Celebrating the holiday season

AVIVA GOELMAN

As I sit in front of my fireplace, the rain dancing against my

windowpane, I am recalling those wonderful days back East when the

snowflakes fell so gracefully -- each one a different shape and size.

Those snowy days always delivered me to memories of the “Dance of

the Snowflakes” in the “Nutcracker” ballet. With the snow blanketing

the ground and caressing the trees, everything looked

picture-perfect, and we all knew the holidays were here.

When we think of the holidays, Christmas most often comes to mind,

but the holiday season is a time of many celebrations, including

Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and even the celebration of the winter solstice.

All of these holidays incorporate a common theme, in which light is

prominently used as part of the celebrations.

During Christmas, families put up trees covered with lights.

During Hanukkah, called the Festival of Lights, eight candles are

lighted for eight days. During Kwanzaa, celebrated for the first

fruits of the harvest, seven candles are put in a Kinara. The winter

solstice celebrates the Sun God.

The winter solstice was celebrated long before Christmas. People

believed the celebrations made the Sun God happy and set the stage

for spring. A big log, called the Yule Log, was burned in a great

bonfire, with everyone dancing and singing around it.

Families hang mistletoe on their doorways for good luck, not as an

excuse to kiss loved ones and friends that is common today. Others

decorated their homes with evergreens. Here at the Costa Mesa Senior

Center, we are also gearing up for some wonderful holiday

celebrations. On Dec. 5, we received a beautiful Christmas tree --

thanks to the generosity of Target -- and the children of Prince of

Peace School came and treated us to their wonderful voices, adding

spirit to the holidays with songs and cheer. Each child presented a

senior at our center with a beautiful handmade card.

Secret Angels for the Holidays appeared and lighted our tree with

ornaments on Dec. 6. They organized an arts and crafts project for

the seniors and graciously provided lunch for our seniors.

We owe so much to all our generous volunteers and wonderful

donors. Thank you to the Teller family for their support of the Costa

Mesa Senior Center throughout the year. The money raised through

Bob’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social, the silent auction at the Car

Museum, including their generous financial donation commemorating

their 35th anniversary, have helped us provide better programs for

our seniors.

The Senior Center will be celebrating even more with a number of

festive events. The Page School Choir will sing Christmas songs from

noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday. All seniors are welcome and should make

reservations for lunch. On Dec. 18, our Winter Celebration Party will

take place from 3:30 to 6 p.m. The celebration includes dinner,

Christmas caroling and prizes. The cost for senior center members is

$5 per person.

Also, make sure to sign up for our Christmas brunch, which

includes tasty French toast, sausages and fruits and some terrific

surprises. Each senior will receive a gift and a photo with Santa,

who will be flying in from the North Pole. Tony Montero will return

by popular demand to provide the entertainment. The event is for

members only and is $2 per person.

It is never too late to become a member of the Costa Mesa Senior

Center, and to be part of our holiday celebrations. Membership is $18

a year per person. For more information, call (949) 645-2356. Watch

our bulletin board for daily updates of our event schedule and take

advantage of our open invitation to visit with us and become part of

this wonderful, growing family of friends and neighbors.

I wish you all the very best this holiday season.

* AVIVA GOELMAN is the executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior

Center and will write occasional columns about the center, its

members and senior issues.