There’s more, much more to Christmas
Than candlelight and cheer;
It’s the spirit of sweet friendship
That brightens all the year;
It’s thoughtfulness and kindness,
It’s hope reborn again,
For peace, for understanding,
For goodwill to men!
Today is the shortest day and the longest night of the year, in the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun will be ‘reborn” and “climb its way to the top of the hill”, until Summer Solstice in June, before the days will become shorter again. We call it the Winter Solstice, when the days are short and the nights are long. And the days start to become longer.
Katelynn and Sara had their last day of school for 2018. It is also the end of the first semester in school. When the girls go back, Katelynn will have a new schedule in January. And Sara will begin to prepare for the STAAR tests, in Spring. But first, we will enjoy the last days of this year. Hopefully, we have a good start into the new year, 2019. We will visit the family in North Carolina for a few days. The girls want to see their grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. They always enjoy traveling and seeing something new on the road. It never gets old for them. 😉
Snow in Bill Allen Memorial park in The Colony, Texas (March 2015)
As you probably have noticed, our Christmas is a little bit more European traditional than usual, this year. Since I want to show Katelynn and Sara some German traditions, Kevin ordered a Christmas Pyramid for us in November. The girls seem to enjoy the Advent Wreath, the decorated tree and the Christmas Pyramid (“Weihnachtspyramide” in German). For Katelynn, it means the roots from the country she was born. Sara loves all the lights, candles and colors. She will understand it more, the older she will get.
Our new Christmas Pyramid with a cozy fire in the background
Today is the first Advent Sunday. Three more Sundays will follow, before Christmas will be here. On each Sunday, we will burn a candle. So, by the Sunday which will be followed by Christmas, all four candles will burn on our Advent wreath. Advent is the season to prepare for the Birth of Christ. But it actually originated from the ancient Celtic tradition. It has the symbolic meaning of the season leading to the Winter Solstice. Yule is upon us.
Kevin worked on installing the Christmas lights around the house, today. Sara sat on the roof and helped him with the extension cords. Once the first chains of lights were installed, Kevin, Katelynn, Sara and I shopped for a Fraser Fir tree. We also got some more Christmas decorations. Kevin will finish setting up the lights in the frontyard, tomorrow.
Sara helps day with the extension cords and enjoys the view on top of the roof.
Kevin installs traditionally the Christmas lights on the roof on Black Friday.
Kevin and Sara might get some help from a Black Vulture. 😉
More photo of Christmas lights will follow as soon as everything is installed and set up.
In the Northern Hemisphere we celebrate the return of the Sun, today. It will be the shortest day and the longest night, before the days will be come longer, also known as the Winter Solstice or the Pagan Yuletide. The Southern Hemisphere celebrates Mid-Summer/Summer Solstice, today. It’s the longest day, and the shortest night of the year. So wherever is your home on this beautiful planet, Happy Solstice to you all!
