Burning the Old Yule Log

Have you ever tried that video or Christmas on-demand roaring fire? It's not quite the same is it? There are just certain things about this time of year that become important and traditional for many households.  For us, it is slightly more than playing a video of a burning log.

I must admit, Christmas is the one holiday I have looked forward to since I was a child.  Over the years, we have added to the decorations and the lights both inside and out.  We have a village based on Bedford Falls from It's a Wonderful Life and another based on Bethlehem.  We have an animated carousel or two and two trees. One is the more traditional tree, and the other we call the SciFi tree. It is filled with mostly Star Trek ornaments and a few other from pop culture movies and tv shows.  We have brass bells that play out Christmas tunes.  In short we are serious Christmas decorators.

As many of you know, we also decorate the outside of the house with animated scenes, laser lights, and even a laser light show. We have moving lights and the roofs and porches are outlined in lights.  There are lights and snowflakes and over-sized ornaments and even a 10-foot tall blow-up snowman.  One of our friends who live a couple blocks away says the brightness keeps her awake at night.


We spend a couple of weeks decorating and then there are the Christmas movies and cartoons to watch.  There are baked goods to make.  Open houses to attend and one of our own to prepare for.  Traditions like fudge and popcorn balls and sugar cookies and divinity must be made and placed into tins and boxes along with other Christmas goodies so we can eat too much and share these treats with friends and family.

There are presents to buy and movies to see. It is a time of many things but despite all these things, it is more to us than buying and lights and parties.  We do these things because we can.  It makes us happy.  I am not particularly wealthy, but I am incredibly blessed.  You see, Christmas is more than all these things. It is a feeling that fill us to the soul.  I know there are some who have a hard time with the holidays.   I know horrific events happen, but there are also wonderful things. When bad things happen, the community pulls together and wants to help.  We are so much more that the fictitious war on Christmas.  We are so much more than what color our Starbuck's cup is.  We are filled with the spirit of the holidays. And it is holidays, not just one holiday.  It is Hanukkah and Christmas and Kwanzaa and Yule and  Ramadan and even St. Lucia day.

It is a season of wonder and spirit.  Yes, bad things happen. Despite that and despite the Scrooges and Grinches who get on social media to announce that there is only "Merry Christmas" or attack those who believe in the miracle, it is still a wonder-filled time.  I love all my decorations and food and the friends and family I spend time with, but I believe that without all that, Christmas time will still fill me with that special feeling. The feeling I look forward with child-like glee to every year.  I hope you do too.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours.  May the New Year fill your life with blessings galore.