Posadas and Poinsettias

Posted in Advent, American Literature, Christmas, Holidays, Tommie dePaola by Tea, Tarts, and Tales

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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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18Dec2016

Happy Jolabokaflod!

Posted in Advent, Christmas, Holidays, Reading by Tea, Tarts, and Tales

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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6Dec2016

A Visit from Saint Nicholas

Posted in Advent, Christmas, Classics, Holidays by Tea, Tarts, and Tales

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“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;”

Clement C. Moore’s immortal words have defined Christmas for generations. One of my favorite Christmas memories is my father reading that story to me and my siblings year after year. Though it is not Christmas Eve, I thought this would be an excellent book to discuss today because tomorrow marks the feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra, the fourth century Bishop from whom the legend of Santa Claus originates. As a girl, I would set my shoes out every December 5th and eagerly anticipate what I would find in them the next morning. It has always been one of my favorite celebrations of the Christmas season. I hope you and your families treasure this story like I do and have a wonderful visit from Saint Nicholas!

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27Nov2016

The Crippled Lamb

Posted in Advent, Christmas, Holidays by Tea, Tarts, and Tales

Happy Advent everyone! This is one of my favorite times of year as we prepare for Christmas. In honor of the first Sunday of Advent, I thought I would share one of my favorite Christmas books, The Crippled Lamb. It tells the story of Joshua, a crippled lamb who feels lonely and left out because he can’t play like the other lambs. His only friend is a cow, Abigail. However, one special night, these two friends learn that God always has a plan, even for the least among us. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do!

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