2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Throwback Thursday

Christmas Season (Part V) 2012 (1)

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… to be continued in December 2024

2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Kringle Candle Company

Kringle Candle Company’s “White Chocolate Chai”

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White Chocolate Chai is infused with layers of nutmeg, clove, and smooth caramel.
Frothed milk and sweet cream make for a delightful lasting finish!

Top: Butter, Lemon, Caramel, Anise
Mid: Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Nutmeg
Base: Sweet, Milk, Cream, Maple

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2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Yuletide

Christmas Day 2023

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May your holidays be happy days,
Filled with love and laughter.
May each day bring joy your way
in the year that follows after

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2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · National Day Calendar · Yuletide

Winter Solstice/Yule 2023

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Our ancestors depended on the passage of times and seasons. And the best way to measure the seasons was by observing the Sun and the Earth’s orbit around it. The winter solstice is the time of the year when the Sun is reborn, announcing a new season.

On December 21, the day is shorter as the Sun seems to stand still at a lower elevation, making the night longer. But, it is a transition period that ushers in a new season of more sunlight. Yule celebrations used to be tied with different pagan traditions, bordering on mythology and culture. Popular notions include the myth of the goddess giving birth to the Sun god. There is also the celebration of the surrender of power from the Holly King unto the Oak King. Plus, the ancient festival of the Germanic people about the Wild Hunt and the god Odin is also around the same time.

All the above form the crust of the Yule celebration. But, as stated earlier, it is even more symbolic in that it helped our ancestors to determine times and seasons. Understanding times and seasons was usually the difference between life and death, food availability and famine, victory and defeat, and many other things. With the introduction of Christianity, the Yule celebration has been linked with Christmas traditions too. It’s thought that December 25 was chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ because it is the renewal period. Yule and Christmas both share certain similarities, and they often overlap as well.

Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/yule/

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2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · Days of The Week · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Our Furbabies · Throwback Thursday

Christmas Season (Part IV) 2010 – 2011

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In 2010, Kevin, Katelynn, Sara, and I went to our local Christmas Parade again. This time, the girls got a glimpse of Santa. Katelynn was in first grade. Her class had the school play “Santa’s Suit”, where she was the “Lego” Elf. On Christmas Eve, Katelynn lost her first tooth. So, the Toothfairy and Santa visited our home on the same night. Unfortunately, Sara had a bad cold on Christmas Day. She wasn’t too happy. But we made the best out of the situation.

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Santa left apples, oranges, nuts, and candy under the tree. Of course, Sara found the candy first and wanted some. Kevin and I said she could have some after breakfast. Instead of listening, she was very sneaky, put one in her mouth, and acted like she didn’t know what we were talking about. Lexi was happy, she had a new toy duck, which was shredded by her and Ranger the same day.

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… to be continued …

2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Kringle Candle Company

Kringle Candle Company’s “Aurum & Evergreen”

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Aurum & Evergreen — Festively blended with pink grapefruit and apple infused with pomegranate and cinnamon leaf, Aurum & Evergreen is a noble scent with ribbons of vanilla snow and Siberian Fir throughout.

Top: Sparkling Pink Grapefruit, Green Apple Peel, Valencia Orange
Mid: Pomegranate Juice, Cinnamon Leaf, Strawberry Jam
Base: Sugar Crystals, Vanilla Snow, Siberian Fir

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2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · Days of The Week · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Our Furbabies · Throwback Thursday

Christmas Season (Part III) 2008 – 2009

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Since Kevin’s homemade Christmas tree got positive feedback, he installed it in 2008, again. The same year, I decorated a Christmas wreath for our girls.

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… to be continued …

2023 · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Kringle Candle Company

Kringle Candle Company’s “Stardust”

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Stardust is a heavenly constellation of bold florals, and warm amber and musky woods.

Top; Green, Lemon, Floral
Mid: Amber, Jasmine, Nutmeg, Orchid
Base: Benzoin, Musky, Oriental, Sandalwood

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2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · California · Days of The Week · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Texas · Throwback Thursday

Christmas Season (Part II) 2006 – 2007

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In the Christmas Season of 2006, Kevin, Katelynn, and I visited California. Since we celebrated the 60th Anniversary of Kevin’s grandparents in Anaheim, we stayed an extra day to go to Disneyland.

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In December 2007, Kevin installed his first outdoor Christmas tree made of Christmas light chains. Everything was held up by a PVC pipe.

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… to be continued …

2023 · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · National Day Calendar

St. Nicholas Day 2023

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St. Nicholas derived from Nicholas of Myra and was a bishop in 4th-century Greece. He was known for selling off his own items and then giving the money to the poor. He would commonly leave coins in people’s shoes and dedicate his entire life to serving people who were sick and suffering. This is how he gained his saint status, and is what inspired St. Nicholas Day (also commonly known as Feast Day or the Feast of St. Nicholas). 

One well-known story of St. Nicholas involves a dowry for a father’s three daughters. In the third century, it was common for fathers to offer money to prospective husbands. However, one poor father with three daughters did not have money to do this. St. Nicholas paid for all three daughters’ dowries by leaving gold in their shoes. 

As time passed St. Nicholas Day began in different ways. In Italy, this day was celebrated with feasts, gift-giving, and festivals. In other European countries like Germany and the Netherlands, children would leave their shoes or special St. Nicholas boots in front of the fireplace or front door at night and find presents in them in the morning. The history of St. Nicholas and his good deeds was part of the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus and Father Christmas, which is why there are some current traditions of leaving gifts in people’s boots or shoes (or stockings).

Resource:https://nationaltoday.com/st-nicholas-day/

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2023 · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Kringle Candle Company

Kringle Candle Company’s “Christmas Stroll”

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Inspired by fresh-cut Christmas trees and the hot mulled cider served during Nantucket’s Christmas Stroll, the company president’s father, Mike Kittredge II, helped design this bright holiday scent.

Top: Balsam Fir, Pine
Mid: Green, Moss, Sweet
Base: Spice, Winter Air

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2023 · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · National Day Calendar · Our Yard

National Christmas Lights Day 2023

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Time to deck the halls, folks, because December 1 is National Christmas Lights Day! Before the invention of electric lights, families would balance candles on the branches of their Christmas trees—a risky practice that naturally led to several house fires. Electric Christmas lights were first invented in 1880 by Thomas Edison, who promptly strung them all over the outside of his Menlo Park laboratory. Because people were initially distrustful of electricity, however, it took another several decades for the invention to catch on. It wasn’t until 1903 when General Electric began selling pre-assembled kits of Christmas lights, that electric lights became popular with people of all classes. Today, electric lights are an integral part of the winter holiday season, and certainly aren’t exclusive to Christmas. As we get ready for the end of the year, let’s string up our lights and celebrate. ‘Tis the season, after all.

Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/national-christmas-lights-day/

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2023 · ☃❄ Winter ❄☃ · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅 · Yuletide

Hello December 2023

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Wintry mornings wrapped in white,
Evening, calm and still,
Snowflakes dancing all around,
Sled rides down a hill,
Gatherings with loved ones —
Such a pleasure to remember —
all memories and special gifts
That comes with each December.

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2023 · 🍂🍁 Autumn 🍁🍂

In The Autumn Sunset Glow 🍁

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Today I cleaned out our greenhouse. It was time to get rid of the wilted tomato plants. The basil and peas were ready to get pulled up as well. When the cool wind blows outside, I’m still protected from it inside the greenhouse. It’s not too warm or too cold. Therefore, it is fun to work in there. The sun was ready to set when I was done for the day. I captured several photos before I went back into our warm house.

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