“Funny, how one good cookie could calm the mind and even elevate a troubled soul.”
The morning is warm at 56°. Rain is predicted. The sky has started to cloud over, light clouds still. The breeze is strong. The few oak leaves left on the branches are fluttering. I am feeling better though still coughing, but I want to decorate for Christmas anyway. I hope to put the lights on my deck rail. I have already decorated a swag for my front door. I’d love to buy my tree today so maybe the rain will hold off. If not, I’ll decorate inside.
When I was a kid, our house wasn’t very big. At Christmas time, the tree dominated the living room. I’d sometimes lie under it to look at the lights. They were big colorful bulbs. They were mesmerizing.
My favorite cookies at Christmas have always been sugar cookies. My mother had old cookie cutters. She had Santa, an angel, a bell, a tree and a star. I’d watch her roll out the dough then use the cookies cutters. Once the cookies were in the oven the whole house smelled of the baking cookies. That is one of my favorite Christmas smells. Even though right from the oven the cookies were hot, we begged for one. I remember shifting it from hand to hand to cool it. The first bite was heavenly.
After they all had cooled, we decorated. My mother made the frosting, put it in bowls and colored the frosting in each bowl. We had red, green, yellow and blue. We used butter knives to put on the frosting. Delicate was not part of the decorating. Santa was always red. The stars were always yellow. The tree was green, and I’d add dots of other colors to look like lights. The bell could be any color. To get extra fancy, we’d also use sprinkles. My mother had multi-colored ones and green and red ones. After we had finished, the cookies were put on cooling racks so the frosting would set. We’d all sit and look as if looks could get them to set faster. Before my mother put them away, we got to pick one. I chose either the Santa or the tree. They were the biggest.
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December 10, 2023 at 3:56 pm
Hi Kat,
Today is sunny with a high of 54°.
One thing that I have always envied about Christmas is that it seems more fun than Chanukah. What kid would prefer a plate full of fried latkes instead of decorated sugar cookies. 🙂
Additionally, having to wait for one present per night seemed like an eternity rather than opening all your presents all at once on Christmas morning. Most kids don’t have any patience. 😦
Most of the Jewish holidays are filled with regulations and rules set forth by the ancient sages in the Talmud. Observant Jews are more concerned with fulfilling the minutiae of the commandments of the Torah rather than the joyousness of the holidays. Maybe that’s why Reformed Judaism is so popular among our generation of Jews. Interestingly, orthodox Judaism is the fastest growing branch of the faith. Young Jews are flocking to join the most extreme sects of our religion called Hasidic or Haredi Judaism both in the United States and in Israel.
Many other Jews, especially ones in mixed marriages, are joining what are called, “Messianic Jewish congregations”, which are really Protestant churches disguising themselves as synagogues. They take the Jewish synagogue rituals and mix in the New Testament using the name of Joshua. These Christians believe that by converting the Jews to believe that the messiah is Jesus of Nazareth, then the real messiah will come to earth and fulfill the proficiencies of the book of Revelations. Unfortunately, wrapping Christianity in a Jewish cloak is basically a religious fraud. However, both in our country and in Israel religion of any kind is protected by law. You can believe in any thing, no matter how ridiculous it seems, just call it religion, and you are protected. 🙂
December 10, 2023 at 7:24 pm
Hi Bob,
I can’t believe we were warmer here than there. Right now it is still warm at 55 degrees. It has been raining most of the day. It will continue warm and rainy tomorrow.
You can always buy sugar cookies with a menorah on them. I’ve seen them in bakeries. The waiting until Christmas morning seemed to go on forever. There was so much to see, so many presents. One year I found a present in the afternoon I had missed in the morning.
There are very few synagogues here on the cape. I think there is one in Hyannis. There are a variety of churches: Brazilian, Greek, a Zion Union Church which is essentially Baptist and a few others. The cape long ago was mostly Protestant starting with the Pilgrims.
The Catholic Church goes through phases. One group refuses to say the mass in English. During the 60’s there were folk masses. Some places, though, directly adhere to the stringent rules. I think their congregations are small.
You are so right about believing in anything. Maybe we should give it a try it. At least we’d get a break on taxes.
December 10, 2023 at 7:45 pm
Once a long time ago there was a TV program called, “That was the week that was”. They did a skit where the local tax assessor was speaking to a shopkeeper in his store. The tax man says, “This part of town is owned by the Catholic Church, and this part of town is owned by the Episcopal church, and this part is owned by the Baptist church, and this part is owned by the Synagogue. They are all tax exempt so the only place in town for us to tax is your store. Your tax bill is one million, five hundred thousand dollars”. The storekeeper replies, “Hey mister, get your elbow off of my alter”. 🙂
December 10, 2023 at 9:08 pm
I remember That Was The Week That Was, but I didn’t remember the skit. It is pretty funny!! It is also pretty true!