Keeping Christmas in the New Year

A few days ago, niece Debbie in Hutchinson showed some of the Santas in her mother's collection on her blog. So even though it's the New Year, I thought I'd share these before I put them away. Sometime in the late 1950s or early '60s, my mother found these felt figures in a Christmas shop in Branson. She named the elf Elvee and the reindeer Rudolph. They appeared first of all each year, long before the tree and other decorations were put up. Elvee and Rudolph were the harbingers of Christmas. Now they are the same at my house. This year they joined a tiny tree on the windowsill on our stairway landing.

This year I put most of my Santas on the fireplace mantel, except for a few of them that decided to join Daddy's train on the piano. The second from left was a tray favor when my dad had back surgery, at Christmas, in 1963. Others came from craft shows. The one at right was a ceramic I painted in an Advent workshop in Colorado while Norm was in seminary.


The Santa riding the loon on the left is a souvenir from our vacation to Minnesota 8 years ago. Others came from craft shows, including the uncommon blue Santa at right.



At the center of the mantel is my mother's Santa scene that came out every year. The little house is thin cardboard. The reindeer are some kind of transparent horn-like material. The Santa is a second generation; the original one is lost. My dad made the thin cardboard sled when I was a little girl, and the bag of presents. But the reindeer, trees and house were already around when I was born.

Santa was always explained to me as the Spirit of Christmas--giving to others. I always limited my list to three wishes. After all, there were a lot of children in the world that he had to take care of.

I have more pictures and stories of family heirloom Christmas tree ornaments on this post on my other blog, Thursday's Child. You are invited to visit.