A Currier & Ives Christmas
Oh, how we love to romanticize Christmas! One way to do that is to consider the images of Currier & Ives, my favorite one of which portrays a couple in a red sleigh being pulled by two trotting horses. The lithograph titled, “The Road, Winter,” can be seen at this link. Look in the Gallery.
Then, again, we have Thomas Kincaide, the “Painter of Light,” with his cottage scenes, so cozy-looking, and always emanating light. I have visions of a Log Cabin in the woods with tall ceilings, room enough to hang a LOT of quilts! I can dream!
At Christmas time, I conjure up many images, from windswept, snowy prairies of the west, to New England church steeples and quaint villages of the east. It is funny how pictorial depictions can transport us to places we have never visited, and to scenes we have never personally experienced.
I suppose that many a woman has envisioned the actual “Star of Bethlehem,” while piecing the diamond shapes required to create a quilt by the same name.
In snowy climes, we think of Christmas as a winter holiday, exclusively, without considering that it is summer, right now, in other places … like Argentina. Manger scenes in print and elsewhere often show open-sided shelters for animals, palm trees, the desert, camels, etc. sure signs of a warmer climate than, say, New Hampshire.
Yet, over the years, songs have given testimony to a preference for snow on Christmas. Take for example, “White Christmas,” a song written by Irving Berlin, made popular by Bing Crosby who first introduced it in 1942 (during World War II). One can bet that a lot of GIs would have been dreaming of a “white Christmas,” at that point.
We each have our own comforting ideas and visions about perfect holidays – whether it is a crackling fireplace, a perfectly-made gingerbread house, or greeting cards hung around the room.
Personally, I have always wanted to ride in a sleigh. I think the idea is romantic. My partner thinks that looking at the rear end of a horse is less than romantic. He is probably right, but that is not exactly what I had in mind. It’s all in the scenery … Flying across a field at a good clip, in the snow, going past red barns and mountains, in the distance, seeing the breath of farm animals in their pens, and feeling the exhilaration of the cold air on our faces … and more … those are my thoughts. Maybe someday, I’ll fulfill this dream. When one believes, anything is possible.
Our Best to You This Season,
Patricia Cummings
