(le Róislín)

Céard atá i do mhálasa? http://www.clker.com/clipart-green-shopper-bag-1.html

I recently saw an article from WHEC (nasc thíos) that happened to sort of sum up my view on “coined shopping days.”  It starts out, “Just when you thought all the coined shopping days were over, today is Green Monday.”  The article stops just short of being a jeremiad about the commercialization of Christmas .

The “coined shopping days,” of course are, hmm, well let’s do them in Irish, just for the dúshlán [doo-hlawn], challenge: Aoine Dhubh (aka, on a much more limited basis, Aoine an Bhreacáin, my translation of “Plaid Friday”), Satharn na nGnóthas Beag, Cibearluan agus Máirt na Carthanachta.  All have been discussed in previous blogs in this series (naisc thíos).

So, now, we have the latest addition to the series of “laethanta siopadóireachta ceaptha,” which I’ll call “Luan Glas.”

I say, “I’ll call,” because I don’t see any references to “Luan Glas” or “Luan Uaine” online, period.  Of course, these searches I do are always limited by what’s searchable, to point out the obvious, but I always figure they’re a baraiméadar of the word’s general usage.   I even tried “Luan na Glaise” and “Luan na hUaine,” but to no avail.

So I toyed with “Luan Glas” and “Luan Uaine, ” both of which mean “Green Monday,” and it seems to me that “glas” works better.  Normally the guidelines are “glas” for naturally growing things (leaves, grass, etc.) and “uaine” for manufactured or dyed things (clothing, painted objects, etc.).  But “glas” has come to have a lot of the “go-ahead” connotations (An Comhaontas Glas, fiontraíocht ghlas, An tSeachtain Ghlas, srl.), which seem appropriate for Green Monday shopping.

I don’t see any central website for Green Monday that explains the reasoning behind its name, or suggesting translations, so I’ll stick with “Luan Glas,” unless I discover otherwise.  Céard a shíleann tusa?

It’s interesting that the WHEC article cited above asked readers if they had heard of “Green Monday.”  I was surprised to find that it went back as far as 2009.  An cuimhin leat “Luan Glas” a bheith ann sa bhliain sin? 

Bhuel, the question may remain, cén “green” atá i gceist?  “Green” na “ngreenbacks“?  “Green” mar “téigh” nó “gabh ar aghaidh” agus bí ag caitheamh airgid?  “Green” mar an focal “greenery” (as in Christmas trees, garlands, and wreaths)?  “Green” mar an “ecologically conscious green” a bhaineanns leis an gcomhshaol, le plandaí, le fealsúnacht agus le stíl mhaireachtála?  Níl a fhios agam ach, chomh cinnte is atá an Cháisc ar an Domhnach, fuair mé a lán tairiscintí sa ríomhphost le lascainí “Green Monday” ann.   An bhfuair tusa iad freisin?  Agus an bhfuil siad níos fearr ná tairiscintí “Cyber Monday”?  Do bharúil?

But maybe in Ireland there would be forty shades of green for Green Monday? ; )  SGF — Róislín

PS: OMD (Ó, mo Dhia), the following article in comScore tells us there’s also a “Green Tuesday” — will it ever stop?  Soon, I guess, we’ll have Green Monday Eve, Cyber Monday Eve, and Black Friday in July (ar nós “Nollaig in Iúil”): http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press-Releases/2009/12/Green-Tuesday-Tuesday-December-15-Reaches-Record-913-Million-in-Online-Spending.

Nóta beag faoin bhfrása “chomh cinnte is atá an Cháisc ar an Domhnach” (as sure Easter falls on a Sunday): I was really tempted to improvise with “chomh cinnte is atá uibheacha ina n-uibheacha” (as sure as eggs is eggs) but decided it would be better to stick to the Easter expression, which is traditional.

PS 2 (iarsmaoineamh): It also just occurred to me that “luan glas” could also mean “a green halo,” if we consider the other meaning of “luan.”  Hopefully context rules, in this regard.  Usually, “halo” is specified as “naomhluan,” at least for saints’ halos.  So ceard faoi luanta aingeal?  Diabhal a fhios agam!  Hmm, diabhal, b’fheidir not the best word choice for a rejoinder here!  Anyway, in case you’re wondering, since halos don’t grow naturally, like leaves or grass, we could also say that “luan uaine” means “a green halo.” But how do halos get made anyway?  Could they be green?  A sort of glimmery glowingish green?  And where do they come from?  Do they just appear?  Do they come in different sizes, mar hataí?  Is an angel’s halo the same as a saint’s halo?  Ceisteanna dofhreagartha, a fhad is atá mise i gceist, pé scéal é.  I think I’d better quit while I’m ahead before this discussion gets diagach beyond my ken.

Naisc

A. Glas vs. Uaine

1) Beoir: Uaine nó Glas nó Ceachtar? (Beer: Green/Uaine or Green/Glas or Neither?) Posted on 22. Mar, 2013 by róislín in Irish Language (https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/beoir-uaine-no-glas-no-ceachtar-beer-greenuaine-or-greenglas-or-neither/)

2) Béigil: Uaine nó Glas? (Which Type of ‘Green’ for Bagels?)
Posted on 27. Mar, 2013 by róislín in Irish Language (https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/beigil-uaine-no-glas-which-type-of-green-for-bagels/)

3) Aibhneacha: Glas nó Uaine? (Rivers: Green/Glas or Green/Uaine?) Posted on 29. Mar, 2013 by róislín in Irish Language (https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/aibhneacha-glas-no-uaine-rivers-greenglas-or-greenuaine/)

B. Laethanta Siopadóireachta Ceaptha

1) ‘Sona’ or ‘Shona’ for ‘Happy Christmas’ (Merry Christmas) in Irish?
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by róislín in Irish Language (https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/sona-or-shona-for-happy-christmas-merry-christmas-in-irish/)

2) Aoine Dhubh, Aoine an Bhreacáin, agus Cibearluan! (ar leanúint / continued)
Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by róislín in Irish Language (https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/aoine-dhubh-aoine-an-bhreacain-agus-cibearluan/)

3) Aoine Dhubh, Aoine an Bhreacáin, agus Cibearluan! (Téarmaí Siopadóireachta Iar-Lá an Altaithe)
Posted on 30. Nov, 2009 by róislín in Irish Language (https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/aoine-dhubh-aoine-an-bhreacain-agus-cibearluan-tearmai-siopadoireachta-iar-la-an-altaithe/).  This one also has an interesting comment from Siobhán H. about December 8 being a big pre-Christmas shopping day in Ireland because it was a religious feast day and a day off from school.  Perhaps this was the prototype of Green Monday as we know it today.  Well, maybe.

C. Nasc don alt ag WHEC (cleamhnaí de NBC i Rochester, NY): http://www.whec.com/news/stories/s3642387.shtml?cat=565 (Have you heard of “Green Monday”?, 8 Mí na Nollag 2014)

D. Nasc do “Plaid Friday”: http://plaidfriday.com/press-packet/ (An Aoine tar éis Lá Altaithe)