a message from the association president.

 THE TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS

Many families around the winter holidays put up a tree, whether real or fake.

Then they’ll spend an afternoon with hot cocoa and Christmas music, putting up ornaments,

stringing garland, and topping off the tree with a star or angel.

We all as families have had traditions handed down to us through our Parents, Grandparents,

even by our Great Grandparents. Many of our traditions have come from our family nationality,

and the country your ancestors came from.

1)Christmas in Germany is celebrated for two days December 25 and December 26.

2)Christmas in Ireland December 8th marks the start of Christmas in Ireland

December 24th brings packed midnight masses across the country, while Christmas Day tables

groan under turkey, ham, and three different kinds of potatoes.

3)Christmas celebrations in Israel are few compared to other places in the world. Since only

2.5% of the country's population are Christians and Christmas is not one of Israel's holidays, is

not a common holiday in Israel, this is due to the fact that the country was set up around Judaism,

not Christianity.

4) British Christmas Traditions - From pulling Christmas crackers to eating mince pies, these

are the best British Christmas traditions for you to do on Christmas Day.

I could go on and list every country in the world and their traditions, but I like to remember my

Christmas traditions in Illinois, where I grew up and enjoyed with my family.

Decorating the Christmas Tree, my mother did most of the decorating of the tree. We were

allowed to put ornaments on but only in the location she told us to. The silver ice sickles, had to

be hung just the right way. You just didn't throw them onto the tree, OH No they had to be hung

one by one on each branch of the tree.

We didn't have a fire place to hang our stockings, but that didn't stop my Mom. They laid under

our Christmas tree, full of hard candies, oranges, hair ribbons, etc.

Christmas Cookies were usually Sugar Cookies which we could decorate. Christmas Trees, Snow

Men, Stars, Tin Soldier, Santa and his Sleigh.

As I grew older and got married I shared some of these same traditions with my children.

Even now at Christmas time my two daughters and I still bake cookies. We still do the Sugar

Cookies.

As all of us look back I am sure we can still hear and feel the joys of Christmas from our past.

The shopping, the caroling, candy canes, Christmas music, wearing and ugly Christmas sweater

or two.

I hope all of you here at Desertscape have a wonderful holiday this year with friends and family,

and do some of your family traditions this holiday.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.