The ABC's of Christmas - D

"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time." ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Welcome to the ABC's of Christmas.




Today's letter is D... is for Dickens,  Deck the Halls, Dolls, Donuts...

I'm sure most of you have begun your holiday baking and decorating your home for the season.

courtesy of the Internet

My father and I had a tradition of making Christmas donuts together. I would mix up the batter, cut them out, and he was in charge of cooking them in the fat. We always left half the batch plain and sugared the other half. He would keep half the donuts for my mother and himself while I would take the other half home to my family. It was my grandmother's recipe and were they ever good!
Now, I make them by myself but Hubby helps when he can. I really don't make donuts much any more and I really miss those times with my Daddy!

Christmas is also about Dickens...
The Victorian era was when many of the traditions were established. Prince Albert introduced the German tradition of the Christmas tree during Dickensian times, and the Royal family promoted the idea of family Christmases. 

This paired with the novella written by Charles Dickens, cemented the ideologies of Christmas that we uphold today. 'A Christmas Carol' is not only an illustration of Christmas during Victorian times, it promoted many of the sentiments of what the season meant to secular society. 

Internet

The story is rich with the importance of family and love as well as merriment, enjoying food, dancing, and playing games, but also most importantly, goodwill to all men and generosity of spirit.

This is part of my Christmas Village. All the characters are dressed in Victorian garments.

When I was a little girl, I loved dolls, and I couldn't imagine never playing with them. Then I grew up and had my own. Unfortunately, they grew up on me. So, I began collecting dolls. The two I'm sharing with you today I had received for Christmas many years ago.

This porcelain Little Drummer Boy, was gifted to me by my hubby the year our youngest son played The Little Drummer Boy in the school band. He is outfitted in his shepherd garments complete with sandals, and plays his drum to the music of The Little Drummer Boy.

This sweet little girl was a gift from my middle son and his wife for Christmas one year. She is out walking her pup and carrying her lantern. She is dressed in her lovely velvet forest green coat which is trimmed with fur. Underneath her coat, she is wearing her little tartan dress. Topping off her beautiful tresses is a matching fur hat. Isn't she adorable?



Deck the Halls is a traditional Christmas and New Years' carol. The melody is Welsh dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, "Nos Galan", while the English lyrics, written by the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant, date to 1862. {Wikpedia}

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! 

Thank you for visiting today. See you next time for the letter E.....

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi