Blessings to All as Advent comes to a close and we cultivate, once again, a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Incarnation, marveling at the vulnerability, humility, and honesty of Jesus, whose light illumines hearts ever-ready to be guided by His Holy Spirit.
Here is an Inspiring Overview of Christmas Tree Cultivation and Replacement lovingly tendered by devoted Tree farmers in the USA. The following text comes from a new AI program called Microsoft CoPilot:
Growing, cultivating, and replacing Christmas trees in the United States is quite a fascinating process. Here’s a quick overview:
Growing and Cultivating
Choosing the Location: Christmas tree farms are usually located on sloping hillsides where the soil drains well. The trees need ample sunlight and room to grow.
Selecting the Species: Different species are planted depending on the region and climate. Popular species include Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, and Scotch Pine.
Planting: Seedlings are typically planted in rows during early spring. Farmers often plant them densely at first, thinning them out as they grow to ensure each tree has enough space.
Maintenance: Growing Christmas trees takes time and care. Farmers spend 7-10 years tending to them, which includes:
Pruning: Trees are sheared annually to develop a desirable conical shape.
Weeding: Keeping the area around the trees free of weeds to reduce competition for nutrients and water.
Pest and Disease Control: Regular monitoring and treatment to protect against pests and diseases.
Harvesting: When trees reach the desired height (usually 6-8 feet), they are cut down and sent to market. This typically happens from late November through December.
Replacing and Sustainability
Replanting: For every tree harvested, another is planted to ensure a continuous supply. Some farmers plant multiple seedlings in anticipation of natural losses.
Environmental Benefits: Christmas tree farms are beneficial for the environment. They provide habitat for wildlife, help prevent soil erosion, and contribute to air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
Recycling: After the holiday season, many communities offer tree recycling programs. These trees are often turned into mulch, which can be used in landscaping and gardening.
Growing Christmas trees is a labor of love that requires patience and dedication, but it’s also a sustainable and environmentally friendly practice. If you’re ever in the mood to visit a Christmas tree farm, it’s a great way to get into the holiday spirit and learn more about the process firsthand!
And here is a link to one of my favorite Christmas Songs. My favorite line: “And the shepherds could not tell whether Angels or the Stars themselves were singing.” The song is called CHRISMTAS 1913. Singer John Denver, a prophetic environmentalist, recorded it on his album JOHN DENVER AND THE MUPPETS CHRISTMAS TOGETHER. Here’s a link:
How can we make THANKSGIVING a truly prayerful AND joyful day for everyone? Here are suggestions — you cannot possibly observe them all! — but use them as a springboard for your own ideas. Choosing between these activities needs to be a prayerful experience, so allow some space for quiet time, placing all your anticipated guests in your heart and mind before you look through these selections. Pray with them and let your own spirit be inspired!
THE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING
Invite your guests to reflect upon these Two Questions:
What is your best and worst memory of Thanksgiving?
How might you turn both experiences into a prayer for this year? Write your own prayer.
Invite your guests to write their answers on an index card or postcard (or in an email) for their own personal reflection as they anticipate Thanksgiving Day. And- IF THEY ARE COMFORTABLE DOING SO – have them bring their card or printed email to the dinner. Let your guests know that you will invite everyone to share what they wrote as people gather, partake in Hors D’oeuvres, and settle in for the day.
DINNER CONVERSATION option # 1. Throughout the meal, each person will be asked to take what they wrote as their BEST OF MEAL and answer one of the following:
FOR CHRISTIANS: How were these “Best of Thanksgiving Meals” like or unlike a Eucharist or Lord’s Supper?
FOR JEWS: How were these “Best of Thanksgiving Meals” like or unlike Passover or Sukkot meals?
FOR MUSLIMS: How were these “Best of Thanksgiving Meals” like or unlike Ramadan meal celebrations?
FOR SIKHS: How were these “Best of Thanksgiving Meals” like or unlike Langar?
FOR HINDUS: How were these “Best of Thanksgiving Meals” for Thanksgiving like or unlike ONAM?
FOR BUDDHISTS: How were these “Best of Thanksgiving Meals” like or unlike your New Year celebrations?
FOR SECULARISTS: What makes your “Best of Thanksgiving Meals” linger in your memory? What does it tell you about what you value?
After everyone has shared, ask “What insights might you have gained from listening to people’s answers?” At the end of the meal, invite Spontaneous Prayer or lead your guests in a Thanksgiving Prayer from your tradition.
2. DINNER CONVERSATION option # 2. Invite your guests to read (or listen to the YouTube audio of) Truman Capote’s poignant and humorous short story The Thanksgiving Visitor before Thanksgiving Day. Let them know you will be inviting them to share their thoughts and feelings about this story throughout dinner. The story takes place in the past, but the relationship dynamics are perennial. Truman Capote reads “The Thanksgiving Visitor” on YouTube:
Make this an AFTER-DINNER ACTIVITY: Gather your guests to read or listen to The Thanksgiving Visitor – or any short story or children’s book–and discuss it. For Children’s Books, see The Best Thanksgiving Books to Read Aloud – Bookshop.org
3. OPTIONAL CHARITABLE COMPONENT TO THANKSGIVING DAY:INVITE each guest to BRING A SINGLE $ 1. BILL to participate in a PLEASE & THANK YOU GAME. Designate a charity and let them know what the dollars are for in advance. OR before dinner begins, have people choose the charity among three or four (no more than 4) you suggest. (E.G. A local Food Pantry, UNICEF, Habitat for Humanity – nothing partisan or controversial.) Have extra $1. bills around for those who forget to bring any. From the beginning of the Meal to its conclusion, should anyone forget to say “Please” or “Thank You,” (i.e., “Please pass the potatoes” or “thank you for pouring my drink”), he or she gets a WARNING. The SECOND TIME he or she must surrender their dollar into a basket for charity. At the end of the day, people may contribute additional $ if they wish.
4. Invite your guests to memorizeOVER THE RIVER & THROUGH THE WOODS by Lydia Maria Child in preparation for Thanksgiving and let them know you will have a contest as to who can recite (OR SING) the first three verses by heart. People can access the poem online at Over the River and Through the Wood – Wikipedia (or get the Book out from their library, or purchase it). If they prefer, they can memorize the much shorter poem THE MIST AND ALL by DIXIE WILLSON – Poetry Explorer – Your Free Poetry Website for Classic and Contemporary Poetry OR any other Autumn / Thanksgiving Poem they would like to share. People can recite their poem during dessert or help each other with the verses throughout CLEAN UP.
6. Prepare a Card Table with Index Cards & pens or pencils, a Small Basket or Shoebox and a poster or placard on which you have written these instructions:
Welcome! Take a card and write your response to ONE of the following questions. Do NOT print your name on the card as guests will need to guess “who wrote what” later today.
— “What experience of the past year do I treasure most?”
— “What gift that I received this year (no matter the occasion) continue to bring me enjoyment?”
Place these “Treasured Gift” papers in a small basket or shoebox and place it on or near the dining table. During the first course, invite someone to pick an index card at random from the basket and read it aloud. All the guests try to guess the identity of the author.
THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING
• Set DVR to pre-record Thanksgiving Day parade(s) and Football Games; pre-record or purchase/rent CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING or other cartoons. People can watch them during breaks or after dinner and clean-up is over.
Get Access to Music Ready via CD, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube (See item IX below)
If you chose to sponsor the Please and Thank You Game Charity Game, have extra $1. bills handy for those who forgot to bring any.
PRINTOUT A FEELING CHART FOR EACH GUEST. You can distribute copies to everyone as they sit at the table for your first course as a way to PREPARE for your PRAYER. The prayer will begin by acknowledging how everyone at your table is feeling –elated, sorrowful, etc. –an essential way to honor people and emphasize your care for them and invite them to ponder the love of a caring God. See THANKSGIVING DAY Item # 2 BELOW for the “how” and “why” of this Feeling-centered exercise.
A. If you have chosen to engage in “The Treasured Gift” game– Direct your guests to the CARD TABLE. If you did not choose to have people write their “Best” and “Worst” Thanksgiving Memories and Prayer in advance, you could have them write them out now and follow the directions in DINNER CONVERSATIN # 1 above.
B. If you did not choose to have people write their “Best” and “Worst” Thanksgiving Memories and Prayer in advance, you could have them write them out now and follow the directions in DINNER CONVERSATIN # 1 above.
2. TRADITIONAL GRACE “PLUS” – The “+” includes Faith Sharing before the meal. Begin by distributing copies of the Feeling Chart to your guests as they are seated for dinner.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL: EXPLAIN that the purpose in asking people to claim a feeling–and to name it for others to hear–provides us with a way to express our care for one another and respect our differences through attentive listening. The emphasis is on listening so we may address what we hear by way of acknowledging our feelings in our Prayer before our Meal. We ask that no one comment on any one person’s feeling words for there are no right or wrong feelings. “We feel what we feel no matter what the holiday may or may not mean to us.” Feel free to “pass” if you are not comfortable naming what you feel, but we hope you will.
Using the Chart as a guide, each guest may identify one or two “Feeling Words” (“Happy,” “Sad,” “Thankful,” “Frustrated,” etc.). We ask that NO ONE EXPLAIN their choice of word(s). That qualification is VERY IMPORTANT or the prayer before the meal will become unruly. Ask that NO ONE COMMENT on another’s feelings. Should someone start to explain, tell them they can share later, but “please only one or two words” After all of your guests have identified their feelings, pray the following (or use these ideas to create a prayer of your own):
“Dear God, HERE WE ARE! We are family and friends — and we bring all these feelings to you on this Thanksgiving Day. Faith attests that You accept us as we are. Help us open a place for you in our hearts, grant us peace and serenity, help us to identify people, places, and things for which we are grateful. Help us to make the most of this day, this meal, and our time together. Give us the grace to be kind, to be patient, and to affirm the best of what we know and see in one another. We know that Affirmation is the best way to cultivate Gratitude, and we hope that by the end of this day of National Thanksgiving, we may have more ways to affirm and bless one another and sing your praises.”
Then invite everyone to join in your family’s traditional Grace before Meals, OR if your company is of mixed religions, invite each to say his or her traditional grace in addition to your traditional one, OR you could also try this:
“Blessed are YOU, Source of Life, you are known by so many names, help us to experience GRATITUDE, for gratefulness nurtures mutual affection and places us on the path of peace. Bless our Meal and our Conversation. Amen.”
3. FIRST COURSE ACTIVITY (Soup/Salad/Antipasto): Treasured Gifts: During the first course, invite someone to pick an index card at random from the basket and read it aloud. All the guests try to guess the identity of the author. Once identified, invite the author to share why he or she remains thankful for this gift.
4. DURING THE MAIN MEAL: Invite each Guest to share his or her memories of the best Thanksgiving OR ANY SPECIAL MEAL that they have ever experienced and why it is an important memory for him or her. Use the Faith options in Part 1 “The Week Before Thanksgiving” (How this memory corresponds to a religious ritual or occasion) for additional points to share.
5. AFTER THE MAIN MEAL PRAYER: Post-Meal Prayers have fallen out of fashion. But since Thanksgiving is a Day of Gratitude and therefore a Day of Prayer, schedule a break BEFORE DESSERT (highly recommended), and before your guests leave the table, invite them to share spontaneous prayers for anyone or anything that concerns them. If you wish you could close with Psalm 121.
6. TAKE A BREAK BEFORE DESSERT and invite your guests to engage in some Physical Activity such as a walk outdoors or help in the kitchen, clearing the table, or playing Musical Chairs in the Living Room. MEANWHILE, guests should review their poem (Item # 6 noted above) and be ready to recite it at dessert.
7. DURING DESERT: POEM RECITATIONS.
8. THE FINAL CLEAN UP – HAVE EVERYONE JOIN IN. OR, if there are space limitations in the kitchen, direct those who cannot help to begin Social Activities.
9. SOCIAL TIME:
Community Games to Have on Hand: Charades, Pictionary, Balderdash
Dancing: Access the Music you have chosen via CD, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube
Old Fashioned WALTZ: I recommend “O Mio Babbino Caro” sung by Kiri Takanawa (CD: Kiri Te Kanawa Sings Verdi & Puccini) or on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRuYQ9KRJms
MAKE UP DANCES to selections from Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Full Soundtrack (some are downright silly!) available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsZBEng7aJM
10. LINGERING TIME: Now people can watch the Football replays or evening games, play board games, watch Charlie Brown and other cartoons.
11. FAREWELLS As each person prepares to leave, ask if they would like a final Thanksgiving Blessing. If yes, the Hosts may place their hands on each guest’s head or shoulders and pray the PRIESTLY BLESSING from the Book of Numbers, Chapter 6: 24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! “Conclude with “Safe home! Godspeed! God bless!”
12. FOOTBALL FANS OPTION: If your guest list comprises a majority of Football fans, CONSIDER planning your meal and activities around them. Here is the Game Schedule for this year:
As we anticipate the oncoming of WINTER in the Northern Hemisphere (I believe all our subscribers are in the Northern Hemisphere) and continue to celebrate Hanukkah, Advent, and prepare for Christmas, and Kwanzaa, I invite us to acknowledge upcoming festivals beyond our more commonly known ones. (Kwanzaa begins 16 December 2023 through 1 January 2024.) More on Kwanzaa? See: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kwanzaa), Before you do, I invite the Christians among us to explore my blog entry: Suggestions for a CHRIST-CENTERED CHRISTMAS (Revised & Updated) But now, here’s this:
The Winter Solstice
21 December 2023Winter Solstice. (Pagan origins but commemorated in a variety of ways by almost every religious tradition) Actually, scientists designate it as an official “moment” on a particular day and not a “day” at all. What is constant: the Northern Hemisphere’s Winter Solstice usually takes place between December 20 and 23, depending on the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the 2023 winter solstice will occur on December 21, 10:28 p.m. EST. In the Southern Hemisphere, it will occur on June 21 at 14:58 GMT which is 10:58 a.m. EDT. Source # 1: https://starwalk.space/en/news/what-is-a-solstice
22 December 2023: YULE: What we used to designate as “Pagan” religions, are finding a growing number of adherents today. Along with many others, the contemporary Wicca movement celebrates YULE, marking the New Year in the Anglo-Saxon and northern traditions of Wicca. It honors the birth of the god called the “Winter Born King.” It is described as a time for ritually shedding the impurities of the past year, and for contemplating avenues of spiritual development in the year ahead. Source: Multifaith Calendar 2023 published by The Multifaith Action Society https://multifaithaction.jimdo.com/ More on “Paganism” begins with a good definition https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paganism and this website among many others: https://www.learnreligions.com/overview-of-modern-paganism-2561680
BUDDHIST WINTER COMMEMORATION
December 26: Sanghamitta Day–the Anniversary of the arrival of Sanghamitta, daughter of King Asoka, who started the Order of Nuns in Sri Lanka and brought a branch of the Bodhi Tree (which still survives in the ancient capital of Anuradhapura). It occurs on /near the Full Moon day of December
December 26: BOXING DAY Does anyone actually remember any of the possible explanations for this observance in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? Hint: it has nothing to do with a sport requiring gloves that takes place in a designated space encircled by a rope. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Boxing-Day
As we continue to grieve the Russian-Ukranian War, the Israeli-Hamas War, and the pervasive violence evident throughout the world, I offer you this plaintive song by Judy Collins written in 1994 during the Yugoslav War 1991-2001 in the Balkans. Entitled Song for Sarajevo (I Dream of Peace), it conveys the kind of heartbreak all war should invoke along with a prayer of hope. Listening to it keeps me sensitive to human suffering in all of its forms and contexts. It engages me in prayer. Let me know what you find helpful as conduits to prayer in the comment section below.
PLEASE ADD in the comments YOUR FAVORITE CHARITY so we may have an abundance of Multi-faith agencies at our fingertips. Perhaps, in the future, we could pledge to a friend’s agency to honor another faith or denomination’s life-giving efforts.
I became aware of this resource through an online event sponsored by https://www.sharingsacredspaces.org/ — a website we all need to “Bookmark” for the many seminars, programs, and educational tools it offers for Interfaith dialogue. The program was entitled “The Israeli-Palestinian Situation: Skills for Conflict Transformation” offered by long-time peace activist Dr. Yehezkel Landau whose website offers a multitude of resources. https://landau-interfaith.com/ AND https://www.mybrotherfromanothermother.org/
SOURCES FOR ONGOING EDUCATION – Engaging in Controversies in Conversation:
HOW DID WE GET HERE? I want to offer you a Terrific Presentation on the Modern History of the Conflict Between the Jews and Palestinian Peoples PART ONE. I attended this workshop offered by Fordham University’s Center for Jewish Studies in New York City “LIVE.” I was in awe of the way these two revered professors artfully condensed and contextualized the essential roots of the trials and suffering of two peoples that began in the 19th century. I think you will find this presentation helpful in distancing us, if only a bit, from the strong emotions the current war invokes in all who want to talk about it. I am confident we all agree that more education will help.
I continue to ask for input on these choices for next year. WHAT IS GOD? by John Haught. The author suggests five ways of thinking realistically about God by reflecting on profound human depth experiences of the Future (aka ‘Horizon’), Freedom, Beauty, and Truth. Dates: I will offer morning and evening sessions the WEEK OF FEBRUARY 4 through 9th. Times to be designated after all confirm their interest. Please Respond by Monday, January 15th with your available dates and preferred time frame Morning or Evening.
In JUNE 2024, I propose we try WHAT IS RELIGION? by the same author. In this book, John Haught invites us “to uncover what it is that religions have in common: the archetypal human need to find meaningful routes through life, and to stay in touch with their spiritual potential.”
frjamesdiluzio 