Dear America,
You’d think a jolly old icon like myself might spend most of his days far removed from the tumult and tussle of the world, but you’d be wrong. My Christmas Intelligence Agency does a bang-up job of keeping me informed about the goings-on in the human world. After all, how else could I keep track of who’s been naughty or nice?
At any rate, the CIA reports that many of you seem as lost and as miserable as I would be on Christmas Eve without Rudolph’s red nose. Misled by some of your leaders, misdirected by cultural gurus, and misinformed by many in the corporate media, you believe, or so my agents tell me, that goodness, truth, and beauty in this old world are melting away quicker than a snowman on a March afternoon.
Be that as it may, Christmas has once again arrived, and that’s my domain. So here’s some advice for all you weary and troubled folks looking for an igloo in this howling blizzard of bad news.
Treat yourselves to a traditional Christmas.
Poems and Stories
In our annual preparation for Christmas, and in the twelve days after, the missus and I along with some of the elves spend a portion of each evening gathered around a cheery fire in the den. We pour ourselves a mug of tea—this year, it’s ginger—and take turns reading holiday stories and poems.
“The magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the Babe in the manager. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.”
And what would Christmas be without “A Christmas Carol?” You all know the story, but how many of you have actually read it? Did you know that Mr. Dickens’s fable about Ebenezer Scrooge and the real meaning of Christmas is only 30,762 words long? Even with our busy schedule here, the story is easily consumed over the course of a few nights, at the end of which all the elves join Tiny Tim in crying out, “God bless us, Every One!”
Then there are the great poems of the season. Nearly everyone knows at least some of the words to “'Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and that’s always a worthwhile read-aloud, but don’t forget to give voice and ear to other verses, such as Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” or Tennyson’s “Ring Out, Wild Bells.”
Songs and Carols
Holiday music is everywhere this time of the year, in grocery stores and coffee shops, on the radio, and in churches. Unfortunately, by the time Christmas Day rolls around, many people are as eager to ditch the music as they are their trees and decorations.Too bad, I say, because for centuries, composers and songwriters have given us some great music for which familiarity has bred not a little contempt. Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas,” Simon and Garfunkel’s sad and ironic version of “Silent Night,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and all those other good old English carols? The songs and variations are endless. Hie yourself online and match the music you’ll find to your mood. Instrumentals are a favorite in the evenings here, livelier fare when the workshop is in full swing. Given a few pints, the Irish elves will occasionally get carried away and belt out The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” at the top of their lungs. “De gustibus non est disputandum,” as the old Romans put it (“In matters of taste, there can be no dispute”).
Films and Other Entertainments
There are nearly as many Hollywood tributes to the season as there are songs. For many of you, watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a holiday custom, and “Miracle on 34th Street” with its courtroom trial of yours truly is naturally a favorite of mine. The 1951 “A Christmas Carol,” with Alastair Sim as Scrooge, is another great film for its portrayal of Father Christmas. Ah, but there are so, so many more, for all ages and tastes. From “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to “A Christmas Story” to “Die Hard” to the scores of Hallmark holiday films, you’ve got a sleigh full of choices.Mix and Mingle
On the first Saturday of December, I peeked in on a Christmas parade in a medium-sized town in your state of Virginia. Watching these spectators, all of different backgrounds, races, and political creeds, talking and laughing together while awaiting the parade lifted my spirits, and may well do the same for yours.So for all my talk of online resources, at some point, shut down that computer with all its news and hubbub, bundle up the kids, and head to your town’s Main Street or mall. Order some hot chocolate in a café and watch the passersby. Step into some stores and observe the shoppers. It’s the old-fashioned way of catching the Christmas spirit, which is infectious and in no need of a vaccine.
So there you have it. With your politics and culture in a constant upheaval, to put it mildly, you need to hold onto some good old things. With Christmas, you’ve got an attic filled with traditions. Bring some of them into play, and see if they help quell your melancholy or anxieties.
Merry Christmas, my friends, and a Happy New Year to each and every one of you,
S.C.
