When you take away the commercial hype, the holidays are really all about nature and our relationship with it.
First, there’s the emphasis on light. Life on Earth is sustained by sunlight. Compensating for the short days of winter, we turn to our own illuminations. We light candles – to honor and remember, to disperse the dark, to give hope, to celebrate. Lights are strung outdoors wrapping bare limbs of trees, on gates and around pillars, porches and bushes. Lawns come alive with all sorts of illuminated scenes. Indoors, mantles, windows, banisters, doorways and the Christmas tree twinkle like stars. Fireplaces glow and dance – truth be told, we light ours as much for it’s bright ambiance as its warmth.
For me personally, the Winter Solstice is a turning point. The sheer knowledge that with each passing day we gain a minute of sunlight, buoys my spirits considerably. It is life affirming.
In our quest to decorate our homes for the festive season, we resort to nature. The tree, wreaths, garlands, roping, amaryllis, paperwhites, poinsettia and other flowers, strings of nuts in their shells, dried slices of oranges and whole spices such as cinnamon and star anise, pomanders of citrus studded with cloves bring fragrance and beauty to the celebrations. I have cinnamon ornaments made decades ago that still infuse the air with its aroma. One year, we were in Aruba for the holidays – we decorated our tree with sea shells gathered from the beach. So many of the other ornaments are modeled after nature – birds, animals, flowers, fruits and vegetables ( I’m amazed that holiday pickle ornaments are so popular!) abound. Stars, suns and moons made of paper (punched or plain), wood, metal, glass or even plastic allude to our romance with the celestial. Surrounding ourselves with elements of the natural world is important and essential to our physical, mental and spiritual health. Nature – we cannot, will not, must not get away from her.
So, give yourself permission to go all out. Decorate, illuminate, celebrate. It’s but natural.
Happy Holidays one and all. Be healthy, stay safe.
Trimming The Tree
Love hangs memories
on awaiting arms
twinkling happy thoughts
as new stories get written.
While the past is shed
the present unfolds itself
into the future.
– Shobha Vanchiswar
Light Affirming
Winter’s stingy light
ekes out thin ribbons
of measured hours
Unlike generous summer
providing lugubrious lengths
of unfiltered radiance.
In the cold, rarefied light
the spirit wanes in echo
Till warm, broad rays
rekindle one’s love affair with life.
– Shobha Vanchiswar
The next 6 images: the first are from driving around neighborhoods and the other 4 are from Untermyer Gardens. Do try and visit!
(c) 2020 Shobha Vanchiswar
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