).

#etymology
The story was written by Ruth Robbins, and the book became famous thanks to the Russian illustrator Nicolas Sidjakov (he was born December 16, 1924, in Riga, Latvia, of Russian parents who had fled the country during the Revolution).

Baboushka and the Three Kings gained popularity when it won the Caldecott medal as the best illustrated American children's book in 1961. Stylistically, these images will remind you of stained glass windows and the abstraction of Egyptian murals with Byzantine faces. The pages are done in five colors only (black plus blue, yellow, an orange-red, and green). The result gives the book a religious tone that makes you imagine you are reading from an illuminated manuscript done during the middle ages. 👇

Откуда вообще взялась история про старушку, заменяющую Санта Клауса в России, неужели Роббинс просто её выдумала? Вот и нет, возможно она и сама верила что это народная сказка. Потому что история появилась ещё в 19 веке, и придумана другой американской писательницей Аделаидой Скил, для которой прообразом русской Christmas babushka послужила ведьма Бафена. Бафена, бродящая по домам в сочельник, как раз и была фольклорным персонажем, вот только испанским, а не русским.

Over the past 60 years, the fairy tale has been republished so many times that it has firmly established itself in Western culture as a stereotype about celebrating Russian Christmas.

Так-то. 🎄

🖤 УКСУСНЫЕ ВАЛЕНТИНКИ

#FunFact
Празднование дня св.Валентина берёт своё начало в XII-XIII веке. В ХIX веке, когда многие англичане уже умели читать и писать, стало модным посылать друг-другу анонимные открытки-валентинки. А вскоре, так как твиттера тогда ещё не было, валентинки придумали использовать как средство стёба над ближним — так появились Vinegar Valentines.

Vinegar valentines were commercially bought postcards that were less beautiful than their love-filled counterparts, and contained an insulting poem and illustration. They were sent anonymously, so the receiver had to guess who hated him or her; as if this weren’t bruising enough, the recipient paid the postage on delivery.
👇

vinegar valentine:
MISS NOSEY

On account of your talk of others' affairs
At most dances you sit warming the chairs,
Because of the care with which you attend
To all others' business you haven't a friend.

vinegar valentine:
BALD HEAD

Your bright shining pate is seen at all shows
And invariably down in the bald-headed rows,
Where you make conspicuous by your tender care
Your true ardent love for that one lonesome hair.

vinegar valentine:
OLD MAID

She's caught a poor cat and a bird,
But she can't snare a man, so we've heard,
It's the old maid's sad fate
To lose out on a mate
And take tea—but s-sh! not a word.

vinegar valentine:
"WRITE YOU DOWN AN ASS? 'TIS DONE SIR."

Oh what a pretty Valentine, And so like you, friend of mine, For every one says you're an ass, And other donkeys quite surpass.

vinegar valentine:
"I hate and detest the wretch!" "My dear creature! How glad to see you!"

Dear Miss or Mistress Double Face,
Your faithful picture here I trace,
Externally you are a saint,
Within, a devil without paint!
With smiles of friendship on one cheek
Your lips on one side kindly speak,
While frowns and curses opposite,
Prove, on a horrid Hypocrite!

vinegar valentine:

You're a pretty boy as every one may see,
And echo answers right and free - you're nobody.
Say who would love so vile a knave,
A truant from an early grave - nobody.

◼️ LOAD UP ON

Today is 20th February, и мало кто знает, что сегодня 🥳 день рождения Курта, нашего, Кобейна.

👉 Load up on something — затариться, запастись чем-то, обычно чтобы подготовиться к какому-то событию. В песне Нирваны load up on guns — затариться шприцами.

During the lockdown Americans was loading up on toilet paper.

Vasya ran to Pyatyorochka. He had to load up on vodka for the weekend.

👇 The song is below, если не знаете слов, попытайтесь сначала понять на слух. Удастся различить хотя бы треть — you're cool 👏👏👏

◼️BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE

Imagine this: you're a dog. You’ve just chased something fast and fluffy — maybe a squirrel, maybe the neighbor's emotionally unavailable cat. It vanishes up a tree. You rush up, bark like your life depends on it… but wait — wrong tree, genius. The squirrel is giggling five trees over.

Congrats: you are barking up the wrong tree.

👉 To bark up the wrong tree — to make a wrong assumption or to pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action.

#Etymology Let’s take a trip to early 19th-century America.
In raccoon 🦝 hunting (yes, this was a thing), dogs would chase the animal into a tree and stand at the base, barking. But sometimes, in the chaos, they'd end up barking at the wrong tree.
The raccoon? In another tree, probably sipping raccoon espresso and flipping the bird (figuratively).
So humans, in their infinite wisdom, thought, “Wow, that’s exactly like Ted from accounting — confidently wrong, loudly insisting.”
And thus, the idiom was born.