Merry Christmas!

“There is no peace that cannot be found in the present moment.” ― Tasha Tudor

Virgin Mary and Child
by Tasha Tudor
[source]

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

If Mary could find Peace in a stable, certainly we can endeavor to find Him today and everyday in our modern world...wishing you a Merry Christmas!

From Christmas Poem to Favorite Hymn

Christina Rossetti is the author of many Advent and Christmas poems that were posthumously published in her POETIC WORKS, in 1904. Her most famous, A Christmas Carol, became a favorite Christmas hymn entitled In the Bleak Midwinter after it appeared in The English Hymnal in 1906, with a setting by Gustav Holst (and later by Harold Darke).  

This beloved Christmas carol has been performed by choirs and soloists ever since, including the Robert Shaw Chorale, Chanticleer, Julie Andrews, Sarah Mclachlan, and most recently, James Taylor (who sings my favorite modern rendition).

Below I've posted Rossetti's poem, accompanied by some Christmas picture book covers that illustrate the text beautifully...

"IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER" 

by Christina Rossetti

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place
sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

A GOOD REMINDER

[The text below is reprinted from my parish Sunday bulletin, "The Orthodox Weekly Bulletin" Vestal, Cliffwood, New Jersey, December 23, 2012]

Do you recall the "Dennis the Menace" comics, which chronicled the escapades of a mischievous young lad who constantly got himself into trouble? For many years on Christmas morning, newspapers would run a particular comic strip where Dennis would be standing in the middle of his living room, which was filled with toys and discarded boxes, bows and wrapping paper. With a look of bewilderment on his face, he asks this question: "Is this all there is?" 

source

Sadly, for many people, this is all there is to Christmas - the frantic rush to purchase something for someone who doesn't really need it in the first place, and who likely will return it to the department store the following day! Thankfully, for Christians, this festive day means much more. Whatever Christmas has become in all its secular glory, the most important aspect of this joyous feast is still summoned up in its first six letters: C H R I S T!

CHRISTMAS IN THE MANGER by Nola Buck, illustrated by Felicia Bond.  Sweet and gentle telling of the Nativity story for the very youngest, a "pat and peek" book with a rhyming text from the point of view of the animals, shepherds, Mary and Joseph.  The last line is so sweet,

"I am the baby asleep in the hay, and I am the reason for Christmas Day".

Christmas reminds us that "God so loved the world that he gave His Only-Begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him may not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Christmas is a time for us to recall that peaceful night when God sent a Savior to His people, keeping His ancient promise. It is a day for us to sing like the angelic hosts: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men!" It is also a day for us to imitate the shepherds, who left from their encounter with the Christ Child glorifying and praising God, and an opportunity for us to exhibit the same perseverance as the Wise Men, seeking our King no matter the sacrifice involved.

image by Niko Chocheli - source

As we sing in one of the feast's hymns of Vespers: "Heaven and earth are united today because Christ is born." Indeed, this is all there is and all we need to know about this glorious day.

PREPARE O BETHLEHEM:  THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY, by Niko Chocheli. Luminously illustrated verses from Orthodox hymns of the prefeast and feast of the Nativity. 

A good reminder in these last days of preparation...

Christmas Innocents

It's settled. We're in love.
Me, my husband, my daughter, her husband, his parents:  our whole family is in love.

With the darling baby boy who's inside this shirt!

If you've wondered why I haven't been writing quite as many posts as usual, blame my new baby Grandson and Christmas: 

Baby's Christmas, by Esther Wilkin, illustrated by Elioise Wilkin
Photo credit:  Cindi Rose

the smiling, decorating, photo snapping, rocking, baking, shopping, ordering, photo snapping, cooing, listening, nuzzling, singing, photo snapping, oo-ing, aahh-ing, gift wrapping, diaper changing, errand running, card addressing, photo snapping, praying, remembering, laughing, crying, hugging...  

The busy-ness, but also all the emotions that come with my first Christmas season of not only enjoying my Grandson, but missing my Dad.  

And even more emotions while still contemplating the families missing their children after the horrible shooting and tragic deaths of so many innocent souls at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.

Today I read a beautiful poem for those Innocents, that is attributed to someone named Cameo Smith (it's all over the Internet, but I could not find the original source.)  Here it is...

"I AM STILL THE LIGHT" 

Baby Jesus in the manger From "The Christmas Story" ,
a Little Golden Book, 1952; Janet Werner, Illustrations by Eloise Wilkin.

Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate

their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. 

they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. 

they were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say. 

they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day. 

“where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse. 

“this is heaven.” declared a small boy.

“we’re spending Christmas at God’s house.” 

when what to their wondering eyes did appear, 

but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near. 

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same. 

then He opened His arms and He called them by name. 

and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring 

those children all flew into the arms of their King 

and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace, 

one small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face. 

and as if He could read all the questions she had 

He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.” 

then He looked down on earth, the world far below 

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe 

then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand, 

“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!” 

“may this country be delivered from the hands of fools” 

“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!”  

then He and the children stood up without a sound.

“come now my children, let me show you around.” 

excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.

all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can. 

and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight, 

“in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

HOW DICKENS HELPED SAVE CHRISTMAS

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." -Ebenezer Scrooge

Illustration by Lisbeth Zwerger, source

Following intense scrutiny by Oliver Cromwell and his largely Puritan Parliament, Christmas celebrations in Great Britain were in decline. At the same time, the Industrial Revolution allowed British workers little time for the holy days. 

But Christmas celebrations began to make a comeback in the mid 1800's, in great part due to Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and... Charles Dickens! 

Happy Birthday to A Christmas Carol, published 169 years ago today, on December 19, 1843! I love this beautiful edition, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger.

According to Laura Grande, who writes in History Magazine: Christmas still was not observed by the majority of the population, as workhouses and mill owners refused to recognize it as a holiday, forcing their employees to work their usual shifts, which often ran longer than 10 hours a day. With the majority of England at work, it’s no small wonder that Christmas still went largely unrecognized.

Dickens began writing "A Christmas Carol" in October of 1843 and the novella was completed within six weeks.

By Christmas Eve, all 6,000 copies had sold out and it continued to sell out with each new edition well into the following year.

The observance of Christmas had experienced a mid-Victorian revival, with a heavy emphasis on family-oriented festivities. 

Dickens was hailed as a hero and he did public readings of "A Christmas Carol" every holiday season from 1853-70. In total, Dickens had read his book aloud to massive crowds 127 times.
{source: Laura Grande, from December 2010/January 2011 issue of History Magazine. I found the article in its entirety, here.}

Another nice edition of Dicken's A Christmas Carol is this one, illustrated by P.J. Lynch.  You can see many of his illustrations for the book here, on his website.

Read more about the life of Charles Dickens, HERE, in my past post commemorating his 200th Birthday this year.

St. Lucia Day Remembrances

Outside it was dark and chilly, as I watched my little daughter, Mary, bringing up the rear of the procession and swinging her basket, trying to keep up with all the other young girls following behind the "Lucia Bride".

My daughter was only two and a half, and I'll never forget that December night twenty-three years ago, as our church first attempted what has now become tradition: our Annual St. Lucia Procession.

Two-and-a-half year old Mary,
 in her little white dress and red sash.

By the time Mary was about seven or eight, American Girl Dolls and their books were becoming more and more popular, and my daughter loved all the stories.  Of course, her favorite was about Kirsten, the Swedish girl.  Mary could hardly wait to be St. Lucia and wear a crown, like her Kirsten doll.

And the day finally came. Mary was beaming, as she took her turn portraying St. Lucia, wearing the crown of candles and leading the procession of girls in white around the church, with the choir singing in the background; she was fourteen.

Happy St. Lucia Day! I hope you make it a family tradition to celebrate - I found a tutorial for a cute paper Lucia crown (here), and you can make some Lussekatter and read St. Lucia's story...

Do you have a daughter who is interested in knowing why girls wear white dresses with red sashes, balance a crown of candles on their heads, and carry a platter of saffron buns on December 13th? And who exactly was this saintly Italian girl named Lucia, whose story the Scandinavians adopted? 

Katherine Bolger Hyde has done a wonderful job explaining the customs and the history behind St. Lucia Day, in her beautiful book, Lucia Saint of Light, illustrated by Daria Fisher.

St. Lucia Day can't be celebrated properly without "Lussekatter" - Swedish Saffron Buns! (There's a recipe at the end of Katherine Hyde's book.)  My daughter always helped me make them, and her Kirsten Doll even came with a tiny tray of mini Lussekatter. Today I'll be baking a batch with my three little goddaughters for our Church celebration this weekend.

Click here to see all the variations - St. Lucia buns can be made
in different designs.  One year we made a Lucia braided bread crown.
[Source: Mylittlenorway.com]

Back to the picture book...it follows two parallel stories: of a modern-day girl named Lucy, and the 4th-Century saint named Lucia.  The tales are interwoven as Lucy prepares to celebrate her "nameday".  Her mother explains to her the origins of the story of St. Lucia, the background behind the traditions of her celebration, and her association with Sweden.  At the end of the book, you'll find the "Santa Lucia" song (with words and music), her icon, verses from her Feastday Aposticha, and a recipe for St. Lucia Buns.

Detailed illustrations from the book.

Where to find the book: Go here, to Ancient Faith Publishing.  Scroll down and you'll see that Lucia, Saint of Light is also now available as an engaging 10-minute video! ($4.99). You can also look on Amazon, if the book is sold out on AFP.

Click HERE for more information about how to order the book and very well done video. Below is a short clip...

This is a blog hop, click HERE
to read other fun posts...

Thanks for letting me share some of our family memories and traditions with you on this special day, honoring a special girl.  And thank you to Heather, at Audrey Eclectic, for hosting this fun "blog procession" for St. Lucia Day 2012.

SWEET FOR THE SUITE: An Award-Winning Canadian Nutcracker Story Inspired by Bears!

A SUITE Story:
Woodland Nutcracker (text adaptation by Avril Tyrrell; illustrated by Avril's daughter, Frances Tyrrell) was chosen as The Children's Picture Book of the year in 1999 by the Canadian Book Review Annual.  In her blog, Frances says, "The story was inspired by many camping trips and cottage visits in Canada's boreal forest, 'far away from highways and city lights', where one can travel for days and not meet another human being or even a camera-shy bear".

YukTuk the Polar bear, dancing to strains
of the Russian Dance - and holding a copy
of Woodland Nutcracker! [poster by Frances Tyrrell,
used with permission of the illustrator.]

"Long ago, far away from highways and city lights, where bright stars touched the tree tops and forest roots touched the edges of frozen lakes, a woodland family welcomed relatives and friends
to a Christmas Eve party in their cozy island home.
Softly falling snowflakes drifted into the cottage as the guests arrived..."

This story parallels The Nutcracker Suite Ballet: Clara is given a wonderful carved Nutcracker Bear who transforms into the dashing Nutcracker Prince.

Grandfather Bear and Clara, holding her Nutcracker Bear.

After settling a midnight battle between tin soldiers and invading field mice with a Christmas Eve truce, and giving the hungry mice food for their families, Clara and Nutcracker fly away to the Ice Palace of the Great Bear, Ursa Major.

In 2002, this particular illustration spanned over an outdoor entrance to
 a mall in Toronto, greeting shoppers and passersby!  Woodland Nutcracker
bears were also re-created as life-size figures, positioned at store entries.

At the Great Bear's palace an international cast of bears performs for Clara - juggling pandas and trapeze artist koalas and more, plus some of her dearest woodland friends. 

Mother Ginger with her junior hockey team.

I just ordered this book - so happy it's not out of print - HERE, from Frances Tyrrell's website, Treasure Seeker Studio, which also links to her lovely blog, "Fairy Lanterns", and Etsy shop.

Don't miss this book: Grandmother's Tree, also illustrated by Frances and written by her mother, Avril Tyrrell (found here, at francestyrrell.com).

A SWEET Recipe:

Source: Two Peas and their Pod

How about a little sweet, while you read about The Woodland Nutcracker (or listen to The Nutcracker Suite)?  From my Advent & Christmastide Pinterest Board: White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies!











A COUPLE OF EXTRA SWEET SUITES:
Right-click HERE to see my posts on these other Nutcracker books.

"Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite"
by Anna Harwell Celenza

Susan Jeffers' "The Nutcracker"