Christmas 360 plus 5

June McKenna

2012-02-25T17:09:00.003-08:00

While I was cleaning out the office over our mid-winter break, I came across an old folder and set of catelogues about June McKeena. Wow, I hadn't thought of her in long time. She was a lovely ladt from Virginia who designed tabletop Santa collectible figurines, and we used to sell them in bunches back in the 1980s and early 90s. Once she even came to the shop for a signing.
I don't know what ever happened to her business, although she probably fell victim to low cost Asian imports, who mimicked her style and produced a product that looked roughly similar but was vastly cheaper than the $1-200 pricetag hers commanded (once).
I fingered through the folder and memories came back of those days from more than 20 years ago. All those other once big lines -- Vaillancourt Folk Art, Department 56 houses; all of which once seemed so steadfast and part of the firmament, all gone or faded (at least from our little snippet of the retail universe).
To be continued........

Reopened

2012-02-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

For those who didn't get the word, we've reopened -- Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays thru Mondays. We're closed Tuesdays thru Thursdys except by appointment.

And right on time, it snowed.

Lighting the Christmas tree

2012-02-18T17:36:00.001-08:00

The most important element when decorating your Christmas Tree is frequently the one that gets the least attention -- The Lights. The key to a fabulous Christmas Tree is a well-lit tree.
Plan on using a minimum of 100 lights per foot of tree. For real pizazz use even more. Begin your lights at the trunk or the very top and extend them out to the tip of the branch on e one side and then back to the other side o the trunk. Continue this way for the entire tree. Do not cross to the next branch at the tip of the branch or your cord and ornaments will not hang properly.
It is important that your tree be lit back to the trunk since this will give real dimension to your tree when you finish decorating.
We have been showing this method to our customers for years and we have heard all the groaning. Yes, it does take some extra time but they return the next year to tell us what a difference it makes. Every ornament will be enhanced and your tree will be a showpiece.

Reopening Friday

2012-02-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

So, thanks to the eternal mysteries of computing and the Internet, my last two posts have vanished. That's too bad, because in my last one I wandered a bit from the typical matrix of Christmas/retailing/products/reasons you should shop with us and began ruminating over whether the lack of snow this winter confirmed or merely prolonged the endless debate about climate change. I just finished reading a great book on the subject by energy expert Daniel Yergin, titled "The Quest" -- actually it's about energy and how the politics and technology of oil and fossil fuels interface with renewables and climate change. It's wonky at turns but generally highly readable, and Yergin has interpreted some mightily complex subjects into a book every one -- especially those still in school -- really should read. That, plus the ongoing lack of snow compared to last year, when we were buried in the stuff, seems to give credence to the expression "climate weirding."
In a way though, this mild winter is great. Last year felt like two winters between the cold and the snow.
But the main news really is this: This coming Friday, Feb. 17, we re-open after our mid-winter hiatus. During this past month Linda has been to the Atlanta and New York Gift Shows, returning with a fistful f purchase orders and, we assume, ideas for merchandising them. The fun starts all over again this Friday at 10 o'clock.
Our winter hours will be, as usual, 10-5 p.m. Fridays thru Mondays, or by appointment. We gradually add time over the spring and be back to being open 7 days a week probably by July 1.
We're looking forward to seeing you again, or meeting you.

In the Bleak mid-winter

2012-01-29T06:55:00.000-08:00

As the old hymn goes, there was snow on snow on snow. But now that we're almost halfway through winter, there isn't much to be seen today. A greenish-brown, or is it brownish green, front lawn surrounds the shop. A little white stuff here and there, all iced up.
Linda is down in New York at the Gift Show. Stay tuned for updates on what you may expect to see on Christmas Day's shelves in the coming months.

2012-01-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

The thermometer read -3 this morning from the front porch in Sunderland (even though our mailing address says Arlington - because that's the nearest town with a post office, Sunderland, more of a geographic expression than a defined town in the popular sense of the word, is our home). It's the quiet time of the year for us. To everthing there is a season.
Linda is back from the Atlanta Gift show, where she spent a week and got a good look at some of the new products that will be coming our and your way later this year. Next week, it's off to the Granddaddy of them all, the New York Gift Show, which has been somewhat eclipsed by Atlanta is recent years. Arcane union rules, high costs, all the usual guff about New York have played a role in that, which may turn out to be a short or long term thing), but as native New Yorkers, we love the place, so ya gotta go.
We finally packed up the last of our Christmas ornaments this week and put them away for another year. It's always a poignant moment. Sometimes Christmas gets its meaning in hindsight. for us this year, it was having both our kids back in the house for more than a weekend -- now in their early 20s, they're both out in the working world and, fortunately, gainfully employed in occupations they are interested in and have a future dimension. But it was great to be back together again, all four of us, just like the good old days. (i.e. - the late 1980s and 1990s and first decade of this century). Packing up the glass ornaments that populate our little feather tree, which we put up along with the big, real one -- Linda made some mention of going artifical sometime soon but hopefully that veiled threat is still a decade or two away -- it makes you reflect on the season. We're all moving forward, time's arrow flying in one direction. You think about Christmas's past, when the kids were little and life and the world seemed so much more innocent and simple. It wasn't, of course, but at least we know how those chapters turned out. Despite the setbacks along the way, they were successful. Hopefully, in the fullness of time, so will this period also.
That's all for now; next week maybe we'll be able to talk in more detail about all those new products you and we have to look forward to.

Winter hiatus

2012-01-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

Every business has its cycle, and so do we. After the high points of fall foliage and the holiday shopping season, we go into quiet mode for a couple of months while we re-load, mentally, physically and inventory-wise, for the coming year.
Starting Tuesday, Jan. 17, we'll be closed until President's Week, when we'll re-open on winter hours, Fridays through Mondays, from 10-5 p.m. You can still call or e-mail us if anything comes up that can't wait.
Meanwhile, thanks for your business, and we hope to see you again this coming year.

Hollywood on the Battenkill

2012-01-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

The sale is still on at the shop, but we're in a quieter mode after the holidays as we prepare to visit gift shows and see what's new on the market. Meanwhile, we've also been working on our Web site where you may see more new stuff. I've been having fun with my video camera, and have produced a few amateurish, but perhaps nevertheless useful, video clips. Here's one:
http://youtu.be/R0FLaW18IrY

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T05:55:00.000-08:00

After 364 days it's come down to this -- one last day for tying up the loose ends of 2011, with a few hours to think about resolutions for next year.
And kind of a grey day it is out here in southern Vermont today ......
New Year's Eve and day may summon up mixed emotions for many here in the States, but there is one country where New Year's Day is the big deal, the main event of the holiday season (instead of Christmas). That place is Scotland. Where else, after all -- given that's it's the land that gave us "Auld Lang Syne."
Read on... I especially liked the bit about the fireball swinging.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogmanay

Boxing Day

2011-12-26T10:35:00.000-08:00

To most Americans, the term "Boxing Day" probably refers to, well -- boxing, as in the manly art of fisticuffs. Not so, say our Bristish cousins -- Boxing Day is a tradition whereby, on the day after Christmas, the aristocrats would gather up and deliver gifts to the servants. You can read about it in more detail here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day
Here at Christmas Days, Boxing Day is memorable because it also announces the start of our annual post-Christmas sale. Virtually everything in the shop has been marked down 25 percent, in some cases 50 percent. A few items will remain at regular prices, but not many.
So, if you're in the mood for some holiday bargains, drive on over. It's a beautiful day, and the snow is all in the mountains, where it belongs for the enjoyment of our visiting skiing friends.http;//www.xmasdays.com

2011-12-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone; we hope Santa was nice to you.
Electronics was the big deal here -- new iPad plus accessories to assist writing this blog.
We'll be open again tomorrow, going to winter hours (10-5 p.m.) Sale on! Great bargains.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

Right - this is Dec. 17, so there's eight days to go until Christmas -- thus eight maids are a 'milking. Some of you should hasten over to Christmas days's Web site (http://www.xmasdays.com/) and check out the 12 Days of Christmas Set.
Did you ever wonder about what were the origns of the 12 Days of Christmas legend? So did I. Here it is, copied from the Web site of the Christian Resources Insitute http://www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html., which had the best description of it that i could find. why re-invent the wheel?
You can click on their link and get the full run down, complete with a reminder about what happens after the fifth day and the "Five gold rings." Wait, wait... don't tell me.... six geese a-laying?

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Dennis Bratcher

The Twelve Days of Christmas is probably the most misunderstood part of the church year among Christians who are not part of liturgical church traditions. Contrary to much popular belief, these are not the twelve days before Christmas, but in most of the Western Church are the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th). In some traditions, the first day of Christmas begins on the evening of December 25th with the following day considered the First Day of Christmas (December 26th). In these traditions, the twelve days begin December 26 and include Epiphany on January 6.
The origin and counting of the Twelve Days is complicated, and is related to differences in calendars, church traditions, and ways to observe this holy day in various cultures (see Christmas). In the Western church, Epiphany is usually celebrated as the time the Wise Men or Magi arrived to present gifts to the young Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12). Traditionally there were three Magi, probably from the fact of three gifts, even though the biblical narrative never says how many Magi came. In some cultures, especially Hispanic and Latin American culture, January 6th is observed as Three Kings Day, or simply the Day of the Kings (Span: la Fiesta de Reyes, el Dia de los Tres Reyes, or el Dia de los Reyes Magos; Dutch: Driekoningendag). Even though December 25th is celebrated as Christmas in these cultures, January 6th is often the day for giving gifts. In some places it is traditional to give Christmas gifts for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Since Eastern Orthodox traditions use a different religious calendar, they celebrate Christmas on January 7th and observe Epiphany or Theophany on January 19th.
By the 16th century, some European and Scandinavian cultures had combined the Twelve Days of Christmas with (sometimes pagan) festivals celebrating the changing of the year. These were usually associated with driving away evil spirits for the start of the new year.
The Twelfth Night is January 5th, the last day of the Christmas Season before Epiphany (January 6th). In some church traditions, January 5th is considered the eleventh Day of Christmas, while the evening of January 5th is still counted as the Twelfth Night, the beginning of the Twelfth day of Christmas the following day. Twelfth Night often included feasting along with the removal of Christmas decorations. Many European celebrations of Twelfth Night included a King's Cake, remembering the visit of the Three Magi, and ale or wine (a King's Cake is part of the observance of Mardi Gras in French Catholic culture of the Southern USA). In some cultures, the King's Cake was part of the celebration of the day of Epiphany.
The popular song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is usually seen as simply a nonsense song for children with secular origins. However, some have suggested that it is a song of Christian instruction, perhaps dating to the 16th century religious wars in England, with hidden references to the basic teachings of the Christian Faith. They contend that it was a mnemonic device to teach the catechism to youngsters. The "true love" mentioned in the song is not an earthly suitor, but refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person who is part of the Christian Faith. Each of the "days" represents some aspect of the Christian Faith that was important for children to learn.
However, many have questioned the historical accuracy of this origin of the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. While some have tried to debunk this as an "urban myth" out of personal agendas, others have tried to deal with this account of the song's origin in the name of historical accuracy (see Snopes on The 12 Days of Christmas). There is little "hard" evidence available either way. Some church historians affirm this account as basically accurate, while others point out apparent historical and logical discrepancies.
However, we need to acknowledge that the "evidence" on both sides is mostly in logical deduction and probabilities. Lack of positive evidence does not automatically provide negative evidence. One internet site devoted to debunking hoaxes and legends says that, "there is no substantive evidence to demonstrate that the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' was created or used as a secret means of preserving tenets of the Catholic faith, or that this claim is anything but a fanciful modern day speculation. . .." What is omitted is that there is no "substantive evidence" that will disprove it either.
It is certainly possible, in fact probable, that this view of the song is legendary or anecdotal. Without corroboration and in the absence of "substantive evidence," we probably should not take rigid positions on either side and turn the song into a crusade for personal opinions. That would do more to violate the spirit of Christmas than the song is worth. So, for the sake of historical accuracy, we need to acknowledge the likelihood that the song had secular origins.
However, on another level, this should not prevent us from using the song in celebration of Christmas. Many of the symbols of Christianity were not originally religious, including even the present date of Christmas, but were appropriated from contemporary culture by the Christian Faith as vehicles of worship and proclamation. Perhaps, when all is said and done, historical accuracy is not really the point. Perhaps more important is that Christians can celebrate their rich heritage, and God's grace, through one more avenue this Christmas. Now, when they hear what they once thought was only a secular "nonsense song," they will be reminded in one more way of the grace of God working in transforming ways in their lives and in our world. After all, is that not the meaning of Christmas anyway?