Tread Gladly Into the New Year

Minnie Louise Haskins (1875 – 1957) was an academic in the fields of sociology and philosophy. Haskins taught from 1919 to 1944 at the London School of Economics, where previously she had herself been a student. Her teaching career began at the end of the First World War and ended just before the close of the Second World War.

Despite being principally a scholar, Haskins enjoyed writing poetry, and in 1908, as part of a collection named The Desert, her poem "God Knows," which would come to be more popularly known as "The Gate of the Year," was published. It is amongst the most quoted poetic works of the twentieth century, and its words are engraved on the entrance to the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The King's Speech is a 2010 film and British historical drama. Colin Firth plays His Highness Prince Albert of York who, to cope with a stammer, sees an Australian speech and language therapist. Price Albert's elder brother ascended the throne as Edward VIII upon the death of their father in 1936. However, later that year Edward revealed his desire to marry the divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. For political and religious reasons he could not marry Simpson and remain king. Edward abdicated in order to marry, and Prince Albert ascended the throne.

At the 83rd Academy Awards, The King's Speech won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director - Tom Hooper, Best Actor (Firth), and Best Original Screenplay - David Seidler.

Albert Frederick Arthur George of the House of Windsor became George VI, King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth on December 11th, 1936 until his death on February 6th, 1952. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth.

In the darkest years of World War II, King George VI carried on the tradition of delivering a radio message at Christmastime to the English people. The date was December 25th, 1939. He was some minutes into his address when he was handed a copy of the poem by his thirteen year old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, who would be crowned Queen Elizabeth II upon his death.


Miss Haskins did not know that the King would quote her words, and did not hear the broadcast. The next day, she was interviewed by The Daily Telegraph and said "I heard the quotation read in a summary of the speech. I thought the words sounded familiar and suddenly it dawned on me that they were out of my little book."

This is what he read:

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied, Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way."

The King's Speech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GryNdlz2Xg

Bury My Heart With a Stake of Holly Through It

The Badlands exist as a testament to the Almighty's twisted sense of humor. Gullies easy to scramble down into but impossible to scramble back out of. Colors from a dreamscape by daylight and a nightmarescape by moonlight. Where a young boy startled leaps over a rattlesnake sunbathing on a path. Where to step ten feet from your door is to be hopelessly lost. Where a dazzling array of wildflowers carpets the desert. Where an entire nation can remain hidden from the soldiers who hunt them. Where the voices of ten thousand ghosts whisper among the rocks.

Our family took a car trip to South Dakota in the early 90's. The boys were too young to appreciate the history, but just the right age to enjoy the fresh air, climbing and exploring. We visited Wall Drug and the Corn Palace, basically tourist traps. We spent an afternoon at the Rapid City Reptile Gardens. We stopped at Deadwood, which was indeed dead wood. We took the Homestake Gold Mine tour at Lead, the tours through Wind Cave and the majestic Jewel Cave, the tour of Boot Hill where I saw a grave with my father's name carved on the headstone.

We spent a day at Custer State Park, dining in the magnificent lodge (which was fully booked and out of our price range), photographed the bison, and fed apples to the wild burros. We saw Mount Rushmore, awe-inspiring at both sunrise and sunset (do not miss the evening program). We went inside a furnished sod house (Google it) and stood in the middle of a prairie dog town where I swear the denizens were laughing as they played catch me if you can with our boys.

We came very close to having our van pushed off the side of a cliff by a very pissed off buffalo. The park rangers emphasized again and again that the bison were not friendly, did not like to be approached, that these were powerful wild animals, and that they could be VERY dangerous. As we were cruising one of the park roads, we spied a dirt turnoff that went up the side of a hill. Some little ways up the road was a lone buffalo resting in the shade. I figured what a great photo-op that would be, so with my wife and kids in the car, I proceeded up the incline and stopped next to the solitary creature. I rolled down my window and started snapping some pictures. He was clearly annoyed at the intrusion and started grunting and snorting.

It occurred to me that he was off by himself for a reason, and I immediately thought that discretion was the better part of valor, and that a hasty retreat was in order. The one thing I didn't reckon on was that there was no place to turn around. I drove a little farther up the road but quickly realized that going forward was impossible, so I started backing down the hill. I had my window open so I could glance behind me, and when I got back down to the spot where the buffalo was laying, I discovered that he was now standing, as tall and heavy as our vehicle, and was staring me right in the eye. If looks could kill, I would have been turned to stone on the spot as a monument to numbskulls.

We ended our vacation by staying for several days at the Cedar Pass Lodge, the only motel within Badlands National Park. We actually rented one of the stand alone cabins, and it was the highlight of our South Dakota adventure. To step out our door and literally be in the heart of the badlands was to be close to the heart of the Creator.

One morning we decided to take a detour to see the Wounded Knee Memorial. It was actually a longer drive than expected, and when we got there, it didn't look like much. Just a bare flat-topped hill surrounded by a lot of dirt. We parked in a dusty lot across the road and trudged up the path. I was not prepared for what happened when I stepped foot onto the plateau.

I do not want to turn you away when I say that a feeling of profound spirituality enveloped me. The Wounded Knee Memorial is a very strange place. When you walk up, you pass under an arch, topped by, of all things, a small cross. There are some graves, a carved list of Indian names on a plaque, a fenced off monument, and a few bunches of desiccated flowers. Looking out in 360 degrees, the sense of loneliness, emptiness and isolation are overwhelming. The knowledge of something lost is almost unbearable. I am not going to try to explain further, because I can't.

Today's date marks the anniversary of the massacre at Wounded Knee. As described by Wikipedia, in the years prior to the massacre, the U.S. Government had continued to seize the Lakota's lands. The once large bison herds had been hunted to near-extinction by European settlers. Treaty promises to protect reservation lands from encroachment by settlers and gold miners were not implemented as dictated by treaty. As a result, there was unrest on the reservations. It was during this time that news spread among the reservations of a Paiute prophet named Wovoka, founder of the Ghost Dance religion. He had a vision that the Christian Messiah, Jesus Christ, had returned to earth in the form of a Native American.

The Messiah would raise all the Native American believers above the earth. During this time the white man would disappear from Native lands, the buffalo herds and all the other animals would return in abundance, and the ghosts of their ancestors would return to earth — hence the word "Ghost" in "Ghost Dance". They would then return to earth to live in peace. All this would be brought about by performance of the "Ghost Dance." Lakota ambassadors to Wovoka, Kicking Bear and Short Bull taught the Lakota that while performing the Ghost Dance, they would wear special Ghost Dance shirts as seen by Black Elk in a vision. Kicking Bear said the shirts had the power to repel bullets.

The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on December 29, 1890, on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in what is now the state South Dakota. It was the last battle of the American Indian Wars. On the day before, a detachment of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Samuel M. Whitside intercepted Spotted Elk's band of Miniconjou Lakota and 38 Hunkpapa Lakota near Porcupine Butte and escorted them five miles westward to Wounded Knee Creek, where they made camp. The remainder of the 7th Cavalry Regiment arrived, led by Colonel James W. Forsyth and surrounded the encampment supported by four Hotchkiss guns.

On the morning of December 29, the troops went into the camp to disarm the Lakota. One version of events claims that during the process of disarming the Lakota, a deaf tribesman named Black Coyote was reluctant to give up his rifle, claiming he had paid a lot for it. A scuffle over Black Coyote's rifle escalated and a shot was fired which resulted in the 7th Cavalry's opening fire indiscriminately from all sides, killing men, women, and children, as well as some of their own fellow soldiers. Those few Lakota warriors who still had weapons began shooting back at the attacking soldiers, who quickly suppressed the Lakota fire. The surviving Lakota fled, but U.S. cavalrymen pursued and killed many who were unarmed.

By the time it was over, at least 150 men, women, and children of the Lakota had been killed and 51 wounded. Twenty-five soldiers also died, and 39 were wounded. At least twenty soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor.

Capable of firing an explosive shell or canister shot every six seconds, the Hotchkiss 1.65" Mountain Gun was a light artillery piece with a range of 2 miles. The canister shot produced a fan shaped spread of thirty lead balls, and was particularly devastating at close range. Four of these were used at Wounded Knee.

Soon after the event, Dewey Beard, his brother Joseph Horn Cloud and others formed the Wounded Knee Survivors Association, which came to include descendants. They sought compensation from the US government for the many fatalities and injured. Today the association is independent and works to preserve and protect the historic site from exploitation, and to administer any memorial erected there. Papers of the association (1890–1973) and related materials are held by the University of South Dakota and are available for research. It was not until the 1990s that a memorial to the Lakota was included in the National Historic Landmark.

Black Elk (1863–1950) a Lakota medicine man later stated:

"I did not know then how much was ended. When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people's dream died there. It was a beautiful dream ... the nation's hope is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead."

Following is a link to a seventeen minute video about the tragedy using archival footage - it is very moving. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EdRT56WK7Q

In 1992, Buffy Sainte-Marie released her song entitled "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," on her Coincidence and Likely Stories album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK83Pl8NZOA

 

Making Merry

I am behind my time. Another Christmas has come and gone. I'm sorry I wasn't online yesterday to wish all my friends and family a Merry Christmas, and to respond to all the Christmas posts and statuses I received, but I was making rather merry. It shan't be repeated.

This was the best, or at least the most active, holiday season I've had in many years. Plays, concerts, shows, movies, Christmas tree festivals, craft fairs, and visiting with family and friends. I thoroughly enjoyed all the different decorations. My friends Josette and Bill did their home in "country pinecone," and the ambiance was so warm and cozy that I didn't want to leave. My son and in-laws have a parlour right off the front entrance with lovely floral-print furniture, and this is where they placed their beautiful tree with all the heirloom ornaments. Of course they had a train set up under the tree, and the room took me right back to the Victorian age.

The season was filled with fabulous food, drink, music, presents, and charity as we sent in donations to several worthy causes and dropped coins in kettles wherever we went shopping.

I got to publish my extensive Christmas blog, and share some of my favorite holiday pictures, songs, quotes, and links to movies and TV shows from my childhood on Facebook. I hope you all took advantage of and enjoyed these posts.

Now we have a few days to rest and reflect before we bid leave to an interesting year filled with sorrow and joy, and bid welcome to the new one. So me dearies, a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Recollecting the Moment

Well, so that is that. Now we must dismantle the tree, putting the decorations back into their cardboard boxes, some have gotten broken, and carrying them up to the attic. The holly and the mistletoe must be taken down and burnt, and the children got ready for school. There are enough leftovers to do, warmed-up, for the rest of the week, not that we have much appetite, having drunk such a lot, stayed up so late, attempted, quite unsuccessfully, to love all our relatives, and in general grossly overestimated our powers. 

Once again as in previous years we have seen the actual Vision and failed. The promising Child who cannot keep His word for long. The Christmas Feast is already a fading memory, and already the mind begins to be vaguely aware of an unpleasant whiff of apprehension at the thought of Lent and Good Friday which cannot, after all, now be very far off. But, for the time being, here we all are, back in the moderate Aristotelian city, and the kitchen table exists because I scrub it. The Child, however dimly, however incredulously, The Time Being is, in a sense, the most trying time of all. For the innocent children who whispered so excitedly outside the locked door where they knew the presents to be, grew up when it opened.

Now, recollecting that moment, we can repress the joy, but the guilt remains conscious, remembering the stable where for once in our lives everything became a You and nothing was an It. And craving the sensation but ignoring the cause, we look round for something, no matter what, to inhibit our self-reflection, and the obvious thing for that purpose would be some great suffering. So, once we have met the Son, we are tempted ever to pray to the Father, "lead us into temptation and evil for our sake," they will come, alright, don't worry, probably in a form that we do not expect and certainly with a force more dreadful than we can imagine.

In the meantime there are bills to be paid, machines to keep in repair, irregular verbs to learn, the Time Being to redeem from insignificance. The happy morning is over, the night of agony still to come, the time is noon, when the Spirit must practice his scales of rejoicing without even a hostile audience, and the Soul endure a silence that is neither for nor against her faith that God's Will will be done, that in spite of her prayers, God will cheat no one, not even the world of its triumph.

Christmas Oratorio by W.H. Auden

"A Miraculous, Beautiful Time"

Ballerina Mary Helen Bowers maintained her body tone and embraced her pregnancy with her first child by continuing to dance throughout her "confinement." She documented her journey with a series of photographs that appear on her Instagram account.

The mom to be commented, "Pregnancy is magical, I've never felt more connected to my body. Looking back I'm so happy that I've taken so many photos and really documented the different stages."

"Even in 2013, the image of a pregnant woman embracing her figure and really putting it out there can be scary to some people, but I don't let that stand in my way," she stated.

http://instagram.com/balletbeautiful

Stone Cut on the Bias

My wife just brought me a big bowl of oatmeal with golden raisins, chopped walnuts, brown sugar, and half and half. I'd marry her all over again!

My kind of treeskirt...

Now I know why old Nick is so jolly!

Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes, Lying in a Manger

More years ago, than either I or she would care to admit, on some Country Music awards show or other, an achingly adorable country cutie, sang a thirty second snippet from a song off her just released first album, as a segue into a commercial break.

I turned to my wife, and based on nothing more than that brief glimpse, said, "She's going places."

And indeed she did, because this was my introduction to the incredibly beautiful and incredibly talented Faith Hill. To say her rise was meteoric would fall short of the mark. As a devoted fan, I eagerly awaited each new record and the succession of supporting music videos. Her success launched her to the top of the country charts and then crossed-over to pop stardom, culminating in her stint as vocalist of the opening theme on Sunday Night Football.

This lovely lady released a lovely 2008 Christmas CD titled "Joy to the World." The following selection has become her signature song from the project.

http://www.cmt.com/videos/faith-hill/291605/a-baby-changes-everything.jhtml

Cops Give Citizens the Bird

These two stories should probably each have their own blog, except they seem to share a common thread.

The first story stems from a lawsuit filed just days ago against the New York Police Department and the City of New York, alleging unlawful search and seizure, excessive force and malicious prosecution.

During a Labor Day barbecue, the son of a homeowner was carrying a bag of trash to the can in front of the house and was accosted by two officers who stopped to question him about an orange cone placed on the curb to reserve a parking space. The police demanded identification and when he failed to produce the requested documentation, he was grabbed by one of the cops.

He broke free and ran back into the house, whereupon the two officers, and an army of backup that swiftly arrived at the scene, swarmed the house, breaking windows and smashing in the front door. Several guests and residents were beaten to the ground with batons and pepper sprayed, including one woman who suffered an asthma attack.

Several people were arrested and taken to the hospital for treatment of severe facial lacerations, blows to the head, and trauma. Curiously, the homeowner's son who was originally confronted by the police was not charged. Subsequently all charges were dismissed and the records sealed by the court.

Now this story could just be chalked up with the hundreds or thousands of similar cases that are becoming all too routine in today's United (Police) States of America, except for one other incident that occurred during this melee.

The cage of the homeowner's pet parakeet was knocked to the ground and bent open and the dazed bird was laying on the floor. The homeowner's daughter cried out, "The bird!"

One of the officers screamed, "Fuck the bird!" and stomped on the defenseless animal, grinding it to death under his heel.

“I was shocked,” the daughter told a reporter for the NY Daily News. “It was a blue and green bird. It was really pretty.”

The homeowner further commented, “The cops don’t care about us as humans, they’re going to care about a bird?”

The second story comes from Kansas City, Missouri, when police came to the door of a local attorney, looking for one of the lawyer's clients. The attorney refused to consent to the warrantless search, then one of the police officers started threatening him saying, “If we have to get a warrant, we’re going to come back when you’re not expecting it, we’re going to park in front of your house, where all your neighbors can see, we’re gonna bust in your door with a battering ram, we’re gonna shoot and kill your dogs, and then we’re going to ransack your house.”

The attorney filed an official complaint, but when contacted, the police department simply responded that the case was under "internal investigation," where the vast majority of such grievances fall into the void.

When asked to comment on the case, a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School, said that Missouri has a statute that defines a "credible threat...against the life of, or a threat to cause physical injury to, or the kidnapping of, the person, the person's family, or the person's household members or domestic animals or livestock as aggravated stalking and might fit the bill in this situation. However, that law explicitly exempts law enforcement officers conducting investigations of violation of federal, state, county, or municipal law."

The number of incidents involving police shooting family pets is so widespread (statistics indicate one shooting of domestic animals every 90 minutes) that the phenomenon is the subject of an upcoming documentary by Ozymandias Media called "Puppycide."

Once again, it becomes clear that the government is employing a policy of intimidation and indoctrination to terrorize the populace into abject compliance to the whims of our nation's armed authorities, regardless of the constitutional rights, liberties, and protections of our country's citizens.

A Man For All Seasons

This morning I am drinking coffee from my big, green mug with Somonauk Public Library stenciled in gold lettering.

This is so appropriate because last evening I was sitting in the meeting room of that very place, a beautifully decorated ten foot tree standing proudly off to one side, doubled in its majesty by its reflection in the window, mesmerized by the storyteller who wove, throughout my imagination, the adventures of a certain Mr. Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, the ghost of Jacob Marley, not one, but three wandering spirits, and an entire cast of characters populating 19th century London.

But this was no mere reciter, sitting in a chair and reading from a book. This was a master thespian, acting out the tale, his face, voice and entire demeanor rapidly shifting from one role to the next. His voice undulated from cries of lamentation that reverberated in the rafters, to whispers that were clearly audible to the back of the room, but seemed as if they were meant for my ears alone. His intonations were punctuated with wild arm gestures grand and subtle, and small movements of his feet that traversed the whole of England.

And did he accomplish his magic with major changes of costume, props and set design? No, he stood before his enraptured audience in black shoes, black slacks, and a black T-shirt, and his only accoutrement was a long red scarf swathed around his neck. In a little over an hour, he brought to life the classic Charles Dickens novella, "A Christmas Carol," literature's most widely adapted work.

We were once again treated to an awe-inspiring performance by our friend Duffy Hudson, who continues to amaze me more with every production. We all know by heart the sequence of events that befall Ebenezer Scrooge, but how many of us can repeat it word for word, and who of us, even after extensive memorization, could get up in front of a room full of strangers and repeat it without stammers, stops and starts, cue cards, or second takes?

As he ended with the immortal words, "God bless us, every one," and drew a breath, the entire room was enveloped in a brief moment of poignant silence, as we all knew that we had partaken together in something special and wonderful, and then the room erupted into thunderous applause.

Upon exiting the room, I shook Duffy's hand and recalling something of Scrooge's nephew Fred, I wished him a Merry Christmas, and pointing my finger at him added, And a Happy New Year!

As we left the library, God, or Mother Nature, or Father Christmas, or the Ghost of Christmas Present, not to be left out of the proceedings, graced us with a gentle snowfall of fat, soft flakes, gray and ethereal in the evening air. The decorated houses enchanted us on our short ride home, by car if not by sleigh, until the holiday lights of our own house beckoned us a warm welcome home.

The Devil Is In the Details

One of my favorite artists is Sandi Wickersham Resnick. Her paintings are so full of detail and whimsical touches, that it's hard to take in all at once. I particularly like her Christmastime pictures. Her work is considered to be fine art, and just her prints sell for hundreds of dollars. This vibrant piece that captures all the elements that go into making a classic country celebration is titled "It's Starting to Look a Lot Like Christmas."

(Click on picture to enlarge)

A Gift from God

I couldn't have asked for this. I couldn't have wished for it. I could never have expected it. But when it happened, it was love at first sight.

We made a commitment to each other, we have enjoyed our years together, secure in the knowledge that we would grow old together.

When I got sick, I called out for her from my hospital bed, and during my recovery, she never left my side.

When I awake in the dark and lonely night, I reach out and her presence gives me comfort.

I love touching her and tenderly caressing her, although sometimes she likes it a bit rougher, and I have to admit that when we are laying in bed together she prefers to be on top.

She is so beautiful to me and I love her so much it hurts. Out of seven billion people in the world, it is a miracle that we found each other and that she chose me.

She makes me happy, she makes me sad, but she always makes me laugh.

When we gaze deeply into each other's eyes, I know it will be till death do us part.

No, I am not talking about my wife. I am talking about my cat!

Yours Truly, Huck Finn

ADVENTURES

OF

HUCKLEBERRY FINN

(Tom Sawyer's Comrade)

By Mark Twain

A book titled Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by an author who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, was first published (in England) on this date in 1884. It is widely considered to be the greatest work of American literature ever written.

"So there ain't nothing more to write about, and I am rotten glad of it, because if I'd a knowed what a trouble it was to make a book I wouldn't a tackled it, and ain't a-going to no more. But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there before."

Hostilities Exist

A few days ago, on December 7th, "a date which will live in infamy," very many of my friends posted patriotic salutes to the men, women and children who lost their lives or were injured in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, my great uncle included. He was stationed in the radio shack of the Naval base and lost his hearing in the raid.

After leaving the hospital, he returned to his hometown of Chicago and lived for many years with his blind wife and her sisters in an apartment on the city's north side. Some of my fondest childhood memories were when he would show up at our house early Sunday mornings a couple of times a month. He had a direct line to the freshest smoked fish in the city. He would carry in a big box of plump, juicy, delicious smoked chubs and a bag full of bagels.

We kids learned early-on how to peel away the succulent meat, leaving only the heads, bones, and tails of the fish just like in the cartoons.

But I digress.

I pointed out that although the "sneak" attack was a tragedy, if Japan had not attacked when it did, it would have delayed the United States from entering WWII, possibly allowing Nazi Germany to develop the atomic bomb before we did.

I said further that if the Nazis had won the war we could be living in a state where our communications were monitored, our movements tracked, our civil liberties curtailed, where the police controlled the population with brutality and impunity, where the military-industrial corporate barons pulled the strings of politicians, and used the armed forces to exert its will around the globe.

Then I scratched my head and said, Wait a minute...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0PW1Jhuu2Q (FDR's speech to the nation)

The Imagineer

Growing up, pretty much all the way through high school, the only time I was happy was when I was in one of his parks. It was like my life was a dream (or a nightmare) and I only woke up when I walked through the turnstiles of Disneyland, and later, Walt Disney World.

And just to set the record straight, DisneyLAND is the better park. It has more of Walt in it than any of the others. Disneyland was called "the world's biggest toy for the world's biggest boy" by his detractors - and there were, and are, many. But Walt believed in what he was doing, and so did I.

As wonderful as the parks are, I still have hazy memories of one time when my dad, in one of his typically brilliant maneuvers, decided that instead of renting a car, we would take public transportation (I know anyone who is familiar with LA is already roaring with laughter) from my grandparents apartment to Disneyland. Getting there was no problem, but my dad failed to take into account that by the time the park closed, the buses had stopped running.

I know my folks had to be beat dragging four kids (my brother and I were very young, my sisters must have been toddlers, and my baby sister wasn't even a twinkle in my dad's eye) around Disneyland for twelve hours. I don't really remember too much, we were all asleep on our feet, but I have these impressions of being very cold, very tired, and very uncomfortable in some sort of small depot on a dark, desolate boulevard, waiting for the buses to start running again in the morning.

Be that as it may, thanks Walt, and a very happy birthday!

Walter Elias Disney, b:Dec 5, 1901

Christmas

Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile... You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.

From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Christmas is as many things to as many people. For some, Christmas is a deeply religious and profoundly spiritual time. For others, Christmas is a time for shopping, entertaining and partying. For still others, it is a time for decorating, cooking and family. For most, Christmas is a pleasant mix of all of these. I always look forward to getting swept up in Christmas, and struggle to keep from getting swept away by it. 

Christmas has always been a bittersweet holiday to me. Joyous yet melancholy, happy yet poignant, uplifting yet somehow disquieting. We, like most families, live from paycheck to paycheck, and a change in our health or our work situation could have severe consequences. We are keenly aware of those who have less - less money, less freedom, less love. There is less daylight, but the glow of candles can warm the house. It is colder outside, but we can bring the outside in. It is a time of giving, but we can give of ourselves. We make presents, share recipes, send handmade cards, partake in a good craft beer with elderly neighbors, drop a few coins in buckets. Some people do more. You do what you can. Christmas is just that way.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to our life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance, to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

From an editorial published on September 21, 1897 in the New York Sun,

written by Francis P. Church

There has never been a time when I did not believe in Santa. In fact, today I am more firmly convinced that Santa exists than I was when I was a child, just as I am more firmly convinced today that God exists than I did when younger and spent my time attempting to prove the point existentially.

It is a rite of passage for children to reach the age where they no longer believe there is a Santa Claus. It is a rite of passage for parents to see their children reach this age. But, for 28 years I have gotten out of bed in the wee hours of Christmas morning and silently entered our boys' room to fill the stockings hung by their beds. They have never caught me at it, and I disavow any complicity in these nocturnal visitations. Therefore, no matter what the boys say, or what they think they believe, there is room for doubt about Santa's existence, and this doubt is enough, until the wisdom that the years bring, brings the truth back home to them.

It has always been our custom to fill their stockings with edible goodies. Jars of Goober Grape, juicy Christmas pomegranates, cans of Kraft spread cheese, tubes of Ritz crackers, bags of Planter's trail mixes and honey roasted cashews, packs of gum, holiday candies, Pez dispensers, boxes of cookies and animal crackers, bottles of flavored sodas - essentially a kids gourmet basket in a sock.

So, as long as there are children under our roof, and with the economy, this could be an indefinite period, they will wake up on Christmas morning and find filled stockings, and cookies and milk mysteriously consumed during the night, and they will wonder. And that is the wonder of Christmas.

From the middle of October through New Years we are continually bombarded with images of the "perfect" Christmas - the perfectly decorated home, in the picture perfect New England snowbound countryside, with the perfectly shaped and trimmed Christmas tree reaching to the ceiling, piles of perfectly wrapped packages, perfectly prepared feasts, perfect families sitting before perfect fireplaces on perfect antique furniture, singing together in perfect harmony. Christmas, like life, is not perfect.

Christmas is a time of laughter and a time of tears. We laugh as Max and the Grinch race down the mountainside on their way to sack Whoville, and cry when we see a tiny crutch without an owner carefully preserved by the fireside.

Christmas is also a time for traditions, traditions stored in tissue paper in battered cardboard boxes, traditions stored in recipe files, traditions stored in photo albums. We would like to share some of our traditions, and hope that they may inspire new traditions of your own, and as always, we would love to hear from you about your cherished traditions.

Outdoors, the wild winds blow, Mistress, and dark is the night, strange voices cry in the trees, intoning strange lore, and more than cats move, lit by our eyes' green light, on silent feet where the meadow grasses hang hoar - Mistress, there are portents abroad of magic and might, and things that are yet to be done. Open the door!

From Cat on a Night of Snow by Elizabeth Coatsworth

Anyone of the Christian faith who doesn't already have Christmas linens, dishes, collectibles, ornaments, and family heirlooms is beyond our ability to help and we leave you to your humbugs. When it comes to Christmas, all families have a wealth and history of traditions that are eagerly looked forward to year after year. Even the boxes that decorations come packed in, are as dear as the decorations themselves because beneath the dust and faded lettering and battered edges are memories. As with holiday recipes, Christmas decorating traditions are handed down from generation to generation, and professional staffs at magazines and television shows work year round developing the "latest" trends. What I will do is share with you some of the simple, but effective things that we do to make our holiday home special.

Something that we have had a lot of fun with over the years has been the creation of a theme tree. We have themed trees with my wife's antique fan collection passed down to her from her grandmother, using strings of red lights, red glass globe ornaments, and red glass bead garland. We have themed trees with baskets, gold light strings, gold globe ornaments and gold tinsel garland. We have used Christmas cards, red and green lights, red and green globe ornaments and red and green plaid ribbon as garland. One year we decorated a tree using vintage fabrics tied in bows, blue lights and blue glass ornaments. We have even placed models of dinosaurs made from those wood craft kits on a small tree in our boys' room. One note however, we discovered that live trees cannot stand up to such applications as fans and baskets due to the weight of the objects and the way the items need to be wired up to the branches.

For many years, our tradition was to cut a live tree from a farm operated by a local Abbey. These outings proved to be cold, muddy and inconvenient, and we thoroughly looked forward to them. The subtle pine scent cannot be duplicated with aerosol sprays and no artificial tree can approach the natural look of a live tree. Also a live tree emanates a tangible presence in a home that can be felt. For a few weeks in December it becomes a member of the family. We water it, nourish it and fawn over it. 

One Christmas, several years ago, the thought of not making our annual trek to the Abbey never even crossed our minds, but fate works in mysterious ways. While walking around a home and garden center while waiting for brakes to be replaced on our car, we spied an artificial tree that absolutely caught our fancy. It was a 7' fiber optic tree that sparkled as it changed colors. It instantly reminded me of the vintage trees from the 50's and 60's that changed colors with a revolving disk.

The only problem was that the fiber optic lighting was not conducive to hanging ornaments. We subsequently solved that problem by finding a tabletop feather tree from which we hang a selection of our most cherished ornaments.

Remember to give thought to the bottom of your tree. By far, our favorite treatment for the base of the tree is our train set. We use a simple track layout around the base of the tree and our Santa Fe passenger line.

In a related topic, remember that ornaments are not just for trees. Globe ornaments can be used quite effectively in baskets or wood bowls, and ornaments can be hung from doorknobs, furniture handles, wreaths, etc. 

Wreaths themselves can be used in a variety of ways. Besides the traditional uses on doors and in windows, wreaths can be placed on tables to create dramatic centerpieces. Try placing a decorative candleholder in the center of a wreath. If you do decide to hang a wreath on a door or in a window, tie a vintage plaid scarf around the bottom and let the scarf hang down.

In addition to placing ornaments in baskets or bowls, try filling a basket with cranberry colored wooden bead garland. You can also find scented pinecones and 12" cinnamon sticks in the produce department of your local grocery store. Place these in bowls, baskets, pitchers and vases. As if these weren't enough, you can also set out a container of holiday scented potpourri, either commercially prepared or home-made. Lastly, quite effective centerpieces can be created using seasonal fruits. Apples and pears come in a variety of colors and sizes, and for an interesting change try a citrus arrangement using oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes.

Christmas is one time that you should think outside the box. Most people have at least a couple of miniature village pieces as part of their holiday decorations. These pieces are generally displayed on a mantelpiece or the top of a buffet. Our collection consists of more than a dozen lighted buildings that we display on a tall hutch in our eat-in kitchen. We also use a variety of nightlight bulbs - soft white, clear, colored, and flickering - to enhance the effect.

We also change over our entire wall art. Two pieces that we enjoy greatly are a couple of vintage 1950's Paint by Numbers winter scenes. These paintings are done in shades of blues and  browns that cannot even be reproduced today. They impart charm and nostalgia to our home. We only paid $60 for the pair and found them at a local consignment shop. If we can find treasures such as these, so can you.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

From the Gospel According to Luke 

A huge part of the season is the eagerly looked forward to viewings of our favorite Christmas movies and TV shows.

We kick off the Christmas season with the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The story starts out with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and embarks on a whimsical journey through the Christmas shopping season, culminating in a Christmas Day miracle for those "who believe." Starring Edmund Gwenn, John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and a precocious Natalie Wood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxiDWGoppug ("Miracle" trailer)

Still early in the season, we like to watch Holiday Inn. This 1942 precursor to the more popular White Christmas features a rascally Fred Astaire in some of his most innovative dance sequences, a less affected Bing Crosby in an endearing roll, some welcome humor, and the first introduction of Irving Berlin's classic "White Christmas."

We were fortunate enough after many years to finally find a copy of a great but unknown 1967 Christmas gem called Fitzwilly. Starring Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon, this light-hearted romp revolves around a Christmas Eve heist of a well-known New York City department store by a band of domestics trying to support their over-generous, but penniless elderly matron. The heist sequence is absolutely priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGGIbQa3bKY (Fitzwilly - full movie)

What would Christmas be without TV specials? From the Andy Williams variety shows of the 60's, to the classic Twilight Zone episode with Art Carney (if you haven't seen it, you're not enough of a Serling fan to bother explaining further), to the stop-motion marionette productions such as Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and The Little Drummer Boy (vimeo.com/80772443), to perennial viewings of holiday films like It's a Wonderful Life. Today, various cable stations show A Christmas Story for 24 hours straight, there are holiday decorating and cooking shows, and of course, the Christmas installments of all your favorite programs. 

Saving one of the best for last, this episode of The Andy Griffith Show, from its first season is simply titled, "The Christmas Story." It aired in black and white on December 19th, 1960, and is worth watching if for no other reason than Miss Ellie singing "Away in a Manger," accompanied by Andy on guitar. This was to be the only Christmas themed episode of the long-running series, and in my opinion, it is the quintessential 60's sitcom Christmas story as only our Mayberry family could tell it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOf3BNt3yTo (Away in a Manger)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpKn5ceZaQ4 (full episode)

What is there to say about A Christmas Carol? Many of our most time honored traditions come from this novella by English author Charles Dickens, first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843.  It would take a blog twice this size to list all the treatments of this quintessential Christmas classic. We have winnowed our selection down to three favorites: the 1951 Scrooge starring Alistair Sim, a very English version featuring the best ghost of Jacob Marley ever filmed; the 1938 American production A Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen in the title role, which holds a special affection because it was the movie I grew up with on WGN's "Family Classics" with the beloved Chicago icon Frazier Thomas; and the 1984 made-for-TV A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott in a very worthy effort, and delivering a scathing turn by Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Speaking of Frazier Thomas, for the entire month of December, we would run home from school (for 20 miles, in six feet of snow, barefoot) so as not to miss "Garfield Goose and Friends," hosted by Thomas. Thomas and his cadre of puppets introduced a variety of cartoons and serial features, and at Christmastime, these included, the primitive by today's standards, but enchanting Hardrock, Coco and Joe, Suzy Snowflake, and Frosty the Snowman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKGonDIq8gw (Hardrock, Coco and Joe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEe6KOWdbUs (Suzy Snowflake)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU3SKtJbNu8 (Frosty the Snowman)

The Emmy and Peabody Award winning A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired in 1965 and has set the tone for all the Christmases that have followed. No story has more eloquently stated the true meaning of Christmas than Linus' simple recitation from the Gospel according to Luke.

1966's How the Grinch Stole Christmas brilliantly captures the surreal world in which children live. Narrated by Boris Karloff and directed by Chuck Jones, with some wonderful singing by the great Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of Tony the Tiger), this Dr. Seuss parable is one of the true joys of the season.

Although less well known, The Snowman, based on the book by Raymond Briggs, embodies the magic that is Christmas. This Academy Award nominated animated feature tells the tale of a young boy's adventure when his snowman suddenly comes to life. Frosty the Snowman this is not! If you haven't seen this one, trust me. Sure to become a family favorite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE9KpobX9J8 (The Snowman - full show)

Another often missed but delightful program is A Claymation Christmas Celebration, an Emmy Award-winning Christmas television special originally broadcast on CBS in 1987. The special featured stop-motion clay animation and was produced and directed by Will Vinton. The musical journey through traditional Christmas carols is at times whimsical, spiritual, and side-splittingly funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KRe6Jt5ZKg (Claymation - full show)

Back in the 80's, the Disney cable channel showed a 90 minute compilation of classic Disney cartoons packaged under the title A Disney Channel Christmas. The vintage 30's, 40's and 50's pieces are true gems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANlOFyhZJSI (Mickey's Good Deed)

In 1987, PBS stations, with little fanfare, aired an hour program entitled A Child's Christmas in Wales. Starring Denholm Elliott, this poignant adaptation of the Dylan Thomas poem, transports the viewer back to turn-of-the-century England. We save this treasure for Christmas Eve itself. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, this story of one boy's holiday memories (Christmas Day spent with an assortment of odd relations, seasonal pranks and mischief, the lyrical pace of the village and countryside at holiday time, the anticipation of presents) is recounted with humor, warmth and nostalgia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrLDaAG7j_o (Child's Christmas - full show)

Few, if any of us, can imagine Christmas without music. Even to the point of hysteria. Surely Hell has to be, being strapped to a chair with a set of headphones over our ears, playing the 12 Days of Christmas over and over and over, with a cup of spiked eggnog just out of reach. Fortunately, there is enough variety to satisfy any taste including classical, traditional, fresh air, country, bluegrass, jazz, pop, hip hop, and alternative. Whatever your fancy, listen to it, get into it, you can't beat it, you might as well enjoy it.

In 1994, Mariah Carey released her album Merry Christmas. The CD went on to sell over 5 million copies and produced her breakout hit All I Want For Christmas Is You. And as if the music wasn't enough, the flip side of the CD was a DVD with the songs set to charming music videos. Even if you are not particularly a pop music fan, you will enjoy this immensely.

Lindsey Stirling is a 27 year old American violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer. My sister-in-law first introduced me to her music over the summer, and while checking out her music videos, I ran across this amazing cover of the classic Christmas carol, "What Child Is This." www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A3i0GATnRI

Also, be sure to keep an eye out for various specialty Christmas material. We have a recording of Hans Christian Andersen's The Fir Tree narrated by Boris Karloff, that tells the tale of a young tree that is never quite satisfied with its lot. We also have a tape of an Abbott and Costello Christmas radio program featuring some of their best routines including the classic "Who's on First." We listen to this one  in the car as we tour the neighborhood looking at Christmas decorations.

Last but not least, no Christmas would be complete without Trans Siberian Orchestra. Even if you think that you are unfamiliar with the band, I guarantee that if you listen at all to Christmas music on the radio, you've heard them. To date, they have released three compilations of classic Christmas carols set to state-of-the-art rock. But the albums are so much more than that with a children's choir, full orchestration, powerful vocals, and amazing (and beautiful) backup singers. I find the arrangements irresistible and intoxicating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAODpLKZULA (Ghosts - full program)

In addition to the albums, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve was a 1999 made-for-TV movie showcasing a Christmas music performance by Trans Siberian Orchestra. The songs are presented in such a way as to form a storyline about a runaway who takes refuge in an abandoned theater on Christmas Eve. Ossie Davis as the caretaker and Allie Sheridan as the runaway, are used to fill out the narrative. The special was filmed at the historic Loew's Theater in Jersey City, New Jersey. We watch this year after year, and every time we do, it is mind-blowing.

One of the great joys I get from Christmas, very early in the season, even before Thanksgiving, is perusing our Christmas library collection. The decorating books inspire me and give me new decorating ideas, no matter how many times I go through them. I'm always anxious to try out new recipes that we haven't yet tried, from our Christmas cookbooks. And I never tire of re-reading classics such as Dickens' A Christmas Carol. With all the hoopla surrounding the theatrical release of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, we recommend a volume called The Father Christmas Letters, a collection of "letters" from Father Christmas to the Tolkien children that speak of goblins, the North Polar Bear and other memorable characters. Illustrated and written by Tolkien himself, these provocative stories set before, during and after World War II, will enchant young and old alike. Our kids enjoyed these tales, and now our grandkids do.

Between the stalls of the oxen, forlorn, this Child on that cold night in truth was born. And for want of a crib, Mary did Him lay in the depths of a manger amongst the hay. 

From The First Noël, Traditional

Wigilia is the traditional Polish celebration of the Birth of Christ. Christmas Eve, the most profound night of the year, is at the same time a joyous proclamation of love and charity. All the customs of Wigilia revolve around the Child. No meat is eaten, but nine courses appear on the table representing the nine months of Mary's pregnancy. There is no set rule for what kinds of foods must be eaten, but certainly a soup such as cream of mushroom, a main course of seafood, fresh vegetables, fresh baked breads, potatoes, cheese and butter, fruit desserts and white wine would be appropriate.

But remember, Wigilia is a humble occasion. Traditionally, straw was scattered underneath the table to remind us of the stable where Christ was born. We suggest using raffia which can be purchased in bundles and is inexpensive and easy to clean up. Try using your Nativity scene as a centerpiece on your table. And be sure to include an extra place setting at your table for the Infant Jesus. 

The Wigilia feast begins with a blessing by the eldest person present over the Oplaptki. Oplaptki is a Host blessed by a priest. Oplaptki should be available from your church. The tradition is that everyone breaks off a piece of the Oplaptki and wishes each other Peace and Goodwill for the coming year.

The most eagerly anticipated dish on our Christmas Eve table is a heaping platter of Pierogies. All nationalities have a variation of this egg noodle dumpling. This is my Polish peasant wife's recipe, handed down from her Polish peasant mother.

Pierogies

Filling:

1 lb. container dry cottage cheese (not ricotta)

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon pepper

4 Tablespoons softened butter

[Farmer's cheese may be substituted for dry cottage cheese which is no longer available in most areas]

Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside.

Noodle Dough:

1/2 cup warm milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 Tablespoon softened butter

1 Tablespoon shortening

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder sifted with 2 cups flour

Combine the ingredients for the dough in your mixer using dough hooks and mix until smooth. Put on a floured board and knead for a few minutes so that it doesn't stick to your hands. Take half of the dough at a time and roll into a rectangle about 1/8" thick. Cut rolled dough into 2½ by 4" rectangles. Place approximately 1 T. filling on each rectangle, just off-center. Fold over and seal edges with cold water. Boil in salted water for 10 minutes (pierogies will rise to the surface). Before serving, fry in butter until lightly browned.

No matter how cold the weather outside, the glow of the Hanukkah candles warms the hearts and homes of Jewish families throughout the world and the ages.

Latkes

Another dish indigenous to most cultures is the potato pancake. Not only are potato pancakes, called latkes, the traditional food for Hanukkah, they would be very appropriate on the Wigilia table. Serve them with sour cream, apple sauce or other fruit preserves.

6 large Idaho potatoes peeled

3 medium onions peeled

4 eggs lightly beaten

1/4 to 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2  teaspoons salt

freshly ground black pepper

peanut oil for frying

Grate the potatoes using the largest holes on a four-sided grater. With each potato, grate half an onion. A step that is recommended but not essential is to transfer the grated potatoes and onions to a sieve placed over a large bowl. Press out the excess moisture with a wooden spoon, and return the vegetables to the mixing bowl. Pour off all of the liquid, but keep the potato starch that settles to the bottom of the bowl. Add the starch to the grated potatoes and onions. Beat the eggs into the potato-onion mixture, then stir in just enough flour to make a light batter. Add salt and pepper. Heat a ¼" of oil in a large heavy skillet. For each pancake, drop about 2 T. batter into the oil and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon; the flatter you make the pancakes, the crisper they will be. Fry for about 2 minutes on one side then turn and fry until done. Place the pancakes on paper towels. Keep in warm oven until ready to serve. Serve as soon as possible.

Makes about forty 4" latkes.

"Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat; if you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do, if you haven't got a ha'penny, God Bless You!"

As with decorating and entertaining, families savor their traditional holiday menus. Whether you have prime rib, turkey, ham, crown rack of pork, rabbit, venison or goose, we would not and could not presume to improve upon your own recipes. Also, with the abundance of recipes available on TV, online and in books, I cannot in the confines of my blog hope to offer main course and complete menu suggestions. The same is true in regard to desserts. Baking recipes are handed down from generation to generation and commercial test kitchens develop recipes year round. That being said, however, we do have a couple of ideas that we would like to share with you. 

CranApple Chutney

This side dish is appropriate for Thanksgiving as well as Christmas and is sure to become a welcomed addition to the holiday table. 

12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries

2 med. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1" chunks

2 stalks of diced celery 

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 Tablespoons of good clover honey

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Day Ahead. Prepare cranberries according to package directions for sauce. Remove from heat. Immediately add all other ingredients. Mix well. Cover pot and let stand at room temperature until cool. Transfer to a decorative bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Serve with roasted poultry, pork, lamb, beef or wild game.

Egg Nog Punch

The following quick and easy beverage would be a fine complement to any dessert buffet, or would stand on its own as a Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve treat.

1/2 gallon premium egg nog

2 cups Myers® Dark Rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 quart homestyle vanilla ice cream

cinnamon or nutmeg to garnish

Pour egg nog into punch bowl. Stir in rum and vanilla extract. Float ice cream in scoops. Sprinkle with spice. We would recommend a serving size of 6 to 8 ounces, but be forewarned, this stuff goes down so easy that you have to keep an eye on your guests. We once served this punch at a dinner party for my wife's family and before we knew what was happening, we had a houseful of very tipsy relatives.

Crustless Cranberry Pie

Recipe makes 1 (9-inch) pie

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9 inch pie pan.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts, and toss to coat. Stir in the butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.


Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or homestyle vanilla ice cream.

Easy Quiche

This recipe may be of service during the busy holiday season. Easy to prepare and very delicious, it may be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

1 - 9" refrigerated pie crust

8 eggs

8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese

1 lb. thick sliced deli ham, diced

1 cup whipping cream

1 small onion, diced 

1/4 teaspoon each of white pepper, garlic powder and kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425º. Line pie plate with crust. Layer diced ham, cheese and onion on bottom of pie shell. In separate bowl, beat eggs, cream and seasonings. Pour slowly into pie shell. Bake for 1 hour.

Buttermilk Pie

This recipe is amazing. I found this recipe on the "What's Cooking America" website with the following description:

This is a delicious, old-fashion Buttermilk Pie. Do not be put off by the buttermilk as this is a sweet and flavorful pie with a delicate custard. It is an elegant holiday pie to serve family and friends. Most families consider this pie their favorite holiday pie to serve especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Buttermilk pie is very popular in the Southern United States and some compare the flavor to crème brulee. It has strong similarities to Chess Pie with its custard texture, but Chess Pie does not contain buttermilk and it uses cornmeal. See also similarities to the Amish Sugar Cream Pies.

Buttermilk Pie is believed to have originated in England. The recipe was brought to the United States by Southern settlers. It was predominately made in the south where they were very resourceful with buttermilk because it was in large abundance and inexpensive. When fruit was not in season, this pie could be made all year round with ingredients from the pantry (sugar, flour, butter, eggs, buttermilk). Many people recommend enjoying a slice of buttermilk pie with good strong coffee to cut the sweetness of the pie.

This recipe is older than I am and I was born in 1919! My mother and grandmother made this pie with buttermilk and eggs from our farm and set it on the tables at church meetings and social gatherings.

What we found after serving this pie on Christmas Eve was the best pecan pie we've ever tasted. The pie had a much lighter filling than traditional pecan pies, and the top turned out to be a crunchy caramelized delight.

Buttermilk Pie Recipe:

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk, divided

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 extra-serving graham cracker crust

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Add beaten eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk; mix well with a whisk.

Mix in the melted butter and vanilla extract.

Pour into graham cracker crust. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and bake approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is lightly brown and the center is set.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate after cooling.

Makes 1 delicious pie.

Well, this has been our very brief look at Christmas. Normally this paragraph would appear at the beginning of an essay about Christmas, but I have saved it for last. Christmas is the number one holiday of the year, in every measure of the word, celebrated around the world. Christmas is Flexible Flyer sleds and Lionel trains and dollhouses. Christmas is black and white photos and grainy Super-8 home movies and digital albums on Facebook. Christmas is music and food and fun. Christmas is eggnog spiked with dark rum. Christmas is shopping and ringing bells and giving and receiving presents. Christmas is candy canes and carols and stars - on top of evergreens and in the sky over Bethlehem.  Christmas is warm churches awash in candlelight and goodwill towards man. Christmas is a newborn child wrapped in coarse linen asleep on a bed of straw. Christmas is love.

"Scrooge was better than his word....He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world...ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!"