Living and growing up in Hawaii, I always wondered what it would be like to experience a white Christmas. Ever since Amy Grant came out with A Christmas Album in 1983, I’ve imagined Nashville to be blanketed with snow reminiscence of a white winter wonderland. I’ve since then experienced a white winter wonderland in Aspen Colorado, but my first image of Christmas has always been planted in my heart to be in Nashville. Being in Arizona for 11 years, Christmas was beautiful and warm where we got about 6 weeks of winter weather but alas, no winter wonderland. So you can imagine my anticipation to finally arrive in Nashville Tennessee where my childhood dreams of an illustrious and magical white Christmas. To finally listen to any of the numerous Christmas songs that Amy Grant performed, from her 2016 Tennessee Christmas album to the more recent 2019 Amy Grant Christmas while sipping a hot cup of mocha coffee sitting by the fireplace watching the beautiful snow fall and blanket the back porch. While Nashville is still beautiful this time of year, nothing will ever top the imagination of a young dreamer of what an ideal Christmas is like.
So what is Christmas?
According to the dictionary, Christmas is an annual Christian festival celebrating Christ’s birth, held on December 25 in the Western Church. Wikipedia expands further, Christmas or the Feast of The Nativity, is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. Somehow this world wide event has become commercialized to the cultural phenomena it is today with multiple symbols representing different aspects of this holiday season. One thing is for damn sure, the retail market sector as well as the delivery portal markets such as Amazon, Fed Ex, and oldie but reliable US Postal Services generate billions of revenue during the holiday season.
Who is Santa Claus?
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary character originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well behaved children on the night of Christmas Eve, December 24, and coal to the naughty kids. The modern character of Santa Claus was based on the traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas, a fourth century Greek bishop and gift giver of Myra, the British figure of Father Christmas, and Dutch figure of Sinterklaas. Some maintain Santa Claus also absorbed elements of the Germanic deity Wodan, who was associated with the pagan midwinter event of Yule and led the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky. Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white bearded man, sometimes with spectacles, wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, a white fur cuffed red trousers, red hat with white fur, and black leather belt and boots and carrying a bag full of gifts for children.
Fun Fact: Santa Claus initially wore clothes that were in green, purple, or blue. For many years, this was the common theme for the jolly old man at the North Pole. However, Coca Cola decided to dress him up in colors that match their brand and that stuck.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert Lewis May. Rudolph is the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus’s reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. Though he initially receives ridicule for his nose as a fawn, the brightness of his nose is so powerful that it illuminates the team’s path through harsh winter weather.
The other reindeers.
Dasher
Prancer
Dancer
Vixen
Comet
Cupid
Donner
Blitzen
Fun Fact: The traditional Christmas meal in England before turkey became the obvious choice of food for the holidays was a pig’s head covered with mustard. Yum!
Frosty the Snowman?
Frosty the Snowman is a song that recounts the fictional tale of a snowman who is brought to life by a magical silk hat that a group of children find and place on his head. Frosty enjoys roaming throughout town with the children who constructed him, only stopping once at a crosswalk when the policeman directing traffic orders pedestrians to stop. Frosty finally says goodbye to the children and comforts them, promising he will be back again someday.
The Other Christmas Symbols:
The Star represents the bright star that shone the night the Christ was born.
The Candy Cane represents the shepherd’s staff. Christ is also called the Good Shepherd.
Gifts represent gold, frankincense and myrrh ( two olive plants with aromatic resin used in incense, perfumes, and medicine).
The Evergreen tree represents eternal life.
Christmas carollers represent the multitude of angels that sang on the night Christ was born.
Christmas candles and lights represent the light that Jesus has brought to the world.
Holly Berries represent the blood that Christ shed for us.
Nativity scene represents the scene in the manger where Jesus was born.
The Christmas wreath represents the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified.
Christmas Bells represent the call of mankind to worship the Lord.
Fun Fact: Did you know that the three kings took twelve days to travel to the birthplace of baby Jesus, hence the holidays are known as the 12 days of Christmas.
Kissing under the mistletoe?
The origins of kissing under the mistletoe, a plant that often bears white berries, are often traced to a tale in Norse mythology about the god Baldur. In the story, Baldur’s mother Frigg casts a powerful magic to make sure that no plant grown on earth could be used as a weapon against her son. The one plant the spell does not reach is the mistletoe, as it does not grow out of the earth, but out of a tree’s branches. The scheming Loki, upon learning this, makes a spear out of mistletoe , the spear that would eventually kill Baldur. Frigg declares the mistletoe to be a symbol of love after her son’s death and promises to kiss anyone who passes underneath it.
One of the more common meanings is that mistletoe is seen as a symbol of fertility and life. This could be why we kiss underneath it. In winter, when all the trees are bare and many plants have died away, mistletoe stays green and you can still see it growing around tree branches quite happily.
Fun Fact: No Christmas is complete without a Christmas sweater. There are competitions held all over the world for the best and ugliest Christmas sweaters.
2020 Nashville Christmas Fun Guide:
Like everything else this year, 2020 holiday celebrations are a little different. Most events require pre-purchased tickets with specific dates and times to visit. That just means you need to do a little more planning. However, there are lots of options that allow for safe, social distancing, and lots of holiday cheer.
Visit The Dancing Lights of Christmas in Wilson County. November 13 - January 3.
Meet some reindeer and take a photo in their sleigh at Gaylord Opryland. November 14- January 3.
Walk though some of your favorite holiday scenes at Love Christmas Movies at Gaylord Opryland. November 14 - January 3.
Outdoor skating rink at Winterfest at the Fountains at Gateway in Murfreesboro. November 20 - January 4.
Experience Holiday Lights at Cheekwood. November 20 - January 10.
Pick out your Christmas Tree at Country Cove Farm. November 21 - December 20.
Or at Wildwood Christmas Tree Farm at Woodbury. November 21 - December 19.
Breakfast with Charlie Brown and Friends at Gaylord Opryland. November 21 - December 31.
Fun Fact: The biggest Christmas gift was the gift of friendship to the US from the people of France. The Statue of Liberty was gifted by France to the US as a Christmas gift in 1886.
Happy Holidays, have a safe and Merry Christmas!
Top 5 Classic Christmas Songs
Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
Top 5 BoozyWoozie Christmas Songs
Grown Up Christmas List - Amy Grant
All I want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
Last Christmas - Wham!
Christmas ( Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
Happy Xmas ( War is Over) - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Honorable mention to my hometown, Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby
Top 5 Classic Christmas Movies
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
A Christmas Story (1983)
A Christmas Carol (1951)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Gremlins (1984)
Top 5 BoozyWoozie Christmas Movies
The Santa Clause (1994)
Love Actually (2003)
Elf (2003)
Home Alone (1990)
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
Honorable mention to Scrooged (1988)
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