Every year – once the turkey leftovers are polished off and the first dusting of snow settles on the (hopefully raked) lawn – I turned my attention to the symbols of Christmas. I look for them in the sounds I hear, the sights I see, the food I eat and the books I read. They testify that Christmas is on the horizon.
I can struggle with the holidays as much as anyone. I don’t like Christmas shopping – going toe to toe with cranky shoppers all battling for the last cabbage patch doll on the shelf, or the last Halo Reach on the rack.
And I get the seasonal stress. You spend money that maybe you don’t have. Not every gift you get under the Christmas tree is wonderful – some of them are just clutter and junk. Some have to be returned. People are all feeling rushed and put upon. We all need to relax over some Christmas cookies and hot chocolate but who has time?
Yet, still, I insist on Christmas joy, despite all the reasons not to. And I see it – or I make myself see it – in the Christmas symbols that surround me. What do I consider those symbols to be?
I like the first house in the neighborhood to put up Christmas lights in the front yard. I like the Christmas wreaths that I see on front doors of house and businesses.
I like the nativity scenes that spring up in small towns where people still celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday.
I like making writing letters to Santa with my children. I like baking holiday food – cookies, pies and sweet breads – to nibble on while decorating the tree.
I like the quirky Christmas decorations that I see – the Harley Davidson Christmas ornament, the giant snow globe with the Grinch inside it.
And I like the music – whether it’s traditional Christmas carols or contemporary renditions, it is all pleasing to my ear.
What else? How about candy canes? Stars? Creative Christmas cards? Hand-sewn stockings? Personalized photo ornaments? Visits to Santa? Stories about reinder? The Gospel of Luke? The Night Before Christmas?
I make a conscious choice to be happy during the holidays. It’s the only way to get to the real joy and peace. And I do it with the many symbols and images of Christmas, each with its own meaning, its own unique qualities, and each a part of this most precious holiday.
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