The Sights and Symbols of Christmas

This evening my friend and I did a little "drive around" to see the sights of Christmas. We like to do so in the evening when many of the houses are lit up with those special decorations that come out only once a year. There was fresh fallen snow today and I guess we were just in the Christmas mood. Although the economy is sluglish, there were still several houses that seemed to have gone all out. We were not disappointed. It was a wonderland of Christmas with all the typical symbols and colors that go with the season.

Then of course, there also seemed to be an over abundance of those white-light deer. If you're from Minnesota you know exactly what I'm talking about. For some reason, people seem to confuse wood deer with santa's reindeer. They look different folks!!! Maybe there's a Christmas deer story out there that I just don't know about. Or perhaps people know there is a difference but figure they're in the same animal class so "close enough". But really wood deer are not Christmassy. But this is when they're put out. Think about it. Come January the white deer will be gone, packed away with the rest of the Christmas decorations. I find that funny. It also makes me wonder if it's only in Minnesota that this is done. I can't seem to picture them being put up all across the United States. But for whatever the reason the fad started, those perky and sometimes animated deer seem to be just as populous here in Minnesota as the real ones that run through our forests and jump out in front of cars (two friends of mine have collided with deer this week alone!). And when the fake ones are all lit up, they just seem to blend right in with all the other colorful Christmas yard decorations.

However, the biggest kick of the evening came when we drove through a little town called St. Hilaire which seemed to be glowing. House after house was decked out with lights and decorations. Then as we approached the last house on the block admiring the usual festive symbols, we turned the corner and there it was with all the other luminous Christmas flair. At first I thought "wow that deer has an awfully long neck" and then it hit me. "That's no deer--it's a giraffe!" A Christmas giraffe! I kid you not. And of course, I didn't have my camera. And no I hadn't been drinking (well ok I had one beer with supper but that had been HOURS previous to our little Christmas adventure).

I might have to go back tomorrow night to get a picture. I was going to go back tonight but it was already 10:30 pm and by the time we drove home, got the camera and drove back (an 18 mile round trip) I was afraid the home owner would turn out the lights and the trip would be for naught. But that little visit got me thinking about Christmas and the influence culture has on the symbols people associate with it. Think about the colors, the shapes, the smells, the food. Think about what you would see on an average drive down a typical neighborhood at night the week before Christmas. Even Santa one of the biggest Christmas symbols is culturally unique. He has different names in different countries, he wears different colors and different clothing in different places, and I hear his behavior can change from region to region. But nowhere in my studies of Christmas symbols have I heard of the Christmas giraffe. But I gotta admit--I liked being surprised! So that's my reality for today!

If you want to know more about how Christmas is celebrated all over the world here's a great website I found: http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm