Holiday Season Already!

I know that Halloween was only a few days ago and we still have three weeks till Thanksgiving, but here at the farm we are already gearing up for Christmas. Last year around this same time I wrote a blog about St. Nicholas. This year, while reflecting on the characters of the Christmas season, I thought I would tap into my Scandinavian roots. In Swedish folklore there is a creature called the tomte (in Norway and Denmark they call him nisse). A tomte is a very small gnome like creature that lives under the floor boards of farmer’s homes. It ranges in size from a few inches to half the height of a full grown man. He generally has a beard and wears the clothing of a typical farmer. However, some tales describe him as a shape shifter and in modern Denmark he is depicted as having a red cap and looking almost like a little Santa gnome.
The tomte was a great help on the farm. He had incredible strength and would often do work in secret to help benefit the farmer and his family. However, the tomte was often very irritable and easily offended. Santa Claus may have his naughty list and piles of coal give out to misbehaving children, but the stakes were a bit higher with the tomte. If he heard you cussing, being rude, or urinating in the barn he may have punched you in the face or even go as far has killing your livestock. Also, if you ever spilled something it was customary to warn the tomte dwelling beneath the floor boards. Over time the tomte evolved to replace the traditional Yule Goat as the bearer of Christmas presents. The more commercialized he gets the more he looks like Santa, but he still has his own unique place in Scandinavian history.
Here at the farm, to the best of my knowledge, we don’t have any tomtes. Although a few months ago we did find a gang of puppies underneath the floor boards on the staff house front porch! No, we have our own Christmas traditions here at the farm and my favorite is our annual Christmas party. Each December we take a break from home repair and focus on sharing the joy of the holiday season with our Doddridge county community. We visit all of the families that we have worked with over the course of the year and bring them gifts and cookies. Also, we send a thank you cookie package to all the wonderful businesses the work with us. It all culminates with a big party for the children of the area. We have music, games, face painting, crafts, and Santa has a toy and at least one book for every child.
The only way that we can do this is through the help and generosity of others (or until we get a tomte). For those of you who came here this year, maybe you want to sponsor a family that you worked with. Here are some things to think about. Maybe your family wants to sponsor a family. Maybe your church or youth group wants to sponsor a family. Maybe you want to pool some money with your work crew. If you do decide to sponsor someone you could set aside time to pray for them throughout the holiday season. If you haven’t been to the farm in a while and don’t remember anyone on this list feel free to pick at random, or you could donate to the general Christmas fund. Anything that you all are able to do is appreciated. If you do wish to sponsor a family let us know before Thanksgiving so we can plan accordingly. Thanks a million and Merry Christmas.