Went out to see the Christmas Star this evening. Jupiter and Saturn converged, diverged, and said, “See you again in 800 years!”
Traditions are very important this time of the year. Especially this year with the virus ruining just about everything everywhere. Something to hold on to, an anchor in these times of distress.
My friends, Dave and Audrey, hold a Christmas dinner for a small group of us who met at UConn. Through the years it has been an event that has held us together. Good times and bad we have joined together to celebrate our friendship. In a larger group of the same people, Steve and Carol hold an annual New Year's Eve party. These are the things that bind us together even when we are far apart.
The island of Nantucket has its annual Christmas Stroll. If you haven't been there, it's off the Massachusetts coast and is more relaxed and less pretentious than Martha's Vineyard. One night before Christmas the shops in town light their colored lights, stay open late, and pass out cookies, punch, and sometimes something stronger. It's a great time to walk around, possibly with snow on the street, and greet friends with a cheery “Merry Christmas”
The Nantucket church has an annual Christmas sing-along that culminates in a recital of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. People practice their parts for weeks ahead of time. Everyone sings and it's quite moving. Saints and sinners united in creating beautiful music.
A small tradition of my own is to take one of my photographs from the year and reproduce it for friends. It makes a connection with people who are now spread across the country and around the world.
Make my day, tell a friend about this blog!
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