Holiday Quotes for a Pandemic Christmas
2
12, 2020
30
11, 2020
Observing Christmas with an Advent Wreath
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade signals the beginning of Christmas preparations and traditions around our home. The Advent wreath also triggers the start of our Christmas celebrations too.
If you attend a traditional liturgical church, you lit the first candle of an Advent wreath yesterday. Or, under COVID-19 quarantine, watched the lighting via video as I did.
Unfamiliar with the tradition of Advent? Let me explain.
Advent comes from adventus meaning “coming” or “visit” and includes the four Sundays before Christmas ending on Christmas Eve. Advent also serves as the beginning of the liturgical year for churches.
Modern-day Advent services feature a garland wreath with four candles.
First candle, the “Prophet’s Candle,” symbolizes hope. The prophets of the Old Testament foretold the Messiah’s arrival. The purple color symbolizes royalty, repentance, and fasting.
Second, the “Bethlehem’s Candle,” represents faith. The prophet Micah foretold the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem. The second candle is also purple to symbolize preparation for the coming king.
Third, the “Shepherd’s Candle,” symbolizes joy. Angels announced the Christ child’s arrival to shepherds. The rose (pink) color signifies joy and rejoicing.
Fourth candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” signifies peace. The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace. It’s also purple to represent the culmination of love through the Messiah.
The (optional) fifth candle, “Christ’s candle,” stands in the middle and represents light and purity of Christ. It is lit on Christmas Day.
You can read more about the symbolism of the advent wreath here.
Individuals sometimes incorporate Advent activities into their home holiday traditions when their church does not formally recognize a season of Advent. You can purchase wreath rings and candles. Or, with our COVID-19 holiday restrictions, you might consider constructing your own Advent wreath. Here’s a how-to video.
Observing Advent with an advent wreath is a great way to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Advent Candle from Unitarian Universalist Association
25
11, 2020
Old Irish Blessing for Thanksgiving
At Thanksgiving we think about all the things we are thankful for. For Chicken Wrangler Sara and I that’s you, our readers.
It’s our tradition to offer this Old Irish Blessing rich in what we wish for you and yours. And, perhaps this crazy, mixed-up, pandemic Thanksgiving Day we all need the thoughts and words more than ever.
Happy Thanksgiving!
23
11, 2020
Celebrating Thanksgiving in Quarantine
Thanksgiving arrives this week for those of us in the United States. Before COVID-19 struck, we had a week filled with family reunions, food, fun, travel, football games, Black Friday, and being thankful.
Not necessarily in that order.
All that was very different from how Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1607. Those were days of prayer, not days of feasting with services deeply grounded in religious beliefs and gratitude to their Heavenly Father.
Some of that changed in 1621 when the Wampanoag Indians were included in the festivities. Dancing, singing secular songs, playing games were added. A very secular celebration that would have shocked those first celebrants.
During this pandemic when we’re being told not to gather at all. Celebrating will be different again. Difficult. Sad.
Thanksgiving won’t be the same as last year’s, which may be a good or bad thing depending on how your day went last year.
But don’t let this pandemic madness stop you from celebrating. Here are four ideas for quarantine celebrations.
- Host a virtual get-together. Zoom is lifting it’s forty-minute call limit so you can visit together longer.
If you want to avoid controversial topics of conversation? Download a printable list of conversation starters from the Alice&Lois blog.
Are missing the younger grandkids? Start with a Zoom craft-making session. Tracing hands to make a turkey and then writing something you’re thankful for on the finger-feathers is always fun.
- Light a fall-scented candle and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s still happening though different thanks to COVID restrictions. It’s reassuring when Santa arrives at Macy’s.
3. Take a family walk or bike ride. Enjoy the fresh air outside.
4. Keep a notebook handy and jot down something each day that you are thankful for. Then share on Thanksgiving.
Use your imagination. Be creative. And don’t forget to include things from the original holiday like prayer and thanksgiving.
11
11, 2020
Veterans Day 2020
Today is Veterans Day.
I come from a family of veterans which means I have a deep-rooted interest in the day.
My husband is a retired Army officer. My father served in the Army Air Corps as a navigator. My uncle was a Marine on Imo Jima. My cousin was in the Air Force. Three brothers-in-law served in the Navy.
To all those who have answered when called, gone where ordered, and defended our nation with honor, I send a sincere thank you.
I also served as a Department of Army Civilian at Eighth Army Headquarters, Yongsan, South Korea, during the Vietnam War. That time provided the spark for my novel, Love in the Morning Calm. Lily and Alex’s story expanded into a four book series titled PROMISES.
The PROMISES boxed set is now available for a limited time for $.99. Click here to get your copy.
9
09, 2020
7
09, 2020
Happy Pandemic Labor Day!
Labor Day celebrates our workforce as this vintage postcard suggests. It also signals the end of summer though the fall equinox won’t actually happen for three more weeks on September 21. Still we consider summer gone after Labor Day.
Labor Day celebrations look different this year thanks to COVID-19. No skipping town for faraway places. No firing up the backyard BBQ for gatherings with friends and family.
While pandemic separation may make us miss catching up with cousins and neighbors with hot dogs in hand, it also means less effort preparing for the day. No rushing to cut the grass or clean the pool, or all that other prep that goes into entertaining. That’s kinda a plus.
Bonus: we didn’t have to deal with Cousin Will’s ultra-conservative (or ultra-liberal) political outbursts or the next-door neighbor’s comparisons of yards.
Labor Day does offer a break, a change from daily routines. No school. No Zoom meetings. A day to relax. To slow our pace.
And, trust me, relaxation of any kind for any length is more important than ever in these times of increased stresses.
I like what Brian Basset suggests in a recent Sunday funnies.
As we head into days with all the back-to-school uncertainties and pre-election day chatter and other things that are sure to increase our stress levels. Let’s take Red & Rover’s advice to heart and embrace the fact that slowing down can lower stress.
Turn off the news.
Skip social media.
Sit on the porch and
Focus on the little things like cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and sitting by the lake with a fishing pool.
Happy Labor Day 2020!
1
07, 2020
Boys and Flags
Happy 4th of July!
This year’s 4th of July must look a lot different in order to abide by public health orders and keep us all healthy. But even COVID-19 shouldn’t stop a run around the backyard with an American flag.
~~~POST EDITED~~~
If you viewed the blog early on Monday, you saw a white space where there should have been a picture taken by my photographer daughter of two boys (her sons, my grandsons) running with flags.
WordPress decided that photo was a security risk and deleted it.This is a stock photo from DepositPhotos.com Same idea. Not a security threat.
Strange because I’ve been using that picture for years around the patriotic holidays, but then it is 2020 and so much that used to be isn’t.
You can still grab a flag and run through your yard with an American flag and grill a nice, juicy burger to celebrate America’s birthday. Let’s hope.
25
05, 2020
How to celebrate Memorial Day During the Coronavirus Quarantine
Memorial Day is the holiday set aside to remember the men and women who gave their lives while serving this country. To say thank you for their supreme sacrifice.
Because parades and gatherings are cancelled this Memorial Day weekend, retired Air Force bugler Jari Villanueva and CBS News “On the Road” correspondent Steve Hartman are asking buglers and trumpet players across the country to stand on their porches this Memorial Day at 3 p.m. local time and play “Taps.”
The rest of us can pause for a moment to remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice serving this country as well as all the victims of the coronavirus pandemic while maintaining social distancing guidelines.
If you’d like to dust off your trumpet or bugle and sound the call, click here for directions on how to participate.
If you’re not a bugler then perhaps you can play a version of Taps from YouTube like this one.
1
04, 2020
Why Your April Fool’s Joke Might Not Work
Being a trickster on April Fool’s Day doesn’t always work. Today’s meme explains why.
I ran across this quote from Akash B. Chandran and looked him up. He’s a talented IT web designer.
You think maybe he’s had a few April Fools’ Day pranks fail and that’s behind his quote.