Merry Christmas - Part 1

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year!

Christmas has been good so far here at home. After doing additional prayers and some fasting for the 30 days leading up to Christmas (Advent), we celebrate the Christmas season for 12 days around Christmas.

Many people probably aren't aware of how many things associated with Christmas have a meaning associated with them....

Candy Canes

Day 4 - 25 Days of Christmas 2007, originally uploaded by Phil Peck.

I found the above picture from Flickr!

"He [the candy maker] began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus. Hard candy to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the name of Jesus. It also represented the staff of the "Good Shepherd".

The candymaker then included red stripes. He used three small stripes and a large red stripe to represent the suffering Christ endured at the end of his life.

The candy became known as a Candy Cane - a decoration seen at Christmas time. The meaning has faded, but still gives joy to children young and old, whom Jesus loves and treasures. "
(From Homeschooled Kids ).

Christmas Tree
Decorating an evergreen fir tree in memory of Christmas was first started by St. Boniface - who upon coming across a pagan human sacrifice ceremony one December the 24th in Germany - stopped them from killing the human and felled their sacred oak tree.

He then pointed to a small evergreen growing in the forest and told them that it symbolises Christ - the evergreen leaves because Christ is forever, the tall leaves pointing upwards reminding us of heaven, decorate it with lights to remind us of good, and round baubles to look like fruits, reminding us to bear good deeds to others in the world. And to think most people just look on it as a Christmas tree :)

Christmas Celebrations

There was a nine day Novena held in our parish by all the Filipino people, where we had the opportunity to attend church each evening to pray for a holy and blessed Christmas. I managed to go twice - and not one word of it was in English! :) it's interesting to see how much you can guess at what is being said in a language foreign to you.

On Christmas eve I went to the vigil mass at 8pm with family, and then again to midnight mass with Cl. Ce. and T. About half way though I felt very very sleepy, but woke up again once we moved outside into the cold winds once mass was finished. :)

After hitting my pillow at about 1.30am (!) I managed to sleep though until 6.20am, when I woke up feeling waaaaaay too excited to get back to sleep! after all, it was Christmas day! and I am very much like a little kid when it comes to these type of things. :D

At 8am little Brett Lee was given permission by Mummy to wake up those who were still asleep - which was Cl. and T. - and the present opening started. Father Christmas doesn't bring presents for 'big' kids, so only little Brett Lee had received gifts. All the older people had a few gifts from grandparents and brothers/sisters under the tree. Not really big gifts but more like nice little things that we knew each other would appreciate. :) after all, Christmas is most definitely NOT about getting presents.

I got some pretty preeeeety sparkling earrings studs from Ce. and some lovely comfortable sandal/shoes from Cl. They also sparkled! (hehe!) Gran got me a nice summer top, and Nana P. made me my very own apron for cooking in too!. And my lovely friends D. and U. who were from Mumbai ~ 2 years back gave me TONS of little Indian things that they know I'll love - thank you!! :)