The Christmas season is a time for tradition. We long for the comforts of old memories, of happier times. One thing you will never hear from me is a complaint about someone getting in the Christmas spirit too early. I am comfortable with my favorite holiday of the year co-existing with Thanksgiving, or even Halloween if one is so inclined. Those of you have been to my house during my “birthday month” know that I even have a limited celebration in the hottest part of summer!
As I have been pulling out the old decorations in advance of a visit from much-loved family, I am impressed by the sameness, and the exciting newness of this season.
When sister and I were small, our mother loved making our house look festive, both inside and out. Our house had two large picture windows, and I remember she covered one with a full-sized sheet which served as a canvas for her own gigantic painted Christmas card. Without a picture, I can’t remember the design exactly, but I’m sure it included a large Merry Christmas, and an elf-ish red-clad figure with a Santa hat. A well-placed floodlight on the porch kept the display visible at night. One of a kind, and uniquely her design. These days, one of the latest trends in our neighborhood is to project cartoon figures onto a canvas, or a blank wall or set of windows. Festive, yes. New idea? Not so much!
Of course, inside the house, the Christmas tree takes center stage. In years past, we always had a live tree, which meant the tree stand held a refillable bowl of water to keep the needles green and prevent tragedy when the lights were burning. The fairly large, multi-colored bulbs only twinkled when they were about to need replacing. The handfuls of tinsel we draped strategically on the branches provided reflection and made the lights come alive. At our house this year, the newest thing is an artificial model that looks as close to real as possible. The lights are already installed, so no time is wasted at set-up. Twinkling occurs with the use of a handy remote-control device, and we can choose solid burning white or multi-colored lights, or a selection of different patterns of blinking. It all depends on the mood desired, from ‘All is Calm, All is Bright’, to “Trans-Siberian Orchestra’. Side note: the mess of real tree needles and all that tinsel is not something I miss from my childhood.
The ornaments on the tree tell a story about our family, just as they did from as far back as I can remember. Their tenure on display is measured not in just years, but generations. Fragile metal and glass pieces have survived untold transitions from a well-padded box to the upper branches, out of reach of young hands, and back to the safety of the box after the presents are unwrapped. Oh, the tales they could tell of happy children, during times of lean Christmases and times when Santa went way overboard with his gift-giving. Just as in all of the years past, there are fancy, commercially bought ornaments mixed with home-made versions of barely recognizable reindeer and candy canes. Each one is priceless and irreplaceable. Since no small hands are around this year to help me, I enjoy each one as it finds its place. If one happens to slide from its perch to the floor, mourning doesn’t last long. There are so many memories that volunteer to keep my spirits up.
As has been the case many times before, our loved ones will not be visiting all at the same time. The first wave comes at Thanksgiving, the next will be for the days leading up to Christmas. Special to our family is Christmas Eve eve. This tradition started when our children were small, and Santa’s funds for gift-giving did not become available until the last minute. He made good use of stores that provided lay-away, and their dad and I had much to do before we could ‘settle down for a long winter’s nap.’ Grandparents stepped in, and we bundled our three up for a sleep-over on the night of the 23rd. giving us the whole day of the 24th for shopping, wrapping, cookie baking and whatever else needed doing. This year, instead of spending a lot of time on a Christmas list, the two nearest grands are planning that special once a year date at Granny and Grandpa’s house. Home-made pizza and banana pancakes are well on their way to becoming new Christmas traditions for us.
This time of year is filled with memories. We recall happy times when we were children, and enjoy watching our own kids and grandkids as they soak up the joy that is all around. It’s all about recalling a time when a new king was born in a small town called Bethlehem. The heavens were filled with so much rejoicing that it is still around today. Your traditions, old and new, make the month of December special. Enjoy! Celebrate!
All indications point to another exciting year coming up in the Ouachita region. We’ll talk again soon!
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