santa: The Christmas Tree - Bringing In The Green
- 12/23/12 09:05 PM
The Christmas tree tradition is generally attributed to Norse legends and German practices. The German tradition is said to begin with Martin Luther who saw a group of snowy fir trees and was so impressed with the gentle quiet of the sight that he decorated a small tree in his house for his family. Prior to the early 1800s, Christmas in this country was not celebrated the way it is now. It was a drunken, sloppy, loud celebration and not conducive to anything religious or family. Then two things happened - a lady's magazine article and a poem. The traditional, annual … (29 comments)
santa: My Two Visits To Santa, Fifty Seven Years Apart
- 12/21/12 05:37 PM
Some things never change. Like Santa. There he is, every year. Ready and waiting. This is about my two visits to Santa, fifty seven years apart. I grew up in Washington DC. In DC all the big department stores would decorate their windows for Christmas. All the best stuff would be advertised, from clothing, to toys, to housewares. We went every year. The best thing to do was go to the Woodward and Lothrop Store. It took up a whole block of downtown! There were other big stores as well, and they all had window displays we went to see. But … (29 comments)
santa: And The Stocking Was Hung
- 12/20/11 10:06 PM
And the stocking was hung by the chimney with care. You bet. There is care all over the place here. That is my stocking, obviously. My name is on it and it is a Redskin stocking. Yeah, right, like you don't have a Redskin stocking? Notice the holder. We have various. Mine is the Santa holder. Why? Because I am Santa, around here anyway. The squat Santas are all on the mantel over my stocking. Where else would they be? And the Santa on the left is not wearing the traditional Santa red and white. He is wearing the non-traditional burgundy … (24 comments)
santa: What Do You Do When Your Kid Is Smarter Than You Are?
- 12/24/08 02:15 AM
I still have a little one at home who believes in Santa. For one reason or another she procrastinated going to see him until today. This morning she woke up very upset. She had been thinking. "Isn't it Christmas now on the other side of the world?" (I have to say, the International Date Line would NEVER have occurred to me as a child... curses geography class!) "Yes," I said, "it is." "Then there's no point in going to the mall to see Santa. He is not there today." "But there will be a helper there." "He is an impostor. I … (13 comments)
The Christmas tree tradition is generally attributed to Norse legends and German practices. The German tradition is said to begin with Martin Luther who saw a group of snowy fir trees and was so impressed with the gentle quiet of the sight that he decorated a small tree in his house for his family.
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