I woke up yesterday morning and discovered it was December first. It is time to start thinking about Christmas decorations. Some of my neighbors already have the jump on us. Their homes are decorated inside and out already.When the children were small, we used to put up a real tree every year. We picked the largest tree that we could fit into the room. The decorations on the tree were very eclectic. Each year we would also go on a shopping trip to find a special ornament to add to the display. We also had ornaments that the children made at school or bought at a school bazaar to hang on the tree. They are some of my most treasured ornaments. Over the years the collection grew, and it took hours to put up the tree and add the lights and the decorations.
Then the children grew up, became adults, moved away and started families of their own. Then it was just my husband and myself. For a while we put up a real tree. One year the tree we purchased was so dry that we did not dare turn on the lights. On New Years Day, when we took the tree down, all the needles fell off and we were left to haul out a completely bare tree. The floor was covered with needles: a trash bag full of needles. It was a mess to clean up because the needles clung to the rug.The next year we decided on an artificial tree. None of the children would be home for Christmas, so we were somewhat depressed and did not want to make a big deal out of Christmas. We bought a small artificial tree that would fit on top of the table. It was like a revelation. The tree went up in minutes rather than the time it took to saw the end off of a real tree and then work with it to make sure it was standing upright in a tree stand. What a concept!
Since the tree was small we had to choose which ornaments were going on the tree that year. Some of the ornaments were too big for this small tree. We finally settled on which ornaments would be put on the tree and which would be saved for posterity for no apparent reason. The Christmas collectable were labeled Christmas and Current Christmas to differentiate them when we were ready to pull things out of the attic.The first artificial tree we purchased did not have lights attached. When that tree became worn and shabby we upgraded to another table tree. This one had LED lighting. Now the tree was up and decorated in just a matter of minutes. In some ways it seemed an improvement, but I found that it did not really share much Christmas spirit. We lost something in not having those family hours spent decorating the tree.
I still miss the smell of a real tree. I tried adding some fake Christmas tree smell to add some realism. That did not work out all that well. The smell was overpowering and it did not really smell like a Christmas tree. At least not when it was first sprayed. Several hours later there might be a slight odor that smelled something like a Christmas tree. There was still something missing. Then I started making dolls. I started making Santa dolls because at that time hand made dolls were in vogue. At first they were not very good. I was trying to make soft sculpture dolls. I had a hard time with the faces. Fortunately they improved over time.
At first, I just made dolls and they just sat or stood there. Something was missing and it took me a long time to figure out what it was. The dolls were just dolls until they told a story. Once I began adding embellishments and details that helped fill in the story the dolls seemed to take on extra meaning. They finally added something to the Christmas decorations that had not been there for some time. Now, taking out the Christmas decorations once again seems like bringing out old friends. I look forward to bringing them out every year.
The last Santa doll I made was a Belsnickel. A Belsnickel is sometimes called a Grumpy Santa. One of the legends of Santa is that he leaves naughty children coal and switches. So, my Belsnickel is carrying a bucket of coal and some switches.
I put this doll in a state-wide contest a few years ago and it won third prize in the hand-made doll category. I guess they thought it was a more original take on Santa than the traditional Santa and toys.
Perhaps some people thought it odd that I would make a Santa like this. Santa is supposed to be the jolly, loving character. I think the problem is that modern day concepts have overshadowed the myth of the Belsnickel. These days children expect toys, candy, and expensive electronics for Christmas. Coal and switches would seem like a terrible gift. But think for a moment about the time that the Santa/Belsnickel myth originated. Coal and switches were the materials to build a fire to keep warm. The message of the Belsnickel is that even in the years that you were not behaving at your best, (Let's face it we have all had them.) there was someone that cared about you enough that he (or she) wanted to make sure that you were warm and knew that someone cared about you. That is the message of the Belsnickel. Someone cares about you even in the years that you felt unlovable or undeserving.
During this time of the Christmas season while we are so busy buying the latest electronics or heading out to the next holiday party, make sure that you take some time to tell those you love that you care about them. That message is much more important than picking out the latest video game. It will be remembered long after the must have toy or game of the year is forgotten.
