Christmas As Art

I can't think of another holiday that is more inspirational to the arts than Christmas; at least, in this country. Everywhere you look throughout the season, installation art is everywhere. Not only in public places but private ones as well. I'm always amazed when I go into peoples' homes and see what they've done to decorate for the season. It's a lot of work for 30 days, but so appreciated by everyone who gets to enjoy it. 

My major source for artistic inspiration has always been my mother; and our house at Christmas time was always a place of magic. My mother understood the power of lighting long before it became a popular topic for decorating. She had her Christmas decorations everywhere, but as soon as it got dark, instead of turning on lamps, she lit candles throughout the house. There were jewel toned votive candles as well as naturally colored and scented pillar candles It was unbelievably special. And the music. Music permeated our house all the time anyway, but it was particularly special at Christmas.

Christmas seems not only to inspire the visual arts but the performing arts as well. Christmas plays, tableaux, etc. are prevalent everywhere.Our church had no fewer than four choirs and Christmas Eve was another magical event. I remember one special Christmas Eve when my parents were both singing in the choir and I was a member of the junior choir. The music was so awesome it brought tears to my eyes.

And what about food? In my opinion, the preparation of special foods is nothing less than an art form. My mother always cooked egg nog and I never appreciated the intricacy of this until I tried it myself; once! The subdivision I lived in in Virginia many moons ago decided to have a progressive Christmas dinner and dessert was at my house. That was the year I endeavored to make egg nog from scratch. It's a very labor intensive project, but well worth it. After dessert, I played Christmas carols on the piano while everyone sang along; performance art once again. But back to the food; there are so many special dishes that are prepared only at this time of year. Decorated cookies, stollen, fruitcake; it's all art!

Whether you're celebrating the birth of Christ (which most likely happened in the spring of the year), the return of daylight or love and peace among all mankind, Christmas is a special time of year for everyone. And I'd love to hear about your special "art" at Christmas!

Happy Holidays!