As it would be expected, I experienced Christmas in a whole new way this year. I participated in a number of new traditions including: Christingle, mulled wine, Christmas pudding, Shoppers’ Carols, a donkey service, and mince pies. I have a feeling that I will be incorporating some of these practices into my Christmases for years to come, but whatever may come I will always remember my December in Bath, England.
December brought an extremely busy Advent season for Bath Abbey. The Christmas Market that went up in November continued on into early December. Bath is a bustling city on its own, but the Christmas Market added to that tenfold. Every Saturday the Abbey held four ‘Shoppers’ Carol Services.’ Each service lasted for about twenty minutes and was given to a congregation of approximately 1000 people. It was really amazing to see that many people all gathering together to sing Christmas Carols, but the thing I appreciated most about the Shoppers’ Carol Services was that so many people took the time out of their Christmas shopping for a time of reflection and celebration for the birth of Jesus Christ.
Now here is a question for everyone: What do you get when you cross an orange, a birthday candle, toothpicks, ribbon, and a load of sweets? I was asking myself the same thing when I saw my shopping list for one of my mid-December Sunday school lessons. The answer: Christingle. The custom of Christingle was started in 1747 in Germany. The idea was to give children a simple symbol of what the season of Christmas was really about. Children were given candles wrapped in ribbon and a prayer-“Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in these dear children’s hearts.” The tradition was adapted for the Anglican Church in the 20th century. An orange is used to represent the world; a red ribbon tied around the orange represents the blood that Jesus shed; sweets stuck on four toothpicks represent the fruits of the earth and the four seasons; and finally, the candle represents Jesus as the light of the world.
On Sunday, December 20th, no doubt churches everywhere were excited for the annual Christmas pageant. The Abbey was no different…well, maybe a little different. Like many other churches on the day, people at Bath Abbey were gluing glitter on cardboard angel wings and fastening old bathrobes around tiny children whose heads were adorned with tea towels. As Derek, who played our inn keeper, was practicing his lines one final time I was beginning to think that this was just another pageant like any pageant I had seen before, and then the donkey arrived. That’s right, an actual donkey. This was not a pageant like any I’d seen before. Sure there were pipe cleaner halos and the gifts of the Magi were made out of painted shoeboxes, but there was a twist. Instead of enlisting a handful of parish kids to play the roles in the Nativity story, the Abbey invited everyone. There were over one hundred children dressed as angels, and Wiseman, and shepherds that vaguely resembled pirates all of whom were brought to the stage in order to surround Mary and Joseph and a Fisher Price baby Jesus. Mary and Joseph were delivered to the ‘stable’ by Frosty, the very patient donkey (I have been told that Frosty is a very old donkey and has been the donkey at Bath Abbey for many years. In fact he possibly could have been the donkey at the first Nativity as this has never been proven or refuted.) Stay tuned to ‘News from Beckah at Bath Abbey,’ because Frosty will make another appearance on Palm Sunday.
Finally, ‘twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug…wait, I think I’ve heard that somewhere. Let me try again. Well, it was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, unless you count Toby, my supervisor’s epileptic Labrador. I guess the children were nestled all snug on the floor. (You see, Juyeon and I took two of the bedrooms so the three boys had to bunk up together.) Sarah, my supervisor’s wife, hand made stockings for Juyeon and me and we had many presents under the tree. I went to sleep on Christmas Eve feeling like I was home, maybe not my actual home with my own family, but home none the less. I have to admit that when I set out to leave for this year abroad, I was worried about being away over the holidays, but I more than survived. I came out the other side feeling more bonded and welcome by my new ‘family’ in Bath.
So, here I am ready to take on 2010. I have accomplished more in 2009 than I thought I was capable of doing and I am ready to see what this next year will bring.
Bring on 2010!
God’s blessings and peace!
The throng of angels at the donkey service.
Joseph and Mary with Frosty, the donkey.
Dewi, Jonty, and Caolan at Christmas Dinner.
Girls’ Choir at Wagamama for their Christmas Party.
No comments:
Post a Comment