It’s the write thing
We all have memories of Christmas’ past. Some were “yell out loud” joyous; some just intimate and peaceful. We remembered the giving and the gifts, being around loved ones and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Many of our traditions are only as old as we are, but some go back to a time where no one really knows how they started.
A tradition often ridiculed but I that loved and anticipated was the arrival of the “Christmas letter” from family and friends. I never wrote one myself because I didn’t really think I had enough news to fill a full page. I was afraid people would go, “That’s it, why’d he even bother to write it down?”
I loved reading about the joy that they experienced during the year, the courageous words they used to describe the afflictions and maladies. I laughed out loud at the clever ways they might talk about impromptu wedding or an early grandchild. I tried to read between the lines about a sudden job change, an occasional night’s stay at the county iron-bar hotel, or the new car someone was forced to buy. It was funny when they thought it was funny and funnier when they thought they were serious.
So today I decided to take a casual walk through the internet to seek some insights about Christmas traditions. I found an article in The Literary Traveler by Paul Millward where he talks about the real story behind Dickens’ A Christmas Carol:
“Many Christmas traditions, which feel as if they have been in existence for millennia, were actually not widely practiced until Dickens published his perennial tale of Scrooge’s spiritual journey from miserable old miser to the very soul of Christmas joy and generosity. The book depicts certain sentimental aspects of Christmas which are now so firmly ingrained in the season that Christmas would be unthinkable without them. Christmas is a family-oriented festival based around good cheer and giving; a time of warm-hearted goodness when we extend a hand to those less fortunate than ourselves.”
“A Christmas Carol” will be QCT’s next production starting December 4th, 2015. It is a beautiful telling of a traditional Christmas story. It is also our challenge to keep the spirit of Christmas all year long. In Dickens’ own words, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me.
And hey! Don’t forget to write it down!