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The Boyds celebrated the Christmas season quietly. It was a gift to have both Boydlings home for the holidays. Our sweet puppy Zelda has truly become part of our family. Snow and freezing weather has blasted the Pacific Northwest. Still, I do like snow better than rain!
I love my Christmas decor. And I usually keep it up till Twelfth Night. But today, I am starting to feel like Miss Havisham looking at all the dried out greenery. I am thinking a fire pit bonfire for New Years Eve might be the answer! I might then stare into the flames and “Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.”—Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
I participated in Austenesque Reviews Austenesque Jolabokaflod, inspired by Jolabokaflod, an Icelandic Christmas Eve tradition of exchanging books and reading. I sent Elodie N. in France Plots, Ploys, and the Art of Matchmaking by Sarah Courtney. I received Joana Starnes’s Twist of Fates from Rita Deodato in Portugal. I am delighted to add this 5-star read to my shelves as I read and reviewed the novel in ebook when it released this past summer.
Prosperity and Good Luck in 2022
Every New Year I serve Hoppin’ John for our main meal, our family tradition that started with my mother back in Delaware. Black-eyed peas were native to Africa and this humble little bean came to North America aboard slave ships. I don’t know how they got associated with New Year's, but I’ve read that black-eyed peas were a staple during the period of Reconstruction in the American South. Black-eyed peas are also culturally significant for Sephardic Jews celebrating Rosh Hashana. Sometime after the Civil War, Hoppin' John became a symbol of prosperity and good luck in the new year.
A time for renewal is just around the corner, and 2021 will pass into the history books. A new year, new resolutions, and the future awaits.
"Praise the God of all, drink the wine, let the world be the world."—French proverb
Wishing you and yours good luck and a healthy, prosperous 2022.
Have a wonderful 2022, Christina, and best of luck in everything you do! I love your Jolabokaflod photo! Love the proverb too. So much!! "Praise the God of all, drink the wine, let the world be the world." Indeed. Take care, all the best and Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, dear Christina! Love the photos, and I’m so glad you have Joana’s book to add to your shelves. (Do you have to keep buying or building bookshelves? You must have so many books!) And I also make hoppin’ john (a vegetarian version these days, as my husband and daughter are both vegetarian now). My mom, who grew up in North Carolina, always served it, so now I do too! I’m rambling here — just wanted to say hello and to say I’m so glad you’ve had a beautiful holiday season with your family