23 Days to Go

When listing unpleasant aspects of the holiday season, "crowds of people" will usually appear somewhere near the top of everyone's list. We battle crowds in malls, fight lines at the grocery store, and jockey traffic while traveling and finding parking spaces.

So it may seem odd that for the Day 23 Advent Calendar "treat" we're suggesting you find a crowd and place yourself firmly in the middle of it. But, SURPRISE, that's exactly what we have to offer today.

We invite you to find a holiday-related event in your community and join in on the fun. How about a tree lighting ceremony, a Christmas concert, or caroling activity? Or maybe locate a seasonal craft fair or visit a living Nativity. 

Why, you ask, would we want you to make such an effort? Because there is something holy about standing shoulder to shoulder with your neighbor and sharing in a tradition. There is prayer in the sounds of many voices, some in tune, most not, lifting up the words of well-known songs committed to memory decades before. There is beauty in the knowing nods, the commiserating grins reminding us we are not alone. We are part of a community, people who feel and worry and love and hurt the same as we do.

BUT, there is one trick to this Advent treat. You are not allowed to become a critic. Let's face it, chances are unless you live in a great metropolis, the event you are attending will be fraught with technical difficulties. The microphones won't work, the lights may not switch on cue, the band will be cold and maybe playing in an impossible key, but all these things are part of the charm. They remind us there really is no "perfect" Christmas experience. These imperfections are actually gifts themselves. They force us to be fully alive in the moment. They guide us to look beyond the easy and superficial and to find the divine, the little "wows" that make it all unique and worthwhile.

"The third great prayer, Wow, is often offered with a gasp, a sharp intake of breath, when we can't think of another way to capture the sight of shocking beauty or destruction, of a sudden unbidden insight or an unexpected flash of grace. "Wow" means we are not dulled to wonder."
            ~Anne Lamott from Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers

What is your "wow" moment of the day? Have fun finding it!

If you find yourself at a tree lighting, here are a few cool facts to throw around and impress your friends.

Thomas Edison's assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882. Johnson was the first to use these lights on his tree just three years after the lightbulb was invented. The event was covered by reporters from the Detroit Press and Tribune. The tree lights were hand wired in red, white, and blue. The lights flashed alternately while the tree rotated. One might call Mr. Johnson the "Clark Griswold" of his day!

The rest is history. Christmas tree lights were first mass-produced in 1890. Unfortunately for those early decorators, the lights were so expensive they were more commonly rented than bought. Think about this as you pop into any discount retailer and wander past the massive selection of Christmas lighting design options. Remember to give a little nod to their creator, Edward Johnson.

Source: Bill and George Nelson's Antique Christmas Lights Museum. For more information, see OldChristmasTreeLights.com.