Christmas

Merry Christmas!

December 20, 2007 By heather Leave a Comment

The wrapping began two days ago. The cookie baking began yesterday. The
cleaning begins today. I’m gearing up for days of holly jolly joy!
(Have you guessed by now that I’m in love with the Christmas season?
After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.)
Today will
probably be my last day with you until after Christmas. But cheer up,
friends! Grab a cup of eggnog, dream by the fire, and let it snow.
Santa Claus is coming to town!
I’ll see you next week. In the meantime, I leave you with a few more Christmas facts:

Gift-giving
can also be traced back to Roman times. Romans exchanged gifts, giving
coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light the
journey through life. They also made gifts of small dolls for children
and candles for adults. Macy’s began staying open until midnight on
Christmas Eve in 1867 to accommodate the custom and in 1874 began their
Christmas window displays.
We have Sir Cole to thank for the
Christmas card frenzy. In 1843, too busy to wish individual greetings
to his friends, he commissioned artist John Calcott Horsley for the
illustration. The card was inscribed with, “A Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year To You.” Three years later, Christmas cards became a
phenomenon in the States.
European countries in the Middle Ages
viewed Christmas as a time for superstition and auguries. On Christmas
Eve, animals had the ability to talk—an annual function usually
associated with overcoming their oppression—and water became wine. In
France, chanting the genealogy of Christ during Midnight Mass revealed
treasure. In Norway, the Norse gods made war on Christmas, coming in
lightening and thunder and dragging away unlucky citizens. If a
southern Slav girl wanted to know what kind of husband she would have,
she would cover her table on Christmas Eve with a loaf of bread, a
plate, a knife, a spoon, and a fork before going to bed. At midnight,
the spirit of her future husband would appear and throw the knife at
her. If it did not injure her, she would get a good husband and a happy
life. If it hurt her, she would die early. Similarly, a young man would
go to the church naked on Christmas Eve and sift ashes. His future
bride would appear and pull him three times by the nose (could this be
where Santa got his red nose?). These days, we merely tell horror
stories of coal left in stockings and set out milk, cookies, and
carrots to ensure a favorable visit. Do they leave out fortune cookies
for Santa in China?

And some fun Christmas facts about me:

Favorite
Christmas movies I’ve seen this season: White Christmas, Christmas
Vacation, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Coming to
Town, Frosty
Christmas movies I’ve seen for the first time this
season: Holiday in Handcuffs (didn’t expect to like this one, but I
did!), Fred Claus, Jingle All the Way, Deck the Halls, and a slew of
cheesy ones made for TV
Favorite Christmas movies I have yet to
see: White Christmas (my absolute favorite, so I watch it a handful of
times), Miracle on 34th Street (only the old version for me), The Santa
Claus, Home Alone, The Year without a Santa Claus (I’m Mr. White
Christmas, I’m Mr. Snow, I’m Mister Icicle, I’m Mister Ten Below), and
if I must, It’s a Wonderful Life
Christmas movies you couldn’t
pay me to watch again: A Christmas Story (I don’t the brew-ha-ha over
this one), and a couple of the made-for-TV ones I saw this year
Activities
I plan on enjoying before I see you next: making cut-out snowflakes,
pasting together Frosty on construction paper (hey, I live in Texas–we
don’t have snow), going to see Sweeney Todd in the theater,
eating way too much, opening presents, playing in the pile of discarded
wrapping paper with my niece and my parents’ dog

Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: Christmas

Deck the Halls

December 18, 2007 By heather Leave a Comment

On those boughs of holly–

Mistletoe
is a symbol of peace and joy and signifies friendship and goodwill.
Mistletoe was considered sacred by the Norse Scandinavians, the Druids,
and the Native North Americans.
In Norse theology, when Balder, the
sun god, was killed by the evil spirit Loki with an arrow shaped from a
mistletoe, Balder’s mother, Frigga, wept tears of white berries, which
brought him back to life. Frigga blessed the plant and bestowed a kiss
on all that passed beneath it.
Druids used mistletoe as protection
against ghosts, witches, and goblins, placing them over doorways, in a
child’s cradle, and by the first cow calving after the New Year to
protect the entire herd. Whenever enemies met under mistletoe in the
forest, they had to lay down their weapons for a day. Every year, the
priests cut the mistletoe from the oak tree with a golden sickle. The
people would wear sprigs of holly in their hair when they went to watch.
During
the Saturnalia festival, Romans used holly to honor Saturn. They gave
holly wreaths decorated with images of Saturn. To avoid persecution,
the early Christians decked their halls with boughs of holly.
Eventually, this custom transformed from a pagan tradition to a
Christian symbol of Christmas. The thorns of the mistletoe came to
represent Christ’s crown.
In the 18th century, kissing under the
mistletoe came to mean a promise of marriage. If a young woman stood
under the mistletoe, she couldn’t be refused a kiss, although that kiss
could represent anything from romance to friendship. If a girl remained
unkissed, it was believed that she would not marry the coming year.

Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas traditions

Christmas Cinquain

December 17, 2007 By heather Leave a Comment

Ode to Hans

Evergreen
Verdant, Jolly
Living, Dancing Delight
Celebrating, Joy, Peace, Life
Timeless

Want this button?

Filed Under: carnival, Christmas, cinquain, poetry

Another Hero

December 15, 2007 By heather Leave a Comment

Christmas facts about me:

White Christmas is my favorite Christmas movie.
I didn’t know Silent Night was a Christmas carol until I was eight or nine, maybe older. My mom sang it to me every night, every night, even in June. I still get sleepy when I hear it.
Rudolph is my Christmas hero. I think you know why.
But my second hero, maybe you don’t know that one:

I put together that clip for a Christmas brunch I’m speaking at tomorrow.

Sorry
about the quality. Blogger wouldn’t upload it (after an hour of
waiting, I gave up), so I downsized it to get it up there. But you get
the idea.

Filed Under: Christmas

My Favorite Christmas Memory

December 14, 2007 By heather Leave a Comment

The
details are fuzzy as any old memory goes. The story comes like a pop-up
book for a toddler: pictures emerge here and there but the lines and
paragraphs don’t make sense.
I was four, maybe five, and that year I learned that giving is more fun than receiving.
Her
name was Deidre. She had been in the hospital for a long time for
something chronic like heart problems, not a quick fix like
appendicitis. Maybe we knew her through church or one of my parents’
workplaces.
"We’re going to take Deidre some presents," Mom said. "Why don’t you pick something out for her?"
I hadn’t met Deidre before. What would she like? A doll? A stuffed Snoopy? Could she play with a shopping cart in the hospital?
A book! Who doesn’t like books?
I chose one of my favorites, ‘Twas the Night before Christmas.
My dad read it every Christmas Eve after Luke 2, right before we set
out the cookies, milk, and carrot. My dad’s a great reader: he does
expressions. Not even a mouse!
Okay, and I had two copies of it.
It
was a Golden Book edition with that gold binding and a red cover
(they’ve since changed the cover). Mom and I wrapped it in red
Christmas paper with Santa Claus laughing with that bowlful of jelly in
replica. He had his finger to his nose.
At the hospital, I sat on a
hard chair with my legs swinging in a long hallway. Maybe it wasn’t
long, but it seemed so at the time. The walls were made of cinderblocks
painted cream. I breathed in the dry, isopropryll air and waited.
The
waiting was the best part, I think. Holding the gift, knowing God was
using me to bring joy in a little girl’s Christmas. She was my age, and
she would read one of my favorite books.
I don’t remember what she looked like, but I was shy. What if she didn’t like my gift? What should I say to her?
And then it was over, and we returned to our lives. As always, my dad read Luke 2 and ‘Twas the Night before Christmas.
I didn’t hear about Deidre again, or if I did, I don’t remember. I
don’t know what happened to her. I don’t know if she liked my gift.
But I never forgot her. Every Christmas, I wonder if Deidre likes that story.

Filed Under: Christmas, gifts, memory

O Tannenbaum

December 10, 2007 By heather Leave a Comment

The tree came to the United States with German immigrants. The
Puritans, however, deemed it pagan mockery of the sacred event of
Christmas. In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts outlawed any
observance of Christmas outside of church services, including Christmas
trees, carols, and gifts. Schools in Boston remained open on Christmas
day through 1870, sometimes expelling students who stayed home on
December 25th. In 1871, a Cleveland minister almost lost his job for
allowing a tree in his church.
German and Irish immigrants overcame
the disapproval of the pilgrims. A farmer dragged two ox sleds of
evergreens into New York City in 1851 and sold them all, creating the
first tree market. Ralph E. Morris invented the electric Christmas
lights in 1895, making the world a safer place. By 1900, one in five
families in North America had Christmas trees, and by 1920, the
Christmas tree was nationally recognized as a symbol of Christmas. F.W.
Woolworth brought the glass ornament tradition to the U.S. from Germany
in 1890, completing the transformation. As early as 1874, Macy’s began
their window displays with Christmas themes, and since 1923, the White
House has had a Christmas tree on the front lawn every year.

Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas tree

Christmas Traditions–The Makings of a Tree

December 4, 2007 By heather Leave a Comment

’Tis the season…to buy the gifts, to send out Christmas cards, to
decorate the tree, to bake cookies with red and green sugar, to hang
mistletoe and holly. How did we get into this mess?
Decorating the
tree comes from a long line of winter solstice practices. The
Egyptians, Romans, Druids, and Scandinavians each used evergreens in
their celebrations as a symbol of triumph over life and to ward off
evil spirits. During the Roman festival of Saturnalia, mistletoe,
holly, and evergreens were twisted into wreaths, hung on doorways, and
wrapped throughout the house. To prevent persecution, Christians decked
their own halls. Eventually, the pagan meaning faded away. The thorns
in mistletoe instead represented Christ’s crown and the evergreen
Christ’s life.
Rumor has it that Luther brought the tree inside and,
inspired during an evening stroll by the moonlight shimmering on the
snow-dusted tree boughs, donned the tree with candles for his children.
The first documented decorated Christmas tree as we know it, however,
wasn’t until 1605, after Luther’s time. Before then, Central Europeans
hung the fir tree upside down.
Stay tuned to find out how it fared in the U.S.!

Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas trees, traditions

His Name Is Hans

November 28, 2007 By heather Leave a Comment

Sorry, Erin, no pictures on my garden this time, but to make up for it, I’ve got pictures of my new baby.
Hans.
We
picked up Hans on Saturday. He was a bit uptight. Who could blame him?
The poor guy’s been uprooted from his home in a tragic circumstance,
taken from all who love him and whom he loves, and brought down to
Texas. (I feel your pain, buddy.) We took him home, let him relax in a
warm place with a glass of brandy (actually, it was a glass of sugar
water).
Sunday, he let his hair down, and we gave him new clothes. He’s right at home now, happy and shining.
Meet Hans.

And for a little more Christmas cheer, here are a few other pics of my living room:

Yes,
I have three trees in my living room. Yes, that one is completely red
(with red lights). And, yes, I also have a tree in my bedroom. That
tree has a legacy, though. You see, once upon a time, when my parents
married, my mother’s parents’ neighbor, Rose, gave her old tree to my
parents. Sometime in college, my parents passed it on to me. I call her
Rose in honor of her original owner. Rose (the tree, not the neighbor)
is three and a half? four? feet tall with white lights wrapped around
each branch (of which there aren’t many).
Oh, and yes, that’s my
computer on the chair next to the fireplace. With all these trees, why
lock myself up in the office to work? Almost everything in my living
room is packed away in a closet to make room for the Christmas
paraphernalia. Gotta love it. I like to think of it as the
snowmen–excuse me, snowpeople–ward of the insane asylum.
Throughout the month, I’ll share some fun Christmas tidbits with you.

Filed Under: Christmas

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu

December 29, 2006 By heather Leave a Comment

Here I sit snuggled in my Christmas pajamas and the blanket my mom made us for Christmas. Ralph stands noble in his blue-lit suit. My living room is ensconced in nativity scenes and nutcrackers and stocking hung by the chimney with care. Red and green and white lights wrap around the room. Christmas carols play from my computer. It is my last stand, my last effort. Because the truth is, it’s over. Family has all gone home. Christmas movies have been watched.
Post-Christmas partum. It’s the most depressing time of the year.
And I have absolutely no reason to be depressed. My husband and family and friends completely spoiled me this year from a misfit toy ornament to Pirate games to books to a popcorn maker (you have to understand how much of a popcorn fanatic I am) to another season of M*A*S*H on DVD to a brand new car. Yup, a brand new car complete with the new car smell.
My husband and I looked at cars this past summer. My car is getting up there in years, but it still runs. We just couldn’t afford a new car. Then my husband saw that someone in our church needed a new car. Five kids in one apartment. One car. The husband takes that one car to Oklahoma every week for his job. I would say they need a car. So my husband fast-forwarded some of our plans. Donated my car and bought me a new one. It was my grandmother’s car. Grandma, you’re legacy of generosity lives on. You’re still helping those in need.
Christmas morning we wake up bluebird early and trek to Chris’ mom’s house in our Christmas pajamas. Chris tells me to open my present from him last. Very last. It’s wrapped in three different papers, a washcloth, a leftover picture after his mom’s scrapbooking, tied with a bowtie made from the wrapping paper roll. That’s my husband for you. I tear open all this wrapping. A GPS system. (I get lost all the time.) At least the box for a GPS system. Where is it? I ask. Already in your car, he answers. Let’s go play with it. The crew runs out the door while I fumble with my shoes. Wait! I cry. It’s mine! I get to play with it first! I run out the door. Right in front of the house is a black Sonata with a red ribbon. Just like the movies. My mouth gapes like a baby bird waiting for his worm (and, might I add, like my niece, Cadie, whenever she’s in a 2 mile radius of food). I cry.
I’ve never had a brand new car.
And there inside is my GPS system.
I’m completely spoiled.
Oh, and my GPS system talks. You can set it to speak with a British accent. Love it.
It makes me sad that some people, when you ask about their holidays, they just say, “I got through it.” I don’t want to let go. And there were hard things about this Christmas, one of which being the fact that because it was the turn Chris’ side of the family, I missed out on my family’s Christmas traditions, even though my side was able to come up here for Christmas.
I love Christmas. And I love my life. I hate saying goodbye.

Filed Under: Christmas, holidays

Christmas and More Christmas

December 16, 2006 By heather Leave a Comment

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
One in each fist. After all, I’ve perfected my hot chocolate recipe, but you can’t go the holidays without some good egg nog.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
He wraps them – different wrapping paper for each family member. It saves him writing tags and us looking at tags. We can just tear in, and boy, do we ever tear in. Our goal: carpet the living room with wrapping paper. We have to rip faster than my dad can clean it up. Mainly, we’re just trying to drive him crazy.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
We did just blue lights this year, and I’m pretty keen on that look.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Don’t need it.
5. When do you put your decorations up?
Weekend after Thanksgiving if possible. We watch White Christmas on Thanksgiving night to initiate the season.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Do I have to pick just one? I love food! The stuffing and mashed potatoes – oh, the mashed potatoes. As the joke goes, our family eats enough mashed potatoes to set off the next Irish potato famine. And the cranberry sauce, and the pink stuff…
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Waiting at the top of the steps with our chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast and favorite stuffed animal until Mom and Dad got everything together and music turned on and lights lit (and presents under the tree, which, of course, we didn’t know at the time, cuz, after all, Santa left them there last night). Then there was the one present that Santa almost forgot one year. He left it by the garage door. My skateboard.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
It was in the summer at the lake for vacation. A sort of free for all – Santa, Easter Bunny, Toothfairy. Not sure how I figured it out. I was sad, but it wasn’t traumitzing. I think I got over it in a matter of minutes, somewhere between bites of the juicy peach.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yup – ornament and Christmas pajamas. This year, we’re celebrating with Chris’ family, and my family is joining. We’ll still do the ornament and pajamas from my side and something from his mom on his side.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Lots of lights – blue lights, as I mentioned above. Lots of ornaments. Not really a specific theme, although the little tree in our bedroom is red and gold with white lights.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it – but I live in Texas now. Not too much of it. We had maybe half an inch a few weeks ago, before it went back up into the 80s.
12. Can you ice skate?
As long as I’m holding on to the rail.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The painting chris did for me – two paintings that fit together. One represents me; one represents him.
14. What’s your favorite thing(s) about the holidays?
All of it. Christmas music (the station that plays all Christmas music until Christmas); the cookies; the parties; the family; the traditions; the houses all decorated; mom in her kerchief; visions of sugar plums…
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Butter cookies made with the cookie press into fun Christmas shapes with red and green sugar splashed on top.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Christmas Eve candlelight service, followed by dashing through the lit streets to take in all the holiday lights. Then we go back and read Luke 2 and Twas a Night Before Christmas.
17. Did you ever see an angel?
Sorry, but no. I’ve heard they’re pretty scary warriors with the glory of the Lord accompanying them sometimes, which always inspires fear. Either that, or they come to tell you your pregnant. So I’m okay with not seeing them for now.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
the giving part more and more (although I still like the receiving, so you can send gifts to…)
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Silent Night. Since I was a Christmas baby (remember the whole December birthday month thing – still accepting gifts), my mom sang it to me as a lullaby. Christmas ended; she still sang it. I must have been about 10 when I discovered that it’s actually a Christmas carol. I still get sleepy when I hear it.
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
I give ‘em to my hubby, who adores them.
21. Favorite Christmas movie?
White Christmas far and above. Followed by Rudolph for obvious reasons.
22. What do you have on your list this year?
Books. Big surprise there.

And one random Christmas question I have: Jesus was born as a human, died as a human, resurrected as a human (see the part of him eating food with his disciples), and ascended as a human, and will return as a human. He chose to become human for all eternity, although he is still fully God. However, as a human, does he still need to eat?

Filed Under: Christmas, holidays, meme