A Minor Rebellion

I have always been one for lavishly decorating my house at Christmas, eight strings of icicle lights bedecking the eaves, six strands of C-7 lights all along the railings of my deck wrapping more than three quarters of the way around my house, lights in most if not all of the pine trees within reach of an extension cord (I live in the mountains and have lots of land, lots of pines, and lots of extension cords).

This year, having been subjected to Christmas decorations in stores since Halloween, I'm not quite in the mood. As a child I recall Christmas decorations appearing in stores after Thanksgiving and our tree and decorations might go up a week before Christmas. I don't know... it's just getting to be too much! What's next? I don't think I'll be able to handle Christmas decorations at the 4th of July barbecue, Santa in his red and white striped bathing suit flipping the burgers on the grill.

This year, I've taken a different approach, this year, I have one light. Yes, you read that right, one, and no, it's not a 4 million candlepower light either. This year we have adopted an old Irish tradition (I am Irish after all) of placing one candle (electric) in the front window of our home.

There are two interrelated histories about having a lighted candle in the front window of your home. The first, possibly dating back to the middle ages, is as a sign of welcome and hospitality, a sign of welcome to the holy family as they searched for a place to stay, only to be turned away from home after home and inn after inn. It goes along with the tradition of a laden table (bread and milk), and leaving the door unlatched for travellers.

The second dates back to the times of the penal laws, when the practice of Catholicism was banned in Ireland by it's British occupiers. The candle was a sign of welcome and of safety to itinerant priests, in the hopes that they would come to the house and offer up a Christmas Eve Mass (a dangerous and illegal endeavor). Of course, if questioned by the authorities, the candle was to welcome Mary and Joseph with a place to stay, a ruse that the authorities apparently bought, thinking...silly and superstitious Irish peasants.

So, we have one electric candle in the front window of our home, a symbol of hospitality.

We have a Christmas tree this year, albeit one smaller (much smaller) than usual, placed to one side of the fireplace. Honestly, I don't even know if you could call it a tree... it's more of a Christmas bush really.

Featured prominently on the mantle this year is a creche. It is a fairly large creche, with large porcelain figures of Mary and Joseph, a shepherd, lots of sheep, an ox, as well as Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. Standing behind the manger is a larger than life Victorian porcelain angel, dressed all in white and silver. Sometime either late tonight or early tomorrow morning a porcelain figure of the baby Jesus shall come out to take center stage.

It is after all the reason for the season this Christ's Mass, isn't it?

Nollaig Mhaith Chugat!
A Good Christmas to You!

~Finntann~