Bird Wreath

Day 56: It's official! The season has begun at the Crow's Nest. I made spritz on St. Nicholas Day, and yesterday I put up the Bird Wreath and the other assorted house decorations. The tree will go up this weekend if I can figure out where to put it. That said, I observe Christmas as a tradition of a festive nature, not a religious one. There are vestiges of my father's Catholic upbringing in it, e.g., the observance of St. Nicholas Day, but mostly it is to me a time to be closer to friends (human and otherwise) and to recognize them with a few special kindnesses above those of the rest of the year. Birds, boughs and lights are the symbols of my Yuletide, a season which begins on December 6 (St. Nicholas Day) and ends on Hogmanay (January 1). The core of the period is shared by the twin stars of Solstice and Christmas, each with its own set of traditions unique to me personally. Perforce, some have had to be revised over the years, so if anyone knows where I can get some real mistletoe to go with the Solstice holly, please let me know!