It's that time of year again when I reminisce about gathering the pines for Christmas. It is also when I long for a piece of white birch to make a Yule log with. Among my childhood memories those are some of my favorites. Living on the edge of Northwest woods I, along with my brothers, would be dispatched to gather the greens. Princess pine and running pine were the primary targets. We knew exactly where to go for those items and so it was a fairly easy process. Getting some white pine for making wreaths and such wasn't that difficult just not as much fun to collect. After you cut fresh pine you will get sap on your hands and I hate that. Yes you can wear gloves, doesn't matter, you will get sap on your hands anyway. Still, gathering up some pine cones, holly, and maybe even a piece of mistletoe was a great tradition.
Getting a piece of white birch suitable for making a yule log was the most difficult part. You didn't want to cut down the whole tree. The reason was simple, there weren't that many good trees to choose from. Not all white birch trees look like they do in pictures. Finding one with more white bark than black isn't easy. My brothers and I knew where to go to find some of those trees and you had to climb up them to cut a decent branch. If we could get one about four or five inches in diameter that is about right. You do need a smaller one to cut some feet for that log. We had the same pattern in mind for construction and didn't deviate from that. Thinking back I chuckle about that, we would fret about the construction so, like it was a law. Had to be three candles long with two cross pieces. Only red candles would do, and they had to be tapers ! When I was little I thought " tapers " were something special, just for Christmas. The decorations were always pine stapled to the log and embellished with pine cones, berries and a ribbon. Sometimes we even " sprayed " that fake snow on there.
The Yule log was a tradition because Grandma came from Sweden. I somehow inferred that everyone in Sweden had a Yule log at Christmas. I also remember Grandma telling me about the girls wearing candles in their hair. They wore a crown like thing that held those candles. Since my childhood days I have read about this tradition and informed myself. As a kid all I knew and remembered was girls wearing candles in their hair and was amazed. Grandma also had a carousel for lack of a better term, that spun by lighting candles under a fan. The fan would rotate and four angels would fly, hitting a bell as they went past. I loved that thing as a kid and have purchased one for myself. Funny, the one I bought for myself doesn't hold that same fascination. I guess it just doesn't hold that same sense of mystery that Grandma's had. After all, hers came from a foreign land ! I wonder what ever happened to that ?
I can get lost in nostalgia at this time of year and I'm certain many others do too. It can lead to depression if you allow that. Yes, it can be a sadness, a longing for the things of the past, that put a damper on things. I miss when the kids were little and got so excited for Santa Claus and all of that. Personally I never told my kids anything different, rather I let them discover that themselves. I'm thinking they knew a number of years before they let on that they did. Then I had the grandkids and it was a repeat performance. Well maybe one day I will see that in great grandkids. I can't help but think it isn't as it used to be though. You know, when the first appearance of Santa was at the end of the Macy day parade instead of the 4th of July ! I do believe it removes a great deal of the mystery surrounding that. Ah well, I'm equally as certain that memories are being created today that will be just as important to the kids today, as mine are to me. That's because it isn't about objects really, it is about family, friends and indeed mankind in general. That is the message. That is what we are preparing for. We have good reason to celebrate and be happy !
Getting a piece of white birch suitable for making a yule log was the most difficult part. You didn't want to cut down the whole tree. The reason was simple, there weren't that many good trees to choose from. Not all white birch trees look like they do in pictures. Finding one with more white bark than black isn't easy. My brothers and I knew where to go to find some of those trees and you had to climb up them to cut a decent branch. If we could get one about four or five inches in diameter that is about right. You do need a smaller one to cut some feet for that log. We had the same pattern in mind for construction and didn't deviate from that. Thinking back I chuckle about that, we would fret about the construction so, like it was a law. Had to be three candles long with two cross pieces. Only red candles would do, and they had to be tapers ! When I was little I thought " tapers " were something special, just for Christmas. The decorations were always pine stapled to the log and embellished with pine cones, berries and a ribbon. Sometimes we even " sprayed " that fake snow on there.
The Yule log was a tradition because Grandma came from Sweden. I somehow inferred that everyone in Sweden had a Yule log at Christmas. I also remember Grandma telling me about the girls wearing candles in their hair. They wore a crown like thing that held those candles. Since my childhood days I have read about this tradition and informed myself. As a kid all I knew and remembered was girls wearing candles in their hair and was amazed. Grandma also had a carousel for lack of a better term, that spun by lighting candles under a fan. The fan would rotate and four angels would fly, hitting a bell as they went past. I loved that thing as a kid and have purchased one for myself. Funny, the one I bought for myself doesn't hold that same fascination. I guess it just doesn't hold that same sense of mystery that Grandma's had. After all, hers came from a foreign land ! I wonder what ever happened to that ?
I can get lost in nostalgia at this time of year and I'm certain many others do too. It can lead to depression if you allow that. Yes, it can be a sadness, a longing for the things of the past, that put a damper on things. I miss when the kids were little and got so excited for Santa Claus and all of that. Personally I never told my kids anything different, rather I let them discover that themselves. I'm thinking they knew a number of years before they let on that they did. Then I had the grandkids and it was a repeat performance. Well maybe one day I will see that in great grandkids. I can't help but think it isn't as it used to be though. You know, when the first appearance of Santa was at the end of the Macy day parade instead of the 4th of July ! I do believe it removes a great deal of the mystery surrounding that. Ah well, I'm equally as certain that memories are being created today that will be just as important to the kids today, as mine are to me. That's because it isn't about objects really, it is about family, friends and indeed mankind in general. That is the message. That is what we are preparing for. We have good reason to celebrate and be happy !
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