Songs of the season... Well, its official: St. Knuts Day (13 January) has arrived--or, rather, it arrived yesterday...but in some parts of the world, it is still 13 January...so there you go. ;-) With its arrival (according to the Swedes at least), the Christmas season officially ends. Though my Scandinavian ancestors hailed from Norway, not Sweden, I am a big fan of a long, drawn-out, gradual denouement to the winter holidays--especially here in the Tropics, where theyre quite artificial, anyway. And so I keep the Christmas tree and decorations up and the Christmas songs on the iPhone until St. Knuts, the Twentieth Day of Christmas. This year, by the past weekend, Id felt like I was ready to get on with the rest of the year...but today, Im missing Christmas. Of course, the decorations are still up--Ill try to get them all taken down this evening--but thats almost worse: a reminder of the season that is now finished, a season I truly love. And so the trees and decorations will be been taken down and packed away. The music of the winter holiday season--copied from my 127 Christmas CDs (and a handful of Hanukkah CDs, as well)--has been removed from the iPhone (not to be re-added until after Thanksgiving dinner in November). The lights will be brought down from the balcony (the first time theyve been down since Hari Raya Aidiladha last October). Though it might not see like it now, my friends and family in the North Country, winter will end. In a month, the Chinese, Vietnamese, Mongolians, and others will be celebrating their new years festivals--festivals heralding the first arrival of spring. And I believe that its in remembering our connections with these natural cycles, the seasons, the natural world around us--and in remembering the One, the Sustainer, who put it together and keeps it together--that we can find real, lasting, fulfillment. A cure for the emptiness we might experience throughout the year, throughout our lives. Through all my tears, for what Ive lost Theres still my joy Theres still my joy for Christmas day ______ Theres Still My Joy I brought my tree down to the shore The garland and the silver star To find my peace and grieve no more To heal this place inside my heart On every branch I laid some bread And hungry birds filled up the sky They rang like bells around my head They sang my spirit back to life One tiny child can change the world One shining light can show the way Through all my tears, for what Ive lost Theres still my joy Theres still my joy for Christmas day The snow comes down on empty sand Theres tinsel moonlight on the waves My soul was lost but here I am So this must be amazing grace One tiny child can change the world One shining light can show the way Beyond these tears for what Ive lost Theres still my joy Theres still my joy for Christmas day Theres still my joy for Christmas day youtube/watch?v=6-IpcU9ZO0A
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 00:21:09 +0000
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