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The Artist’s Almanac
December 2009
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In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
- Christina
Rosseti
Now comes sullen
December, with leaden skies and cold swirling rain, as the sun nears
its nadir. Hunter, the cat, stays close to his warm garage room and
fleece bed.
This follows
sharply on the heels of the warmest November for a century, an
extended Indian Summer, with first frost not ‘til the 29th, and
leaves no doubt as to what winter holds in store for us. The
landscape wears a weather-beaten face and night falls in mid
afternoon. Why, then, such merriment?
December is the
hinge of the year, when the sun begins its return to us. All
whom we meet this month are talking of going home – home, where
every sacred custom is revived and cherished, recalling seasons
long past. Holly wreathes doorways and candles shine from
windows. Carols season the air and in cold city streets the
barest acquaintances exchange smiles and greetings. We are moved
now by generosity for the homeless and humble among whom our
Lord was born.
The Adoration of the Shepherds - Rembrandt
At Christmas, each
grandchild begs for their own favorite dish or dessert, be it sage
dressing with giblet gravy, candied sweet potatoes, banana pudding,
pecan pie, coconut cake or boiled custard, while the older of us
prefer country ham, ambrosia or fruitcake. Granddad insists on a
Kentucky breakfast of hominy, sausage and hot buttered biscuits with
blackberry jam, washed down with strong coffee. The fire dances on
the hearth.
Custom and
ceremony carry us through this season. The tree is chosen and
brought into the house, filling it with fragrance. Candles and
decorations fill the mantles as joyful music of heavenly choirs
illumines common reality, suffusing it with joy. We listen to
Handel’s Messiah and at chill midnight on the 24th go to the
Mass of Christ.
We remember
Christmases past, when those who loved us realized all our hopes
and we hope that today’s children will have the same memories.
Why is tradition so important to our holiday season?
Tradition enacts
our most cherished beliefs that assure us we are loved and meant
to love others. When the Creator of the stars of night bent down
to touch a Hebrew maiden, representative of all mankind, all
creation held its breath. Then we were saved by her quiet Yes.
Alba Madonna by Raphael National Gallery of Art
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