Holidays

Celebrating holidays gives shape to our years

Thanksgiving

• Thanksgiving Traditions
• Don’t you want to thank someone?
• Thanksgiving: “being now passed the vast and mighty ocean”
• Thanksgiving as color vision
• Thanksgiving – family devotion
• Grateful – The Thanksgiving Song
• Miracle on Oak Grove Street (from Thanksgiving to Christmas)

Advent

• The Joy of Christmas
• Celebrating Advent in the Pilgrim Year
• Santa Claus (Feast of St. Nicholas, December 6)
• Advent Celebration
• Christmas nights at home
  • Favorite Family Christmas Movies
  • Favorite Family Christmas Storybooks
  • Family Christmas Activities at Home
  • Favorite Christmas Songbooks, and books about carols
  • Favorite Christmas Recordings
  • Christmas Read-alouds, Anthologies, Essays, Reflections on the mystery
  • Christmas Bible Studies
  • Christmas Poetry to Read Aloud
  • Christmas Fiction
• Why make such a big deal about Christmas?
• Christmas Caroling
• Peace, 1914-2014
• Gaudium Mundo: Latin Christmas Carols
• Christmas nights around town
• Christmas nights: Winter Solstice
• Christmas nights: The Winter Hexagon
• The Queen’s Christmas message 2021 – BBC News
• At Wildwood

Christmas Reflections

• Generations and Genealogies (Matthew 1:1-17)
• Immanuel (Matthew 1:20-23)
• Angels (Matthew 1:18- ch. 2; Luke 1-2)
• Mary
  • Mary (Luke 1:26-38, 46-56; 2:4-5, 18-19, 29-40)
  • The Feast of the Annunciation
• Joseph (Luke 2:3–5, 39–40; Matthew 1:18–25; 2:13–15)
• Shepherds (Luke 2.8-20)
• Magi (see Epiphany)
• Welcome all wonders – Richard Crashaw on the Incarnation
• The almighty love of God in Christ’s condescension (John 1:14)
• Ancient Christmas Traditions – CSNTM
• “Echoes of the Word made Flesh”: slides (10 MB) | audio. Handout.

12 Days of Christmas

• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (2020)
• Earthrise: Christmas blessing from space
• Christmas Day – O Come All Ye Faithful
• Christmas gifts: You are a meteorite
• Merry 12 Days of Christmas!
• New Year’s Eve – 2010, 1940’s, ca. 4 BC
• Little Women, Lifelong children
• Fare Thee Well, 2020
• New Years Day: Ring out, wild bells!

Epiphany

• The Magi (Matthew 2:1-15)
• The Magi, message at Crosswalk, December 2017.  Slides (pdf). Audio (mp4).
• Epiphany family activities
• The first Christmas gifts
• Stars over Ancient Babylon (what did the magi know?)

Candlemas (the 40th day of Christmas, Feb 2)

• A Candlemas Liturgy

Family Christmas letters

• Family letter, 2011
• Laura’s letter, 2011
• Family letter, 2010
• Family image gallery, 2010

Valentine’s Day

• Happy Valentine’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day

• St. Patrick’s prayer
• St. Patrick’s Day (ideas for celebrating)
• Thank you, Celtic Praise Troupe (Book of Kells)
• Rustic Tulsa Get-Away (Caedmon’s song)

Lent and Easter

• Poetry for Christmas and Easter
• Ash Wednesday 2021
• The Feast of the Annunciation, March 25
• John 11: Lazarus. “Giving thanks in hard times: With Jesus in the way of the Cross.” Crosswalk, March 11, 2018. Audio. Slides (pdf).
• Our Passover
• Easter reading
• Death has lost already

Late Summer/Early Fall

• Feast of Middle-Earth

Misc

• “He calls them all by name,” Sept 23, 2018. Slides | Audio | Handout.