It was the first Valentine’s Day in our new neighborhood, and I wanted to impress my new friends. So I ceremoniously brought out my treasure: a bright red, heart-shaped box, filled with red and white jelly beans, candy conversation hearts, red licorice and chocolate-covered marshmallow hearts. “Won’t your Mom get mad?” Ron asked as I took [...]
Looking Back
When you stop and think about it, Christmas can be a very confusing holiday. First, there’s the timing of the day itself. Many Biblical scholars believe that Jesus of Nazareth, whose birth the day memorializes, was actually born in the spring of the year. The custom of celebrating Jesus’ birth in December can be traced [...]
I don’t know how it is at your house, but when our kids were growing up there were always two questions that invariably occupied an inordinate amount of time and attention this time every year: what were the children going to be for Halloween, and where did Mom hide the trick-or-treat candy? Through the years, [...]
To tell you the truth, I’ve never really understood the whole Easter Bunny thing. Don’t get me wrong. I understand Easter. I understand what it represents, both theologically and culturally. I even understand that many have chosen to remove its religious implications and celebrate it simply as a rite of spring (including – brace yourself [...]