Merry White Christmas

It has taken five winters in Colorado, but we finally woke up to a beautiful white Christmas today. What a sight! Everything around us looks like a postcard-perfect description of the cozy song. Through the see-through fireplace, aglow in the living room, I noticed paw prints in the snow weaving through the lit evergreen trees. Josh is still sleeping, surely dreaming of sugar plums, and I'm cuddled under a blanket, hot cider steaming nearby on the end table.

There are many different interpretations of the significance of this time of year in our culture. I once had a Jewish friend admonish the strings of twinkling lights tangled around buildings in San Francisco for the holidays because "they didn't represent the entirety of beliefs in our culture and would give visitors a false impression of what our nation holds dear."

I had another, less-religious, friend experience surprise at her new in-laws' tradition of baking a birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday to baby Jesus on Christmas day. She was shocked into being reminded what the day means to some.

And, our American Muslim friends observe the holidays because they get the time off of work and school, but not for any other reason tied to their faith. When it comes time for the celebrations of Islam, though, that is some good eatin'!

In our home, we tend to hold to the cultural traditions around the season as the important parts, not so much the religious significance. There is too much debate about what and why we celebrate when we do, but it is generally accepted that it's a time to reflect on the meaningful parts of our lives and share them with our loved ones. The spirit in the air of everyone anticipating delicious, high-calorie meals, family gatherings filled with laughter (depending on the family!) and forming new memories with friends under twinkling, lighted streets are the elements that I get excited about as they approach after Thanksgiving.

The California girl in me, still getting used to "real" winters, does place a lot of significance on a day that starts the Christmas week off every year. That is Winter Solstice (typically December 21st), the turning point in the year when the days begin to get longer and that toasty sun starts to hangout a little bit more each day.

In a season of holiday parties, we host our own version on the 21st each year. We invite our friends and family to eat lots of food and drink apple cider and wine (and beer and alcohol and juice boxes), gather with others to share good conversation, exchange nature-themed gifts and bring in the light and hope of a happy and healthy new year! Many traditional customs are incorporated into this celebration and we've made them our own, with no religious significance, but all the togetherness that each religion espouses during the holidays.

A few days later, on Christmas, we have our enormous tree (thank goodness for 9-10' ceilings) shimmering out at us through the memories that each ornament represents. We have a fire in the hearth, pajamas and slippers, stockings on the mantel, a few gifts, celebratory music, guilt-free meals and enough love to fill the house and spill over to the neighbors. It is a sweet time and I revel in imagining that you are all cozy and relaxed as you read this in the midst of your own family traditions.

Have a special day with your loved ones, laugh a lot and eat up!