We celebrate whatever we can, chez Maxfield. Whether it’s our family’s tradition or someone else’s, we can always find something to be grateful for, to be joyous about. This is a picture of our tree the year before we had the fire, and the next is one taken while we were putting up the new things, after. We also got rid of those dated drapes (hey, they came with the house.)

Yes, those are my feet, I was too lazy to get up and take the shot, but in my defense, I didn’t know how long Zack would stand behind the tree, holding that pose. As an aside, when I messaged this picture to my daughter, she simply assumed we’d gotten a tree with arms. 

Mostly we celebrate with music, and to that end I’d like to share one of my favorite groups, Pentatonix, and one of my favorite holiday carols, “Carol of the Bells” with you (although to be honest, I’m more likely to be playing the Transiberian Orchestra version while I’m assembling toys or wrapping packages last minute, like a mad scientist):

What’s your favorite Christmas song?  Although I’ve gone “Walking In A Winter Wonderland” once or twice, snow has been pretty scarce in my life, and so I enjoy the winter themed carols, the ones with snow and snowmen and sleigh bells glistening.

Here’s one of my favorites, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, with who else? Kurt and Blaine from Glee… I mean. Does it GET any cuter? These guys are adorable:

I also enjoy the strictly sacred music of the holidays. I love the contemplative nature of Gregorian chants and the frisson of something otherworldly devotional music brings, even without having an understanding of the words. (Except after all those years of studying Italian, Spanish, and French, it’s kind of hard not to get hit with the gist of things in latin.) While I enjoy the perfectly pronounced versions produced by churches and famous choirs, I enjoy this version of the carol “Gaudete”, recorded by Steeleye Span during their 35th anniversary tour. I have had a major voice crush on Maddy Prior for 35 years, and I doubt I’ll ever get over it.

And finally, this video needs no introduction, but I love Judy Garland so very much. This is from one of my favorite movies of all time, Meet Me In St. Louis. I think Judy Garland was at her most beautiful, most engaging, and most beguiling in that movie. My heart still breaks when I here her sing this: