Christmas Tradition Preferences

Stetson Mansion

We toured Stetson Mansion in Deland, Florida this week. I intend to write more about it in a future post, but the above is a teaser snapshot. If you want to check out the website and make reservations for a tour of their fabulous Christmas decorations, click here. Reservations are required. It was a very well-attended event the day we were there.

Stetson Mansion

Here are Joyce's Hodgepodge questions for this week. My responses are in green. If you want to participate on your blog, click here.

1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? .Yes. What helps you keep your focus when the season's busyness and commercialism start to take over? .The sacred music of Christmas calms me. The lyrics of the Biblical Christmas story as well as instrumental performances -- settle me.  

2. What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends? For many years my family had a tradition of beef brisket that I marinated for hours on Dec. 23rd and then cooked in a slow oven all day on Christmas Eve. 

We often would do some sight-seeing as a family all day on December 24th in addition to the Christmas Eve church service. Coming home to the scent of the BBQ was something we all enjoyed so much. That was the main dish for our Christmas Eve dinner, usually accompanied with corn on the cob, a green salad, and dinner rolls. 

We drank Sparkling Cider in Christmas stemware and then had a good dessert, which was often Red Velvet cake. 

A lot has changed since those days. Now it's too much effort for just the two of us when we can buy equally wonderful BBQ to bring home. 

So, to answer the question, I'd like to savor some BBQ brisket (or pulled pork) before year's end -- maybe on New Year's Eve?

3. December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? 

Yes, but I also do a lot of my cards via email and Facebook. I have morphed from the annual printed newsletter to a special blog post devoted for that purpose (yet to be written, by the way). If so, does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? I do a mix of traditional (store-bought) cards and photo cards. How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? I like it and enjoy receiving the cards, but postage rates have steadily increased in recent years, so mailing cards is getting to be awful pricey. I've noticed we don't receive as many as we used to.

4. What's your least favorite holiday related task? Taking down the decorations. What's your favorite?Turning on the tree lights.

5. Let's do a little holiday this or that?

~ shopping or wrapping 

~ baking or decorating

~ eggnog or wassail 

~ real tree or artificial

~ turkey or ham turkey for Thanksgiving and Ham for Christmas Day (or leftover BBQ, see #2 above)

~ white lights or colored lights -- both!

~ ugly sweaters or matching pjs.  We don't really get into either of these traditions. 

~ peppermint or cinnamon, both!

~ presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. I have been a fan of Mary Engelbreit's art, her sense of humor, home decorating style, and greeting cards since about 1985. Here are some of my favorites of her Christmas artistry:

My favorite of these is the one in the center of the top row that says, "Hark! Harold the Angel sings". 🤭

Scripture does not specifically say the angels were singing but rather, speaking. However I won't split hairs on the matter and just enjoy the carols proclaiming the arrival on earth of God Himself(!!!) in the form of a newborn baby of virgin birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King:

peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled"

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

join the triumph of the skies;

with t'angelic hosts proclaim,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King."

Until next time, grace and peace.