A few weeks ago, my 4 ½ year old Grand and I were together in my van. While we waited for a traffic light to turn from red to green, Ruth and I admired the bright golden leaves on a maple tree. We talked about the many colors of leaves during the fall and that fall is also called autumn. Time for another fact. I grab teaching moments with my Grands.
“It’s fall now and next will be…?” I said.
“Christmas!” Ruth shouted.
“Christmas is a holiday. But you’re right. Christmas is in the next season. It’s winter. Does that make sense?” I said.
Ruth was seated directly behind me so I couldn’t see her face. Since she was silent, I guessed that she was thinking. The traffic light turned green and we’d travelled several blocks when my Grand said, “Well, Samuel calls the next season Christmas and Elsie calls it Christmas and I call it Christmas. Mommy and Daddy call it winter.” If you were four, would you agree with your older brother and sister or your parents?
The more I’ve thought about Ruth’s answer, the more it makes sense. These December days certainly don’t feel like fall. Golden leaves and orange pumpkins are long gone and by the calendar, winter begins December 21st. So here we are with a few weeks that aren’t really fall and not yet winter. And it’s a time with activities all its own.
Christmas Season – a time to decorate. The only time of the year that we rearrange our living room furniture. That’s so our Christmas tree can stand front and center of the window with enough floor space for Husband’s electric train under it. The everyday decorative knick-knacks are packed away. Out come Christmas pillows, a manger and nativity, family pictures of past Christmases, carolers, red candles, boughs of green, gold ribbon.
Christmas Season – a time to shop. I shop more now than I do all the other seasons put together. Shop for gifts and things I didn’t know I needed until I saw them advertised at door buster prices. Shop at the local toy store, bookstore, kitchen store, bazaars, department stores, drugstores, online, wherever gifts are sold.
Christmas Season – a time for bells. The ringing of church bells, jingle bells, hand bells, Salvation Army bells. Bells on my mailbox, bell collection on my pump organ, bells tied to little girls’ shoelaces and hair ribbons.
Christmas Season – a time for mistletoe. One tiny sprig of green leaves hangs on the doorway between my kitchen and dining room to encourage hugs and kisses.
Christmas Season – a time to party. With friends and family and coworkers. With food and drink and presents. To play games and sing and visit.
Christmas Season – a time for good wishes. Husband and I have friends with whom we connect only at this time each year. Call me old fashioned – I like Christmas cards and family newsletters and pictures. And I like the shouts of “Merry Christmas!” across grocery aisles and parking lots.
Ruth is right. Winter doesn’t come after fall. Christmas does. Christmas Season.
Filed under: Christmas, Holidays | Tagged: Christmas, Christmas tree, season |
Susan Writes 
Leave a Reply