Merry Third Day of Christmas!

 

I just wanted to wish all of you in Blogland a very merry "Third Day of Christmas!" (Or "fourth" if you are in a later time zone.) For those of you familiar with the classic carol, an image of three French hens might seem more logical, but somehow a pomegranate felt like a fitting choice to accompany my holiday wishes & cheer. I have been finding the gorgeous red fruits & their sparkly seeds to be such a perfect festive symbol after the whiteness we surrounded ourselves with when welcoming the winter solstice earlier in the week.

My daughter & I have definitely migrated toward a preference for a low-key Christmas over the last few years; to me, celebrating the solstice (and the shift once again toward longer days) has begun to feel more in line with what I find to be a naturally introspective season. Yet there are always so many projects that entice me into the studio & kitchen as the holidays approach. Last week, when I mentioned how many things I still would like to do by the twenty-fifth, my daughter only had to say three magic words: "Twelve days of Christmas." For us, this simple phrase has become a reminder to make sure that all of our wonderful plans & wishes don't turn into some kind of impossible list. If you're anything like me, you can probably relate to facing a daily list that contains more like a week's-worth of to-do's. Twelve days certainly seems like a more realistic span of time for enjoying all of the holiday possibilities!

So, while it felt a bit strange that we didn't get around to unpacking the Christmas trunk or decorating our tree until just before the church bells marked the beginning of the twenty-fifth——and the decision to wait until the New Year to send out greetings to friends & family has slightly been nagging at me——I'm loving our leisurely way of wandering through the twelve days of Christmas.

Wherever you may be in your holiday celebrations——and whether you are just entering winter, or already in a summery frame of mind——here's hoping your days are filled with love, peace & joy!