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Pearls of the Holiday Season
Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible
that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer,
but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved. ~Augusta E. Rundel
Great little One! whose all-embracing birth
Lifts Earth to Heaven, stoops Heaven to
Earth.
~Richard Crashaw
I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind,
forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent
to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave,
and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. ~Charles Dickens
Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout
the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder
Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame
of charity in the heart. ~Washington Irving
Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve. Yuletide excitement
is a potent caffeine, no matter your age. ~Carrie Latet
Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas
brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer.... Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and
spirituality would mix so harmoniously? ~Bill Watterson, Calvin
& Hobbes
Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of
year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall.
We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then
we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until
it led them to a parking space. ~Dave Barry
Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the Divinest
Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is
also of Heaven's making. ~Leigh Hunt
I do like Christmas on the whole.... In its clumsy way, it does approach Peace and Goodwill.
But it is clumsier every year. ~E.M. Forster
[I]t is the one season of the year when we can lay aside all gnawing worry, indulge in
sentiment without censure, assume the carefree faith of childhood, and just plain "have fun." Whether they call it Yuletide,
Noel, Weinachten, or Christmas, people around the earth thirst for its refreshment as the desert traveller for the oasis.
~D.D. Monroe
Oh! lovely voices of the sky
Which hymned the Saviour's birth,
Are ye not singing
still on high,
Ye that sang, "Peace on earth"?
~Felicia Hemans
 
Now, near the Winter Solstice, it is good to light candles. All the nice meanings
of bringing light to the world can be beautiful. But perhaps we are concentrating on lighting the world because we don't
know how to light up our own lives. ~Ralph Levy, Hanukkah - Another View
Kindle
the taper like the steadfast star
Ablaze on evening's forehead o'er the earth,
And add each night a lustre till afar
An
eightfold splendor shine above thy hearth.
~Emma
Lazarus, The Feast of Lights
Richer is one hour of repentance and good works in this world than all of life of the world
to come; and richer is one hour’s calm of spirit in the world to come than all of the life of this world. ~ The Talmud
The darkness of the whole world cannot swallow the glowing of a candle. ~Robert Altinger
We have focused on the miracle-thing and I think we often overlook the message of Hanukkah.
To me, the core of the holiday is the cleaning of the temple.... The accomplishment was in restoring the temple to the purpose
for which it was built. Now think of the temple as a symbol. Perhaps it represents my life. The world has
tried to use me for its own (perhaps good, but none-the-less extrinsic) purposes. But now I can rededicate myself to
my own original purpose. ~Ralph Levy, Hanukkah - Another View
In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the
hand in all things essential to mutual progress. ~Booker T. Washington
Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ~Kenyan Proverb
We all should know
that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no
matter what their color. ~ Maya Angelou
Uunity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative
economics, purpose, creativity and faith -- teach us that when we come together to strengthen our families and communities
and honor the lessons of the past, we can face the future with joy and optimism. ~ President Bill Clinton
Our children
need the sense of specialness that comes from participating in a known and loved ritual. They need the mastery of self-discipline
that comes from order. They need the self-awareness that comes from a knowledge of their past. They need a tool for
building their future and our own. ~ Jessica Harris
To those who whine, ‘We’re not allowed to say, “Merry Christmas”
anymore,’ I say, “YES YOU CAN!" You were never not allowed to say it. It's about Grace. You can say Merry Christmas to your
aunties and uncles; your cousins and grandparents; to fellow church-goers and those you know celebrate as do you. But Christmas is not the only holiday celebrated this time
of year, and when one find his or herself among people of many faiths and nationalities, the gracious thing to do is to be
respectful and inclusive of those gathered in the same place as you.
Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings excludes no one. ~L.L. Abbott
[See also: To Say, or Not to Say]
May you harbor in your hearts the peacefulness of this season all the days of
the coming year. ~L.L. Abbott
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