Advent 2025 Posts
December 24th Christmas Eve
Well, here it is – Christmas Eve! Santa’s big scene. The night before Christmas, though generally through my house it is not as quiet as a mouse. It is often a busy day. This was especially true for the years when Layden served as a Chaplain. Christmas is an interesting mix of pagan and religion,…
December 23rd
When I was in college, one of the ways I earned money was to sell Avon. This is when it was a door-to-door operation. About every two weeks I would get a stack of the current catalog along with samples of new cosmetics and other products. I would walk my assigned area, giving out catalogs,…
December 22nd
Two More When Layden and I were young children we would wait impatiently for the Christmas specials to air on TV. At the time there was no such thing as a DVD or a video tape, and certainly no streaming. Most of the country had 3 television channels: ABC, CBS, and NBC, and usually a…
December 21st
Two for One Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent, represented by the angel, and also the Winter Solstice, represented by the sun. The angel is a clay-fired ornament with white glaze and hand-painted details. Originally made in Mexico, I picked this up in Santa Fe, New Mexico at a shop called Jackalope Pottery. Years…
December 20th
This is a string or garland of Danish flags, called danneborg (dan-a-bro, which translates to Danish cloth) Traditionally these are made of paper and are the last decoration to be placed on the Christmas tree. The use of flag garlands began about 1848 during the 1st Schlesvig war when they were placed on the tree…
December 19th
Danish Christmas Heart This ornament is made out of red and white paper woven together to form a small basket or envelope. They are a tradition in Denmark, most often made by families to decorate their tree. They are usually filled with candies or other small treats. Layden remembers making them in Denmark with families…
December 18th
These ornaments are among our very favorites. Our oldest daughter, who continually amazes her Dad with her talents and generosity, helped her children make these snowman ornaments for us. Each snowman is…
December 17th
Another bird tale: The Black Forest region of Germany, (part of Bavaria, southeastern Germany) is famous for producing cuckoo clocks. They are made in all sizes, some very simple and some ornately…
December 16th
Northern Cardinal We picked this ornament up while we were living in North Carolina while we were stationed at Fort Bragg. We transferred there from Hawaii. It took a while to get…
December 15th
Teeny Tiny Christmas Book This 1 1/2 inch square book that we picked up at a German Christmas market is charming. When the book is open all the way, magnets in the front and back covers connect, turning it into a Christmas ornament. Each section has 3 layers, giving the 4 different scenes of Saint…
December 14th
Glass Dreidel Wait a minute – what is a dreidel doing in the middle of Christmas ornaments? Isn’t this a thing for Hanukkah? Yes – yes it is. A dreidel is a 4-sided top used in a traditional game of chance played during the 8-night celebration of Hanukkah. It has become one of the symbols…
December 13th
Christmas in Germany is a magical time of year. One of our favorite things to do while we were stationed there was to go to the Weihnachtsmarkt or Christmas Markets. In the south of Germany these are also called Christkindlmarkt. Most towns in Germany will have a market in the month of December, some very…
Sarah T. Colby 