The Christmas Village

 

Every year, I get to place my Christmas village as part of the decorations. This village is kind of special because it is truly a family assemblage.  Most of the buildings were bought and painted by my daughter and given to me as gifts.  My wife has added many of the accompanying pieces like trees and people.  For many years it has had pride of place under the Christmas tree.  There were even years when I placed a model railroad line around it complete with a working train.  Most years that the train was part of the layout, the train would be derailed and knocked over by our dog.  And then the grandkids also thought it was a toy just for them.  The train is no longer part of the village scene.  You see all kinds of villages like mine or even more elaborate.  A lot of stores and businesses have such displays.  They all seem to have one thing in common – they all feature old fashion buildings.  You never see an ultra-modern house or glass and steel buildings. 

You might wonder why such displays are so popular at this time of year.  They all depict the past and bring memories of the past; an idealized past, no doubt, but the past nonetheless.  This is a time of year that evokes memories of the past; a nostalgic time.  We become nostalgic for a Christmas that was especially good, or Christmas when our kids were young, or a Christmas when we were kids.   We like to look back on simpler times and this tends to bring us peace at this time of year.  We look back on a time of small town life, even we who have never lived in a small town.  It’s a very comforting kind of nostalgia.  And for most of us, that nostalgic feeling is what makes Christmas such a comfort after the hustle-bustle of shopping, entertaining and cooking.

But not all of us can aspire to that kind of nostalgic and comforting Christmas.  There are people who have never had a pleasant Christmas.  There are people who are too poor to afford the food and trappings expected at Christmas.  There are those who suffer because of sickness, war or starvation, who may never experience a happy Christmas.