Posadas and Poinsettias

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Right now the Hispanic Catholic community is celebrating Las Posadas. It is a tradition spanning the nine days before Christmas marking Joseph and Mary’s journey and search for a place to say in the Nativity story. I absolutely love this holiday celebration and it reminds me of one of my favorite books, The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tommie dePaola. It tells the story of how the Poinsettia and the practice of using it as a Christmas decoration came to be. For me, the loveliness of this plant reminds me of the beauty of this season. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I do! 

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Happy Jolabokaflod!

As it is a week before Christmas, I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod. On Christmas Eve, the people of Iceland exchange books with each other and spend the evening reading. (Show of hands, how many of you are now looking up airfare to Iceland? Ok, good, it’s not just me 🙂 ) In preparation, there is a flurry of books published and purchased in the months leading up to Christmas. This market for Christmas stories is known as Jolabokaflod, which reflects the highly literary quality of the Icelandic people. I, for one, can’t wait to start this tradition with my own family! Reading and Christmas all rolled up into one perfect pack, what’s not to love?

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