Christmas Eve, 2006

The choir of St. Olaf's College is filling the house with sublime music of the season. Tomorrow morning will the Nine Lessons and Carols from the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. I was surprised, last night, at the secular nature of decorations throughout Davis. There were no religious depictions anywhere, even at the churches. No creches, no stars of Bethlehem, although one house had three camels on the roof. I always though Christmas had a meaning different from Santa and snowmen and grazing reindeer and miles of twinkle lights. You could not provie it in this city that knows everything!

To remind ourselves of what Christmas is to a great part of the world we all need to go to a Catholic country for the season. We have spent Christmas in Costa Rica, Spain and Mexico, and the run up in Italy. The commercial aspects of the holiday are very secondary to religious and family celebrations. In Mexico you can see the influence of Norte Americano consumerism in the stores, in the lights and artifical trees. But at root, it is a religious observation and in our village, almost the entire population is gathered outside the church on Christmas Eve for services. The whole event has a different feel.

I telephoned our friends in Cuyutlán who are celebrating at one of the traditional parties held each year. We long to be there; soon, we hope.

To all of you, we send our greetings and wishes for a very Merry Christmas.