When did bears come to be associated with Christmas?
Reindeers I get. Ditto cardinals, with their flash of red on
a frigid winter’s morning. A partridge in a pear tree, check. Even donkeys make
a certain amount of sense since one is supposed to have carried Mary to
Bethlehem.
But bears?
Bears aren’t even around at Christmas. They’re hibernating
in a cozy cave somewhere, dreaming of salmon flashing in the sun or snatching some
unwary camper’s unattended bag of food.
We have a number of tree ornaments depicting bears in holiday
attire. This my favorite – an adorable little bear angel with spread wings,
carrying a star.
Truth be told, the Bear Angel is probably my favorite
ornament on the tree. After taking it out of its special box, I examine it from
all angles and then place it on a prominent branch so I can admire it anew
every time I pass the tree.
I strongly suspect I now have revealed more about myself
than I have about his particular ornament, but so be it. Sue me, I like the
damned thing.
Marice and I found it years ago during a pre-Christmas
shopping foray in Downtown Grapevine in one of the little shops that line Main
Street. Grapevine bills itself as the Christmas Capital of Texas, and it lives
up to the brag.
I’m no civic booster, but Grapevine’s Main Street at
Christmastime is magical – a sensory delight filled with the sights, sounds and
tastes of the season.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a trip, in non-COVID
times at least. You’ll find a smorgasbord of holiday things to see and do. And
if you’ve been really good, I’ll invite you to Gunnels Manse to view our Bear
Angel and enjoy a glass of eggnog. Loaded, of course.
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