Merry Christmas and Holiday Schedule

Dear patient readers,

While many of you are not Christmas-celebrators (or may observe the Christian Orthodox calendar), it is such a widely observed date that commerce and news hopefully slow down for most, allowing for festivities or at least some R&R. So I hope you are able to enjoy this holiday season in whatever way suits you best.

I also want to extend some camaraderie to what I call Christmas orphans, those who might have regularly observed a traditional festive season but are going to be alone this year, perhaps due to health or budget impediments, or family ruptures, or the death of a close relative. It is isolating to go through a difficult time and even more so when our commercialized Western society bombards consumers with images of happy-looking gatherings, piles of presents, and tables groaning with Christmas grub. Admittedly, Christmas also has genuinely uplifting features. I have to admit a fondness for decked-out Christmas trees and the cheery extra lighting and decorations that adorn many homes and businesses. It’s a welcome counter to the (for those in the northern Hemisphere) short winter days.

And Christmas music, particularly choral music, is stirring. Earlier today, I attended an a cappella performance at one of the expats’ clubs here, by blind children who did a wonderful job (imagine not just staying on pitch but not having a conductor to keep everyone tightly on tempo). I did get a chill up my spine from some of their songs.

Due to a dearth of proper socialization, I don’t have warm or sentimental feelings about major holidays and thus don’t mind being monastic at those times, even though confessing to that further marks me as an oddball. But for those who are alone or less able to get out and about than they would like, it’s important to engage in proper self care and not let deviating from norms gnaw at you. As indicated, I recommend music, particularly a live performance if you are able to get out and have something suitable nearby. If you are feeling rebellious about Christmas conventions, medieval songs might be an alternative:

Established readers may recall that I have a weakness for Dimash:

Lambert was particularly taken with this song:

And as a long ago choral singer, even though Messiah is not technically Christmas music, I love a big wall of sound. While you don’t have the fun of watching the performance with this recording, it got top marks from music buffs, and I found it more tingle-inducing than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir versions. The Hallelujah chorus starts at 139:30.

I saw this snippet in my childhood when it first ran and am still fond of it:

Now to our schedule. Your team of writers is so dedicated that they intend to keep up all the Coffee Breaks over the holidaze, but forgiven them if any have their regular lives intercede, in addition to a “weekend” schedule (Links plus two other posts) starting Christmas through and including New Year’s Day.

We also have a comments holiday of sorts. As opposed to turning them off, which we have during some holiday breaks, they will be on but liberation of comments that get snagged will be more leisurely than usual. I will be on but I can over only very late evening Eastern through noon or a bit later. Katiebird will be off and semperloquitur will be checking in in the afternoons, save Christmas Day. So please be patient during afternoon and evening times!

And again, have a wonderful holiday! And for those who pray, please include “Peace on earth” in your invocation.