This week is an appropriate time to share a little bit about one of my trips to the Middle East. I was still in active ministry at the time, making everything I learned there more valuable.
So much of what we saw on that trip was exactly how most people picture that part of the world – wide expanses of desert with Bedouins and their tents. Expand the picture above and you’ll get a better idea of a typical Bedouin with his camel.
When I was offered a chance to ride a camel, I quickly agreed. Riding a camel certainly has been one of my more unique experiences! I’d been riding horses for many years, so I thought a camel would be a cinch. How wrong I was!
Camels have a nasty disposition! Also, along with their constant complaining, they bend down in stages to let you climb on, which gives you the sensation of being on a very fluky rocking chair (or a slow roller coaster).
I took this ride near the Qumran where ancient papyrus scrolls were found in 1945. Later, I visited the museum where these scrolls are on exhibit.
In just a few days, we will celebrate Epiphany and the magi who followed a star to visit a baby in a stable. The word Epiphany means a “revelation,” or what I call an “ah ha!” moment and especially when we realize that God or the Holy Spirit is with us at all times, no matter what our religious tradition.
In the meantime, I want to say that I truly appreciate those guys even more now. I can empathize with the grueling ride they must have had on those camels!
I first wrote about this in 2009 soon after I started writing my blog. It’s one of my favorite times of year here in Hawai`i, in what we call “winter.” The roads are lined with dazzling displays of poinsettias .
The highway I drive regularly is narrow and curving with almost no place to pull over, but I managed to get a few pictures. Some of the photos are a bit hazy, so there must have been some vog the day I took these (look up “vog”). Please enjoy these pictures that show a few of our winter scenes.
Yes, there is a difference between summer and winter here. Even in Florida, Southern California, and Arizona (all states where I have lived in the past), there is a distinct change between the temperatures in July and those in January.
Here, there is no noticeable change in temperature from month to month all year. From late November until mid-March, however, there is a change in what blooms along the roadsides and in our gardens.
Some places have huge embankments of poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima). “Pulcherrima” means “very beautiful,” and it is. There is no way to compare these with the little pots of poinsettias you might purchase in a local store.
Against our rich green forests, the brilliant reds are almost florescent. Then throughout March, I look for those little drops of red in the midst of jungle growth that keep hanging on. When they are all gone, I know that winter is over!
Poinsettias flow over onto the ground and almost seem to take over everything else. My first experience with poinsettias took place back in the early 70s when I decided to take some courses in the ornamental horticulture department of California Polytechnic Institute in San Luis Obispo.
We made a field trip to visit the Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, CA where over 70% of the poinsettias in the United States and over 50% worldwide actually begin their life. There were acres of greenhouses filled with poinsettia cuttings in all varieties and stages of growth. Please follow the link above to view the history of that ranch as well as the history of poinsettias in general.
I love the way they intermingle with the yellow hibiscus. Such a dazzling display of color!
This is a sight few of you will see at Christmas.
Many of the poinsettias have found their way into the wild tangles of growth alongside our roads.
Others are a featured part of a home’s entryway.
You can see why I’m obsessed with taking just the right pictures to illustrate this stunning plant.
Poinsettias are originally from Mexico and named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Ambassador to Mexico in the 1920s. During his stay in Mexico he wandered the countryside looking for new plant species.
In 1828 he found a beautiful shrub with large red flowers growing next to a road. He took cuttings from the plant and brought them back to his greenhouse in South Carolina. The rest, as they say, “is history.”
When I lived in Southern California, I remember how people would plant the small potted plants they bought at Christmas time. Many of their homes had nice stands of poinsettias, but they rarely reached the size of the ones here.
If you are interested in what to do with your Christmas poinsettia plant, look onlineto read about it. You will find good sites on how to choose and care for your poinsettia, and what to do with it at the end
I really do empathize with those of you who are suffering under ice storms and record-breaking snowstorms. I have lived in Alaska, Illinois, and Rhode Island, so I know what you are experiencing. But I could never go back to it, now that I’ve lived in Paradise for close to 30 years!
Whether you are celebrating Hanukah, Christmas, Winter Solstice, Yule, Saturnalia, Kwanzaa, or any other festival at this time of year, poinsettias are a celebration in themselves!
This recipe has made its way through several generations and I’ve passed it on to my own children. My oldest daughter said she’s already gone through three (maybe more) batches this holiday season. I’ve also given it as gifts to friends and neighbors.
Just smelling it as you walk into the house is enough to put you in a holiday frame of mind!
Wassail Recipe
Juice 2 oranges and 2 lemons. Set juice aside to add later
Slice rinds and boil in 6 cups of water with 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 T of cloves, 1 cup sugar (for alternate, see note below). Simmer for an hour.
Add citrus juice and 1 gallon of cider or apple juice. Warm it – don’t boil.
Note: In place of sugar, I use Monk Fruit or Erythritol. You might want to use maple syrup or honey, too.
We may not have a White Christmas in Hawaii
(except on top of Mauna Kea where we have lots this year)
but we do have an incredible display of poinsettias!
All along the highway we find massive blooms,
some in long banks of poinsettia hedges –
others peeking out from behind trees.
As late as April,
I have seen a wayward bloom
here and there that
simply didn’t want to go away.
Wherever you are in this world,
I send you peace and joy in this wonderful holiday season.
During the month of December, there are many celebrations from various cultures, faiths, and events to remember.
Many of these are linked to the winter solstice, which has been celebrated throughout history as the “rebirth of the sun.” The natural rotation of the earth was not known in earlier times, so the shortest day of the year (December 21) and the gradual lengthening of days afterward took on a meaning that has largely been forgotten.
We don’t know the exact date of the birth of Jesus, but over time, his birth was also associated with this “birth of the sun,” or many say “birth of the Son.” Early Christian celebrations were generally observed on days that were already holy days, such as the solstice, to help make the transition to Christianity.
…Shab-e yalda, the rebirth of the sun, was an ancient Iranian ceremony that reflected the basics of goodness and light against evil and darkness. (from Suite 101 – see link)
There are many other interesting days of celebration listed on that last link, including The Festival of the Wild Women!
Because I spent many years in Arizona, and Tucson in particular, one of my favorite December traditions is Las Posadas. This procession is a reenactment of the trip Mary and Joseph made from Nazareth to Bethlehem. A group dressed as angels, shepherds, and the holy couple go from house to house seeking shelter. The word posadas means “lodging” in Spanish. At each home, these “pilgrims” are served various foods, including tamales.
There are many other dates to honor during December, but three stand out for me as a special way of honoring this season of lights. They are World AIDS Day on December 1, Pearl Harbor Day on December 7, and Human Rights Day on December 10.
Mele Kalikimaka!
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