Festive

I normally like to begin with a quote or some other creative way to start a blog. I cleverly (adjective open to opinion) add the quotes to the beginning of my own writing as an introduction in the (mostly) vain attempt to create interest.
But this time I have truly outdone myself (again, open to interpretation) - and thought I'd post a blog made up of quotes! Creative or plain lazy? Neither, probably.
Approaching the festive season I have started to prepare for my own Christmas celebrations. Being a resident in a non-Christian part of the world, I wondered what Christmas would be like. Sure, it's multi-cultural enough, with a small percentage of people who celebrate it, but would it still 'feel' like Christmas? No carols, no trees, no decorations and no tinsel. Very different, sure, but then, what is Christmas?

So I got to reading and have come up with some Christmas 'quotes'. Some have given me something to think about while others I have heard long ago and wanted to include.



"Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." ~Calvin Coolidge, 1927


"Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves." ~Eric Sevareid


"A Christmas candle is a lovely thing; It makes no noise at all, but softly gives itself away".~Eva Logue


"Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect." ~Oren Arnold


"There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions." -Bill McKibben, Author, Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For a More Joyful Christmas


"Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind." -Mary Ellen Chase


"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." -Agnes M. Pharo


“I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.” Taylor Caldwell


"Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space." -Dave Barry