Christmas at Cerri's

Today I thought I might post what Christmas would be like at my protagonist's home. Cerridwen Baker is a family woman. A wife and mother of three, Christmas would be all about the kids. She'd have the tree up early and gifts would be wrapped underneath. Cookies would be baked. There would be an excitement in the air that nothing could squash.

Family is important to Cerri. She would make sure that her kids knew the traditions Cerri and her husband, Matt, celebrated as children. And advent calendar would hang near the front door for the children to count down to the big day.

Because of her love for family, I can just imagine Cerri loading the kids up in the car and heading toward Storybook Island to see the lights and visit with Santa. Cerri's biggest holiday wish would be to see her kids happy.

Christmas day would start with too little sleep and three kiddos running to the tree to see if Santa had come. Of course, there would be some type of breakfast food in the oven (Monkey bread? French toast casserole? Regular old bacon and eggs?) and coffee would be brewing. Cerri is the kind of of woman who would relish in the fact her kids were having a good time. Cerri would make sure her husband was well fed. She would be the axle in the wheel of activity around her.

And what, you might ask, would Cerri teach her kids about Santa? The same things she learned as a child...that Santa is an elf, a fairy, a brownie. He is as real as you and I and, of course, is also the embodiment of the spirit of the holidays. Do you agree?

Blessings!

Nichole

How -- and what -- will you celebrate?

Once again, I'm going to stray from the weekly topic and discuss the "root" of the problem — Valentine's Day.

As a wife and mother, I have to celebrate the day. It's expected.

As a woman, I'm supposed to demand chocolates and flowers.

As an individual, though, I'd be happy with a good book and breakfast in bed.

When I was out selecting cards for hubby and teenager, I got to thinking about the meaning of St. Valentine's Day. I'm mostly convinced that the holiday (as we know it) can be blamed on Esther A. Howland, who first started mass-producing cards in the 1850s. Thanks to her, at least a quarter of ALL cards are sent in February. I'm sure she's the "patron saint of Hallmark." Or at least she should be.

Supposedly, St. Valentine's Day was created in honor of a Catholic priest who defied the Roman Emperor's rule that soldiers weren't to be married. Valentine married young, happy couples in secret and they all lived happily ever after.

Yeah. Right.

Yet, there's another celebration that may hold the key to the origins of the holiday.

Lupercalia, is an ancient festival which honored Remus and Romulus, the twins who discovered the site where Rome would be built, and the she-wolf which nursed them. The festival, which took place on Feb. 15, celebrated fertility and health. It chased off evil spirits and purified the city.

That holiday doesn't seem to have made it into the present day celebrations. I wonder why. Maybe a mass-produced card honoring a she-wolf just didn't sell. Who knows...

So which will you celebrate? Valentines Day? Or Lupercalia? Both? Or neither?

Personally, I think I'll just eat some chocolate and call it good!

Blessings!

Nichole