Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Christmas Reflections

I'm so glad it's the Christmas season, because otherwise I surely wouldn't have had an idea for this week's letter X. I hope that you all had a very merry Christmas, or as some people would say, Merry Xmas!


Somehow, though, a wish for a happy Xmas just doesn't have the same ring to it. To me, Xmas sounds like a generic version of Christmas--Brand X, if you will. When I was younger I was taught that we should never use this term, that it was taking "Christ" out of "Christmas." But later I learned that isn't necessarily true.



The labarum above (photo taken from Wikipedia) is a Christian symbol for Christ. Often called the Chi-Rho, it is formed from the Greek letters X and P, which were abbreviations for the Greek word for "Christ." So, the term "Xmas" is actually a Christian term, too. And yet, I much prefer using the word Christmas.


I try to avoid discussing religion and politics here, but I can't help making a comment today, and I hope that no one is offended by it. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, of course, and I respect other people's beliefs. However, I hope that we never get so concerned with being "PC" that Christmas trees are no longer allowed in public spaces nor that retailers are no longer allowed to wish their customers a "Merry Christmas." I hope that others will see these gestures not as an attempt to foist religious beliefs on others, but take them in the spirit in which they were intended--a wish for peace and good will among all people.


And now I'll get off my soapbox and share a few scenes from our Christmas celebrations this year.




My wish for a white Christmas came a day late, but that was fortunate because it didn't affect our plans for family get-togethers.



The four older grandchildren came over a few days before Christmas for a cookie-baking session. The table was covered with plastic, sugar cookie dough portioned out for each to roll and cut out, and plenty of frosting and sprinkles available for their masterpieces.



Oldest Grandson really got into the spirit. But at one point in the decorating, this became a contest to see just who could put the most frosting on one cookie.



I think he won:)



Younger Granddaughter takes such activities very seriously
and even brought her own chef's apron for the day.



She was so proud of her creations that she took most of her cookies home.



Sophie couldn't help with cookies, but oh, did she love having the grandkids here! Since this was her first Christmas with us, she wasn't sure what all the fuss was about, but soon got into the spirit of the season. Hmm, I wonder how those holes got in my brand new tree skirt . . .



Of course, there was a stocking just for her, and she enjoyed her new toys. Toby and Tarzan opened their presents a little early--the catnip mice in their stocking were just too tempting, and I caved in to their curious sniffings and pawings before Christmas Eve.



As is our custom, the immediate family gathers here after Christmas Eve services, and the cleaned and decorated house soon deteriorates into pure chaos as packages are ripped open. Youngest Grandson is now ready to do some serious farming. Notice Sophie to the left--she's always ready to play with Grandson and his neat toys. At one point we had to hastily retrieve the puck from his new hockey set from her before it turned into doggy fiber.



All the toys were inspected and tried out--hockey pucks went flying, and a new scooter raced through the basement family room. But the most fun of all? No, not a new, expensive toy--but empty wrapping paper rolls! A jousting contest with them provided the most entertainment of the evening. It just goes to show that you don't need to spend a lot of money on presents:)


The day after Christmas we gathered again at my parents' house, along with my brother and his family. Cousins got a chance to see each other again and play together.



My parents love nothing better than a house filled with the laughter of children. My Dad does his part by sharing one of his trademark "corny" jokes with Granddaughter.

After his health scare last winter, we were all happy to be able to have another Christmas with Mom and Dad.



Christmas has passed, but the memories will last forever. With the hectic pace of the holidays almost over, it's a good time to take a cue from Toby
and take a little catnap to recharge the batteries.



Since this will be my last post of 2009, I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you
a new year filled with health, happiness, and peace.



Happy New Year!




ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt; I can't wait to see what other people have come up with for the letter X--their posts can be found here.

50 comments:

  1. Well said Rose. What a special time you have had with your family. Time to be cherished for years to come. Wishing you happiness, good health and peace in 2010!

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  2. A great Christmas post, and I share your worries about PC ruining Christmas. Absolute insanity.

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  3. Like you and Anthony, I share the same worries about PC ruining Christmas and it is indeed absolute insanity! That being said, I love your post and all your photos! It does look as if a terrific Xmas was had by all! Wishing you a Very Happy New Year! Enjoy!

    Sylvia

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  4. Rose, Like Anthony and Sylvia, I too, am tired of the pc especially as it relates to Christmas. Christmas will always be Christmas and you captured yours very well. Looked like everyone really enjoyed themselves!

    Wishing you a very happy and healthy New Year!

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  5. It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas! I love your pictures of the tree and family get-togethers.

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  6. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Rose! What a lovely family gathering you had. I want one of those frosted cookies!

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  7. Your christmas looks full of fun, a great X for sharing.

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  8. I like your white Christmas tree...I was supposed to make one but ended up making all red. Thanks for sharing!

    ABC Wednesday:Xerophyte

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  9. I love the photo of the sleeping cat under the tree! Mine is a poetry blog. May I write a poem about that picture for Xmas 2010? I'll acknowledge you, of course.

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  10. Merry Christmas, dear Rose! It was very interesting to learn about using an X in X-mas. Thank you! Family pictures are precious! We have a chaos with just two kids, so I don't even try to imagine what you had after the gifts' opening with all your grandchildren! You are right about the toys. Kids can be happy with the simplest things. Have a Healthy and Happy New Year! All the best to you and your family!

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  11. ...and a good time was had by all. Such a fun post Rose. It is great when family can all be together. I do hope you have a great 2010.

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  12. Hi Rose,
    I enjoyed your holiday reflections and photos. I agree with the things you said. What fun you had with your grandkids! Yes, the tube from the wrapping paper looks like a great toy!

    We picked my parents up to go to our son and his family's house Sunday, and my sister and her husband took them home so they wouldn't have to drive in the snow. My dad slipped and fell off the front porch step on the way out. He's not as steady on his feet as he used to be. It's hard to see my parents age. My husband and his siblings lost both of their parents due to cancer and emphysema. That was hard, too, but different, because they didn't get old enough to be feeble.

    My parents love seeing our grandson, too, and I have been taking him to their house Saturdays, and going to another room to blog while they play.

    Happy New Year!

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  13. Rose, soap box or not, I too agree with your views. I love wishing people a Merry Christmas-my way of saying 'I wish you much joy and happiness this holiday season'. And I will continue to do that PC or not!

    What wonderful memories you are making with the grands. I am sure they will some day bake and decorate cookies with their grands.

    Looks like Sophie really got into the spirit of the holidays. But those cats will have to learn to be more patient.

    Happy New Year dear friend(for the record) and I look forward to ringing in the New Year with you.

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  14. Wonderful pictures, and I'm so happy you chose to post about Xmas and the relevance of X and Christ. I read a great deal about this X, and it opened my eyes as well to the bad press Xmas has had in days gone by.

    Happy New Year to you and all the wonderful family in your pictures.

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  15. Rose, I can see you had a most wonderful Christmas with your family. I think that's an inportant part of the celebration. I agree that we keep Christ in Christmas.
    Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with joy and fulfillment.
    Sue

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  16. What to comment on first? Toby sleeping under the Christmas tree. So adorable. And a cookie baking day with the children? That sounds like so much fun! Even if most of the frosting ends up on one cookie (still looked yummy though). And as for expensive gifts? I've stopped doing that. They get so much stuff every year, and most is played with for about ten minutes before disappearing into toy-oblivion. And as you have shown as well, children will play with anything: give them balloons and they will fill them with water (although that mightn't be the best gift in the winter).
    And lastly: X-mas. For some reason I thought as you did: that it was just something that was made up by commerce. And even though I know better now, I still prefer Christmas.

    That's all from me. Loved your post! Before I go though: I want to wish you a fantastic 2010 from the Netherlands

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  17. You are absolutely right :we mustn't lose the Christ in Christmas. There must always be this special feast and celebration of the coming of the Light of the World. Even non-religious people can celebrate that. We celebrate Christmas in a soberer way than other countries. We give presents at St Nicholas 'Eve on 5th December. We also see Christmas as the beginning of a life of suffering of Jesus ending with his death on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. This Christmas I couldn't go to church, as I was ill. It's getting better now. I wish you a happy and blessed New Year.

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  18. A very proper X :-)

    Happy New Year!

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  19. Rose, there are so many things to luv about this post that I could be here all day making comments. I enjoyed every single photo of your family, especially the one of your dad. What great memories you are making for your grandchildren.

    I'm quite sure that the holes in the tree skirt were there when you bought it. You weren't implying that Sophie had anything to do with it, were you?

    Yes, yes.....it's so good to hear the words Merry Christmas instead Happy Holiday.

    donna

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  20. Rose I have loved these ABC posts~~You always entertain and never disappoint! It looks like you had a marvelous holiday and your house was filled with love and laughter....just as it should be! Happiest of New Years to you my dear! gail

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  21. A very nice Xmas post and photos of your family:-)I like the word with Christ better, but in Norwegian it`s Jul:-)
    Wish you a Happy New Year!

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  22. Looks like everyone had a happy time! To me, Xmas is just shorthand for Christmas; I still pronounce it Christmas. And Xmas trees are pagan, so no worries there! :)

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  23. Rose, what a wonderful Christmas y'all made for each other! I hope 2010 is filled with more such happy memories!

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  24. Lovely photos of a Happy time together. Thats what I like to see.
    But all those additives! Hope they didn't make that grandchild jump through the roof! I often see my grandchildren going wilder by the minute when they eat highly coloured decorations!
    Happy New Year!

    Nuts in May

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  25. I feel all warm & fuzzy from reading your post. I hope younger granddaughter isn't like the girl - we couldn't make any snowman gingerbread cookies this year because last year, she wouldn't let us eat them because they were "too cute."

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  26. Hey Rose, thanks for sharing your Christmas with us. Those grandkids looked like they were having a blast with their cookies.

    Happy New Year to you and your family!

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  27. Rose.....what a delightful and charming post. Family time always brings a smile to my face....I always count my blessings that my parents and ma in law are still with us, to celebrate and enjoy the festivities.

    We are of the same mind....I rarely speak of politics or religion. I have to say I agree totally with your comment. In the UK there have been many things recently that I have found upsetting (I will not enlarge on that). It is a changing world, and I fear, not for the better......

    Have a wonderful New Year Rose....may it be a happy and a healthy one for you and yours.......

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  28. A wonderful Christmas for all! I hope you and your family enjoy a very Happy New Year!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  29. Seems you had such a wonderful Christmas, children do light up the holiday season. Happy New Year.

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  30. It looks like your family enjoyed a wonderful Christmas! Have a very happy New Year!!

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  31. Looks like everybody had a blast. And, you can never have too much frosting on a cookie, can you? :)

    Happy New Year!

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  32. What a wonderful time your family had! Christmas day has past, but those family times, memories made and good feelings will continue. Great post! :-) (Wow - those cookies!) ha. I'm really not understanding the fear of Christ in Christmas...

    Looking forward to 2010... hopefully the ABC's will start over again.

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  33. I just came over to say I hope you had a wonderful Christmas but I can see that you certainly did! Your happy, family photos are lovely. I am sorry to have fallen behind with commenting but I am having some difficulties at the moment.

    However I do wish you and yours A Very Happy and Healthy New Year.

    P.S. I don't like the word Xmas much either and was brought up not to use it but it certainly came in useful for your X category :)

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  34. Looks like you had a wonderful, warm family Christmas Rose! There's nothing like grandchildren to bring even more joy to the holidays.

    I always enjoy your ABC posts, and often learn something new.

    Happy New Year!

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  35. What a lovely post, a lovely family, and lovely memories. May the coming year be your best ever!

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  36. What a sweet, heartfelt post, Rose! You know you never have to worry about offending me with talk of politics and religion. Hey, they're a part of life, which is exactly what this post affirms. Happy New Year and happy blogging and gardening in 2010!

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  37. Happy New Year! It looked like a very merry Christmas. I didn't know the origin of Xmas - how fascinating!

    As one who celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah, I enjoy all the decorations. There's not much of Christianity in a tree - it's pagan. I believe Queen Victoria brought the tradition to England from Germany. Many cultures have winter solstice celebrations including lights.

    I still don't think store clerks should say "Merry Christmas" to everyone. "Happy Holidays!" is just as jolly. It's not just PC. It's about respecting diversity. True good will is inclusive not exclusive.

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  38. I think that Sarah makes a valid point. That being said--and I'm not trying to stir up a hornet's nest here--why should store clerks wish anything at all this time of year if they're going to respect the custom of those people who don't believe in any holi-days? It's my understanding that the Christmas tree is a celebration of Christ's sacrifice--death on a cross or tree--and restoration to life and glory. The Dream of the Rood (Old English poem) might explain the connection between the pagan custom of celebrating the Winter Solstice with evergreens at this time of year, which was also chosen as Christ's birth time by ancient church leaders, with the "Christian" custom of adorning an evergreen tree--a symbol of eternal life. The church fathers, after all, were in the business of saving pagan souls from eternal damnation.

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  39. Thanks to everyone for your comments here. I'm glad to know so many people feel as I do about Christmas traditions.

    Sue, I hope your father is ok.

    Maggie May, Not much of the overly-frosted cookies were actually eaten, I think. I try to be careful not to send the grandkids home on a sugar-high:)

    Sarah, Your point about the Christmas tree is well-made, which is exactly why it bothers me when people object to having a Christmas tree in certain places. I understand your concern about the holiday greetings, and I believe in respecting diversity. It's just that I'm not offended if someone wishes me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanza, although I'll admit people don't say that to me very often. I think there should be respect for everyone's beliefs and customs.

    W2W, Thanks for all the informative background on the Christmas tree. I do remember reading "The Dream of the Rood" long, long ago...Of course, early church history does not always cast Christians in a very positive light.

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  40. You're so right, Rose and Sarah. Respect is the key to understanding. The vessels that carry The Message are more often than not cracked and unfit to convey it--which doesn't diminish the value of the message at all. It just makes it seem distasteful or difficult to swallow. Good thing there's poetry and prose to smooth the way.

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  41. Looks like a good time was had by all. Blessings for 2010.

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  42. Your thoughts meld with mine, dear Rose, and well said. You are blessed as I have been to know you :) Happy New Year, dear friend!

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  43. Rose girl .. I am so late getting over here to wish you loads of wonderful events for 2010 !
    I love seeing all of your pictures here but you have to know the ones of Sophie and Toby are my favorite (that grandson's cookie came very close though .. all that icing .. well he is a "cook" after my own heart ? LOL) and your Christmas tree .. how gorgeous that was !
    Hope you have many great memories for 2010 (kind of a scifi number isn't it ? a whole new decade ? )
    Joy : )

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  44. Ah! Beautiful Toby!

    What fab photos, the snow is very lovely and your family Christmas looks lovely. I SO love baking cookies with the children before Christmas.

    Like you I avoid the X in Xmas, so glad to know it is not totally nonreligious.

    Happy New Year to you

    Sx

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  45. Rose,

    I don't think I've ever seen more love and contentment, all wrapped up in one blog post. Thank you for the nice feeling have right now.

    Happy New Year to you and your family!

    Mary

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  46. Hey, I never knew that tidbit about the X in Xmas! I love blogging, I always learn something exciting and new! I am sure this could be monotonous but I too agree with you about the Christ in Christmas! We must never be afraid to say how we really feel. I believe it is one of our most important freedoms! Thanks for sharing the family photos. Somebody likes frosting as much as I do. :)

    Happy New Year, and happy late Merry Christmas to you and yours.

    Rosey

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  47. Dear Rose, what a joyous post! Thanks for that info about the x in Christmas too, but I still like the full terminology better. Old fashioned I guess. Utter chaos is a good description of a house full of young ones, it is quiet now here too. You are so lucky to have your parents, the greatest treasure of all. May you and yours have the most wonderful year yet in 2010.

    Frances

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  48. It looks like a fabulous time was had by all. What would families be without a dad to tell corny jokes?!

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  49. You got lots of wonderful Christmas photos. Just as we were leaving Christmas night I thought--I didn't get a single photo. I'm really disappointed in myself.
    Marnie

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