DECEMBER 2013
SUNRAYS | 85
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
Nancy is the representative for the
Sun City Texas Library. Questions?
Email
with “Library Column” in the sub-
ject line.
DiD yoU KNoW…?
Our library receives an estimated
1,000 items (books, audio books,
and movies) each month, thanks to
the generosity of Sun Citians. See
“Guidelines for Donations” posted
on the library door.
News from the SC Stacks
By Nancy Davis
December is the month of the winter sol-
stice in the northern hemisphere and ac-
companied with it are many celebratory
observances, both ancient and modern.
There are many names and customs for
midwinter, the more modern ones build-
ing on older, ancient beliefs.
Stonehenge is probably the most well-
known archeological site with connec-
tions to the winter solstice. Ancients
needed a way to know when to prepare
their food supply to survive the cold
months of winter, usually January to
March, and most likely used these kinds
of structures to track the sun. In more
temperate climates, the midwinter cel-
ebration involved slaughtering cattle
before the really cold season began, so
the cattle would not have to be fed―thus,
giving the people the best supply of fresh
meat for the year, leading to special feasts.
Also, since the sun was “returning” af-
ter diminishing in the previous months,
concepts of life-death-rebirth became
traditions to celebrate. The lighting of
candles, starting new fires, and other
light-oriented activities were symbolic of
the return of the sun. This “new begin-
ning” has also been observed by cleaning,
bathing, resolutions, paying debts, eat-
ing special food, and giving lucky tokens
and gifts.
The tradition of lights has always been
one of my favorite holiday activities. One
of my earliest memories of Christmas
is sitting in a darkened room near the
newly decorated tree and looking at the
lights and sparkling decorations. Now,
I enjoy seeing special lights decorating
houses and trees and making a fantasy
world of light. I’m not inferring that our
religious observances are just revised an-
cient pagan customs, but it is interesting
to note that we all have the same basic
needs of light, food, dependence on one
another, and belief in a higher being.
Our more modern winter festivals and
celebrations have many names: Christ-
mas, Chanukah, St. Lucia, Kwanzaa,
Boxing Day, and Festival of Lights. I
had hoped to list books that were writ-
ten about some of these holidays, but it
is not too surprising that only Christ-
mas stories and a few non-fiction books
seem to be located in our Sun City Texas
Library (I realize that I may have over-
looked some!).
There are some classic Christmas stories
that do not get old when re-read―per-
haps you may want to share them with
grandchildren: The New Testament Na-
tivity accounts;
The Gift of the Magi
by
O. Henry;
A Christmas Carol
by Charles
Dickens;
The Little Match Girl
by Hans
Christian Andersen; and
The Nutcracker
and the Mouse King
by E.T.A. Hoffman.
Some lesser known classics include:
A
Child’s Christmas in Wales
by Dylan
Thomas;
The Holy Night
by Selma La-
gerlof;
The Other Wise Man
by Henry
Van Dyke;
Christmas Day in the Morning
by Pearl S. Buck;
Papa Panov’s Special
The
Purpose
of
Christmas
by
Rick
Warren
Stories
Behind
the Best-
Loved
Songs of
Christmas
by
Ace Collins
Christmas
by Leo Tolstoy;
The Selfish
Gian
t by Oscar Wilde;
The Christmas
Cuckoo
by Frances Browne;
The Steadfast
Tin Soldier
by Hans Christian Andersen;
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; and
A Letter
from Santa Claus
by Mark Twain.
However you observe the midwinter
holiday, may you have good health, good
friends, great joy and, most of all, peace.
Christmas
Stories for
the Heart
by
Alice Gray
Were
They Wise
Men or
Kings?
by
Joseph J.
Walsh
