Happy Birthday

Christmas is almost here!

Although December 25th is an arbitrary choice of dates - who really knows when Jesus was born? - we should remember that Christmas is the day we celebrate as His birthday. That's what it's all about - the partying, the gift giving, the whole thing. We do tend to forget this in today's world.


When our kids were growing up we always had a birthday cake and ice cream on Christmas, just as we always had at any birthday party. I have a set of small tier cake pans, and a pedestal to put the tiers on. Nothing huge - a very small cake. I usually iced it in white with sprinkles, and topped it with one birthday candle. When they were little, we sang Happy Birthday before we cut the cake.

For some reason, I do not seem to have taken any pictures of that cake, so I can't show it to you, but I'm sure that isn't necessary.


Before the big day we also had an Advent Wreath. And I made a set of ornaments for the tree, some of pellon, some of heavy paper. A star (because he was Jewish - a lot of people tend to forget that too), the sun, the crown and scepter, the lamb, and various things to represent Biblical events such as the apple minus a bite, Jonah in the whale, Jacob's ladder, manna, the Arc of the Covenant, the burning bush, Noah's ark, the three wise men, the town of Bethlehem, several others. I believe if a tree is decorated in this way it's called a Jesse Tree. They were always the first ornaments we put on our tree.

Over the years some have become very badly discolored and marked up.


We should not forget the Old Testament. We should not forget that the Holy Family was Jewish. We should not forget His roots. We should not forget that it was not the Jewish people, but the Romans who persecuted Him. Somehow, over time, some people's thinking has become twisted on this point. The Holy Family were good Jews, always practicing their Faith. What we know as The Last Supper was actually a Seder. Their devotion is a good thing for us to remember at this time.




Sorry. I don't mean to preach. The season brings it out in me I guess, and I think I'm instructing my children again.