Christmas Day 1

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me … a partridge in a pear tree.

According to the age-old custom of numbering the days of Christmas, Day 1 is actually December 25th --- Christmas Day. The carol to which the aforementioned words belong derives from a memory game played on Twelfth Night, where players were required to recite objects named by previous players and then add more objects to the challenge. The tune is apparently Gaelic in origin. The carol itself is considered traditionally English. Over the years, I have also been told that the Twelve Days of Christmas was written as a “catechism song” to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith during the many years when Catholicism was outlawed in England. At any rate, it is a favorite tune of the season.

So, did I get a partridge in a pear tree for Christmas? No, I did not. I did get a Mouse Trap game, something I have wanted since childhood. My parents never purchased this item for my sister and me when we were young. If we wanted to corral small rodents, we had to go to a neighbor’s house. Fortunately, now, I can catch these critters at home anytime I want.

My dear friend in Washington, D. C. gave me a very providential gift --- The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Being a career Lutheran, prayer is a spiritual discipline that has never come easy to me. That’s why, even before Christmas, I had decided to make prayer my quiet time focus for 2007. In His attention to detail, the Lord saw fit to motivate one of my friends to supply, as a Christmas gift, a tool for my upcoming study. Amazing.

My daughter, the music lover, gifted me with Vivaldi’s Gloria in D, a choral piece that I sang in high school way back when. Gloria was the first present that I experienced after all the unwrapping was completed. Astonishingly enough, I can still sing some of the alto part even after all these years (and even after snacking on the peanut butter truffles that arrived in my stocking). If you have never had the opportunity to hear Gloria in D, I would encourage you to obtain a copy from your local library or bookstore before the holidays are over. Even better, scare up a live performance of the piece at your local concert hall. You won’t regret it.

My husband outdid himself this year, giving me a print called “Christmas Memories” by the artist P. Buckley Moss. Ms. Moss is a favorite of my mother, an artist as well by both nature and training. Having come across some stunning Moss Christmas ornaments this season, I found myself admiring more Moss pieces than ever before. That led to the addition of “Christmas Memories” to my holiday wish list. The rest, as they say, is history. Wisely, my husband purchased the print unframed so I can mat and frame it to my own taste. What a guy.

My girlfriend, Koalagirl15, gave me what will probably become my second latest artistic fascination--- the work of Jim Shore. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this gentleman, he is primarily a sculptor whose exposure to a master-quilter grandmother is reflected in every piece he creates. Mine is “Santa With Cat.” The jolly old elf is decked out in a long red coat adorned with a quilt pattern all around the bottom. In his right arm is a feline who looks like a light-colored version of my cat, Kit. It is truly a beautiful figurine.

Not to be forgotten, my mother and aunt, knowing my penchant for Christmas ornaments and my love of instruction, gave me a “teacher” angel/bear to hang on my tree. My mother also gave my daughter an adorable ornament of a mouse hiding in and eating a wedge of Swiss cheese. This is quite appropriate as Katherine the Great is a cheese connoisseur.

Aside from all this giving and receiving, my family and I relaxed at home in the afternoon, watching the movies we received: A Boyfriend for Christmas and Yours, Mine, and Ours (the original version). We also enjoyed the new Miracle on 34th Street on television. My daughter and I played Mouse Trap, too. Dinner was late in the afternoon. Dessert was later in the evening at the home of Koalagirl15: pumpkin tarts, pecan pie, homemade apple pie, and a Reese’s peanut butter cup pie. The latter was Jesus’ birthday cake, so we opened the evening by singing “Happy Birthday” to the King.

All and all, it was a comfortable and comforting day that was actually very low stress, even though I was scrambling to finish some early-morning gift decorating at 6:00 AM. Being the second Christmas without my beloved dad, part of the day still felt a little empty. I suppose the holiday will always feel that way to some degree. That small void did not detract from the experience, however. I think it only made the day richer as we related stories of Christmases past while enjoying the Christmas present.

In closing, I would like to offer one reminder: Christmas isn’t over. Remember, historically, the holiday begins on December 25th and ends on January 5th, the day before Epiphany. Celebrate until the end. After all, we are commemorating the birth of our Savior. What better reason to party!

Photo of Partridge in a Pear Tree Christmas ornament by artist P. Buckley Moss was taken from the website of the Finn Gallery in St. Petersburg, FL.