Decoration | Tradition | Ringing
Now that I have the Christmas tree up and had help starting the decorations it's time to move on to some of the Christmas themed prompts that have been filling up my inbox since the beginning of December.
We didn't buy many ornaments/decorations while we were living in the UAE, but we did collect a small number of wooden ones, possibly from the souk in Sharjah. These are some of the bells that we have. It's kind of strange to think of camels and the desert at Christmas time when all the hype is about snow and Santa Claus. But of course in reality Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a far cry from snow and fir trees, and is probably an amalgam of a whole lot of pagan festivals that developed as Christianity took hold. For some it is an important religious time, for others simply part of their culture with no religious significance. For Steve and I it is about our family, about giving, about love and enjoying each other's company.
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
I couldn't resist adding this one ...
Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer.... Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously?
Bill Watterson ~ The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
Bill Watterson ~ The Essential Calvin and Hobbes