When our children were young, they each hung a stocking on the mantle, and before we went to bed Christmas eve, we would fill them with an orange, candy, or small toys. When I grew up we had a similar tradition that I always assumed to be German.
Our ancestors came from Alsace Lorraine, and I wonder to this day if they were French or German. On Christmas Eve we would put our plate out at the place we sat at the table. In the morning we would have an orange, perhaps some nuts, and a small toy. These were the days when oranges were quite a prize.
I would like to share the true meaning of Christmas which was told to me by a lady some years ago. She had two little girls, I would guess they were still in single digits. Her husband and she decided they would make a list and share Christmas duties.
He would put up the outdoor lights, and the tree. She would decorate the tree, the living room, prepare for the Christmas party, bake cookies, and generally everything else that needed to be done. She had decorated the tree, the living room, and placed the cresh on the table.
Later as she was coming to the living room she noticed that baby Jesus was missing. The only possibility were her two daughters. She called the girls and gave them a lecture. “This isn’t funny, mama works hard to get ready for Christmas.” The girls finally fessed up.
“Baby Jesus hasn’t come yet, so we put him in the drawer. The wise man haven’t arrived, but they are on the way, so we put them on the shelf. We will put baby Jesus out Christmas Eve.” Mama’s only reply was, “When can we put the wise men out?”
Don’t leave Jesus out of Christmas
—James Neuhouser
