WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME

 by Judy Ann Davis

What does Christmas mean to me? There are so many things to think about when the holiday season arrives in December. For me, and most importantly, Christmas means we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. But it also means we need to reflect upon such things as compassion for others, being kind and caring, being thankful for good health, and being grateful for friends and family. My husband and I also rejoice in the celebration of the season with special traditions like sending Christmas cards and enjoying certain foods, stories, movies, and music.

I am hooked on Christmas music and usually turn on the tunes the day after Thanksgiving. Imagine my surprise when my husband started playing them on Thanksgiving Day. I believe that he, like all of us during this pandemic, wanted something uplifting to hear and look forward to. I love to play instrumental Christmas songs and fill the house with the old standard holiday tunes while I work. My favorite Christmas carols are in a tie--Silver Bells with Mary Did You Know? 

But if I could decide on one thing that I'm forever grateful for, it's the invention of our technical digital advances allowing us visual face time with people from afar. We regularly Skype with our son and family in Alaska, watching his four-year-old and his seventeen-month-old sons grow and thrive in the snowy North. It’s such a joy to chat with them.

This year, we will celebrate alone again. My husband and I always cook together during the holidays. We’ll bake a ham with all our traditional fixings of baked corn, green beans, potatoes, cookies, and an apple or pumpkin pie. We are fans of left-overs. My husband makes a fabulous ham and potato soup afterwards.

I used to get anxiety-ridden when the holiday season arrived. There was so much to do when my sons lived at home. However, my mother, who is now deceased, used to tell me over and over, “Judy, Christmas is really only one day.” She was right, the rest is just frenzy in celebration of that one day.

If you have special traditions you celebrate for Christmas, drop me a note in the comment box below. I’d love to hear about them. Before I forget: 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

   A NOVELLA FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

              A MAPLE COOKIE HOMECOMING

      

            THE MUSICAL CHRISTMAS SERIES:

                 JUNE ~ The Pianist

                ADELENE ~ The Violinist

                LUCY ~ The Clarinetist

A POLISH CHRISTMAS EVE - Wigilia – The Vigil

by Judy Ann Davis

Oplaki

For people of Polish ancestry, Christmas Eve is a special night. It is a night of magic when animals are said to talk and people have the power to predict the future. It’s a time for families to gather and reconcile any differences, and to remember loved ones who have gone before them. It’s call Wigilia (vee-GELL-yah) which means, “vigil,” or waiting for the birth of Baby Jesus.

As dusk approaches, the mother of the family places a lighted candle in the window to welcome the Christ Child. Straw or hay, a reminder of Christ’s birth in a stable, is placed under a white linen tablecloth, which symbolizes Mary’s veil which became the Babe’s swaddling cloth. The eldest woman of the house places the blessed Communion-like wafers called oplatki (Oh-PWAHT-kee) on a fine china or silver plate. In modern times, straw and evergreens are assembled on a serving platter and covered with a white napkin. The oplatki is then placed on the napkin.

An extra place is set of any weary stranger who happens to pass by, in the same way Joseph wandered from home to home looking for a place for Mary to give birth, and in memory of those who are departed. (The extra place is also set in hopes that Christ will dine with the family.)

After sunset, the youngest child is sent to watch for the first star. This is why the wigilia dinner is also known as the Star Supper. Only then are the candles on the table lit and the dinner begun. But not a morsel is eaten before the “breaking of the oplatki.”

The eldest family member takes the wafer, breaks it and shares it with the next eldest with wishes for good health and prosperity, and a kiss on each cheek. Each person then exchanges oplatki with everyone else at the table. It can be a very emotional time as grudges are forgotten and deceased family members are remembered.

Wesolych Swiat! - Merry Christmas!

Instead of sending Christmas cards to friends and family not present, Poles send oplatki, first tearing off a small corner to show that the donor has broken it with them as a token of affection. (In America, Polish families often enclose oplatki in their Christmas cards.)

In some regions of Poland, at the end of the supper, Father Christmas, known as The Starman (very often the parish priest in disguise), accompanied by singing Starboys, pays a visit. He brings rewards to good children from Starland, and scolds the naughty ones, who eventually get their reward, too.

Typical food dishes on Christmas Eve include borscht, mushroom dishes, herring, white fish, meatless cabbage rolls, gingerbread cookies, pierogis, poppy seed rolls, spice cake, fruit, chocolates, tangerines, and cognac, liqueurs, and vodka made into a variety of drinks.

[Information taken from “About Food – Polish Christmas Recipes and Traditions” - by Barbara Rolek, Eastern European Food Expert.]

                               Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!

(For more information about my books, please visit my Amazon Author Page:  

https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Ann-Davis/e/B006GXN502/)

A Homemade Christmas by Kimmie Easley

Well, the holiday dust is finally starting to settle, and like most mothers/wives out there, this is the time when I finally get to sit back and reflect on the good old family Christmas. Yes, a wee bit backwards, but it doesn't change the outcome.

It was a special year for our family. Not because of any major feat, but because of a simple heart change. And not the kind of change that comes when the parents come up with something and drag the kids along kicking and screaming. No, this was an across the board heart change.

My children are older now, so naturally, the weight of Santa Claus has faltered. However, over the last few years, I've felt the need to "keep up with the Claus's" so to speak. It was costly, commercial, and lasted as long as a roll of wrapping paper would allow. Don't get me wrong. My children are kind, loving, and grateful - and I'm not just saying that. I am truly blessed where my children are concerned, but the as the holidays began to draw near, I found that I began to talk to my girls about the blessing of homemade gifts.

As mothers, we've all said it - "Oh, just make me something homemade" or "I'd rather having something you made yourself".

So imagine how my chin hit the floor when my daughter asked, why stop there?



As a family, we all agreed it was better to make our gifts this year with one common theme, it had to be thoughtful and geared towards the giftee. This allowed for each of us to actually learn more about the people we were giving to and better our relationships.

Here's the really cool thing, once we began to talk about it to our friends, they all agreed to do the same thing! A group of us all got together (about 5 families) and had an old fashioned, homemade gifting party. It was amazing to see what everyone came up with and the way minds were spinning thinking about their recipients.

I wanted to share a few of our gifts, both given and received.

     

One of the hand painted wine glasses I made for my girlfriends. 

A handmade God's Eye. 

An ornament with a photo of all of our kidlets from a previous birthday party. 

A sketch for my daughter. (I'd also like to add, this was made by a 13 year old teenage boy. One of my favorite gifts of the season!)

Like I said, it was a special Christmas for the Easley family. I look forward to seeing the years unfold as my children grow and develop traditions of their own. It's going to be a beautiful 2015!

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?