Christmas Carols and Other Ponderings...

The day started out... looking like a Christmas card. Everything was covered in soft fluffy snow. Perfect for snowman building.

At Christmas, I like to... attend at least one concert where I can hear some of the beautiful carols and music of the season. Sometimes it's Handel's Messiah or Bach's Christmas Oratorio, and sometimes it's a community concert.

My favourite character in the Nativity story is... Mary. I have often marveled at her great courage to say to the angel, Gabriel, after he'd told her she would become the mother of Jesus, "Be it unto me according to your word." Such trust and, as I say, courage.

An interesting Christmas present I remember getting was a... doll that walked. The only thing was, she had one leg shorter and so she didn't 'walk' very well. As a child, I imagined she had polio, as one of my older cousins walked with a limp from having contracted polio. I named my new doll, Joanne.

One Christmas carol I love listening to is... Once in Royal David's City. I love how the one lone voice begins as if far away and then the one voice is joined with others, building the momentum into a magnificent expression. This one tends to give me shivers down my spine.

For me, Christmas begins when... I've been to a concert where I can join in the carol singing. And if I don't get to one, it begins when I start humming my favourites around the house or in my car. Years ago, I used to sing in a choir and every year we'd do a big event for Christmas called The Singing Christmas Tree. A gigantic stand was erected and festooned with tree boughs and thousands of lights. The choir members would stand on this and sing from it. It was quite the experience.

And so, we come to the last few days before the big event. Here's wishing you peaceful 'sugar-plum' dreamin'!

Musing About Christmas Traditions

photo: pixabay.com

Hubby and I were chatting one day about our favourite and not so favourite traditions -- what we enjoy the most about the holiday season and what we enjoy the least.

When I grew up and had my own place, I loved starting Christmas early in the season. Usually the first flakes of snow got  me in the Christmas spirit. I would start my shopping early, listening to the old familiar carols, watching the movies, getting in the mood, or crafting new decorations and handmade gifts. I didn't have a problem dreaming about it when autumn days drew us nearer the fireside, and I certainly loved the idea of decorating my house at the very beginning of December.

When I met Rick and we married, he didn't have many 'traditions'. He'd put lights up on the house outside, but didn't decorate a tree. And, he didn't often go home to visit his family, who lived in another province. He often spent Christmas Day with special friends closer to home, so his celebrating was simple.

Then I came along and turned everything up-side-down for him. I'd start playing carols weeks before and want to put the tree up early, etc. And he was usually not as enthusiastic as I. Not that he ever stopped me from sallying forth, but he would just tease me about it being way too early and he'd have to call the "Christmas police".

I just figured it was because he wasn't used to it. But then we had our chat and that's when he shared that he didn't really enjoy spreading out Christmas so far and wide across the weeks. To him, if we celebrate days and days of holidaying, what will then make December 25th special and set apart? He had a point! So I said, well, let's make this Christmas more like what he would relish and not spread out the festivities too far in advance. I was happy enough to share the new experience, because in truth it was an old one for me. For, as a child, we didn't decorate our home until just 2 or 3 days before Christmas. (You didn't want the real tree to dry out before the actual day.) And most of our festivities were just those few days right around Christmas, just before and between Christmas and New Year's.

I refrained from shopping (yes, even shopping), planning menus in advance, holiday baking, playing the carols, and decorating until just a couple of days ago. I did read my December Victoria magazines and dream, but there was no actual activity happening.

Anticipation grew as we waited. So now that we're only 13 days away, this new experiment has revealed something very interesting. It's like the essence of the holiday has distilled into something more potent, and has created something where we're not jaded by all the hubbub, but there's a building up of something eagerly looked forward to. It feels more akin to that feeling of anticipation I had as a child.

Then one day I was reading Jan Karon's delightful Shepherds Abiding and if key character Father Tim didn't describe something similar after he'd just heard the choir singing the beautiful old carols in the beautiful old stone church. Here, listen...

"Call him a stick-in-the-mud, a dinosaur, a fusty throwback, but indeed, jumping into the fray the day after Halloween was akin to hitting, and holding, high C for a couple of months, while a bit of patience saved Christmas for Christmas morning and kept the holy days fresh and new."

That's it, starting things later this year has given me that sense of that fresh and new. Interesting, I thought. Now whether I do this every year, well, time will tell. But I'm enjoying this year.

I bid you your own sweet musings on this wintry evening,

Brenda

xox

It's the First Day of December

And the weather is cool and icy today -- no sign of fluffy flakes either. With my monthly newsletter needing to be done this week, I've chosen to share an article originally posted last year as my offering to you on this first day of December. I hope you enjoy.

The Tradition of Gift Giving

For those of us who love Christmas, we can gleefully start our holiday preparations in earnest. Which, of course, means focusing our attention more closely on the gifts we want to give this year.

One of my favourite ways of expressing love to the people in my circle is to give them gifts. I love finding or making little treasures that I hope will give them pleasure, as well as convey my esteem and affection.

After reading Gary Chapman's book on the five love languages, I realize that gift giving is probably one of my primary love languages (words of affirmation right up there as well). I love shopping for presents at Christmas time, although I have to admit my most favourite times of the year to give gifts are those times in between, when no one is expecting them. It's the surprise element that I adore.

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the social obligation of gift giving at this time of year. Instead of feeling a sense of joy and wonder, we can feel the pressure of giving because it's expected of us. I don't know about you, but I don't want to receive something from someone if they only feel a sense of duty to give it to me.

I don't want to give in that spirit, either! For me, I want my gifts to be an expression from my heart. Whether our gift comes wrapped in shiny paper or a note with gentle words of affirmation, or an offer to provide some act of service or spend time together, it doesn't matter if we're two or ninety-two, we are all looking for that little something that says, "You I cherish....you I notice."

As we prepare ourselves for this special holiday season, may the gifts we choose be ones that come from hearts filled with affection, esteem and love. Now that's living life beautifully!

Happy Preparations!
Brenda

* * * * *

Footnote:

* Gary Chapman's five love languages include:
1. Giving gifts
2. Words of affirmation
3. Physical touch
4. Quality time
5. Acts of service