As the Holiday season is now in full swing, I have been thinking a lot about the meaning of Christmas (I know that sounds so cliche but it's true). I have always loved the Christmas season. Everything about it seems so magical - trees indoors, wreaths, the songs and caroling, the concept of rebirth, the fresh beginning after the New Year, the food, the gifts, the magic of Santa. I love that the origins of each element come from near and far in place and time and connect us to our past and to each other as a society.
I always seek to build on my holiday traditions for my family and work to create as much magic as possible throughout the season.
Today, I was thrilled to witness some of the Christmas magic as experienced by my five year old. Over the years, I have gathered a collection of Christmas/Winter books that I put away in a box after the holiday season and take out again around the beginning of advent. I took the box down today and watched as my daughter carefully removed each book, flipped the pages, and set it carefully in a pile. It took her quite a while to go through them all and I felt so glad that I could give her that gift. The simple act of putting the books out of reach for most of the year imbues them with a special power when they do come down. The fact that many are beloved favorites about Christmas simply adds to their allure. The magic of Christmas comes from these simple moments.
Yesterday we enjoyed another family tradition. We went to get our Christmas tree. We all pile in my husband's truck and drive to the Christmas Tree farm where we wander through a forest of lovely trees and discuss the merits of each. When one has finally been selected that is agreeable to all, my husband gets down on the ground and saws it down while I hold the trunk steady. When it has been freed from its root, he hoists it on his shoulder and throws it in the truck. I love him for this ( among many things). Once home, we trim the bottom off to make sure it will suck up as much water as possible and put it in the stand in the living room. In the evening, we light candles, turn the lights down, put on nice holiday music, and decorate the tree. As a child, we always did it this way and it is one of my favorite things about the season. I love looking at each ornament and remembering it. Everyone has favorites that they select and put up on the tree. Often I remember where the ornament came from or who gave it to us. It is a sentimental affair.
When the tree is fully trimmed we do our Christmas waltz. We listen to the song "The Angels Cried" by Allison Krausse and Alan Jackson and we dance. We play the song at least three times so that everyone gets a chance to dance with Daddy. We play this song and dance throughout the season but it is always the most special the first time each year when we decorate the tree. The magic thing about it is that we don't usually listen to music as a family and we certainly don't usually dance together. Christmas breaks down the barriers of what is normally done or what is considered appropriate. I wish we turned the lights down, played music, and danced more often but if the month of December is the only time it happens, then I guess it makes it all the more special.
I love to create these magic moments and am always looking for new ideas for traditions to build on. I wonder what types of things other families do to make Christmas special. I fear that many don't take the time for such simple pleasures.
