Icy Storm moving in and I know it is cold... Brr!..
Thinking about the traditional upcoming Christmas events in local towns and cities.exciting!
Christmas Parades---Each year most small towns and local cities have people who gather together to create a Christmas Parade.They always need all the help they can get from volunteers who are willing to help create parade floats and participate in the parades by dressing in something Christmas related, or by driving in antique cars, and here we like to ride horses and decorate their manes with ribbons or decorate the saddles as well...The local police and fire rescue teams participate in the parades and decorate their vehicles and play their sirens..We also decorate old antique wagons and the horses in a team can pull those through town..local people wave to the crowd when in the parade..wave back! be friendly!..The creation of the floats takes many days to work on with local churches or businesses, and can be tedious work...so go on out there and help out when you can if needed...
You can also when in the parade toss candy to the parade watchers near the streets...Parades mostly take place on Main Streets and they are traditional...The town shop windows are painted for Christmas and they have Christmas decorations up in town everywhere.I have taken part in local parades for years and I enjoy everything I have participated in..I like helping decorate the parade floats and wear costumes....Someone always dresses up as Santa Claus...and waves to the children in the streets as he tosses candy(children always need to be careful in the streets!)....There sometimes are musicians who play instruments and Christmas music and songs are played..I really enjoy everything about parades!....They have raffles often times and offer the chance to win prizes of all kinds..sometimes they have hot chocolate and wassail to purchase during the parade, and once in my local town we had a nice cowboy stew dinner, cornbread, refreshment, and beans for purchase in the local town hall....a lot of work and a nice way to meet new people in town and say hello!
Fill the Boot Campaign---Sometimes during the parades or the week of the Christmas parades the local law enforcement, police departments and emergency rescue and fire teams have a campaign called Fill the Boot Campaign and they stand near the streets and stores with empty boots for many local fundraisers, they accept monetary donations to help support fundraisers for many different charitable organizations, so you know, if you have a few extra dollars you can donate that as well..the boot is the money holder!..it's neat...They will always be wearing something that will let you know they are really real and actually working for those agencies....
I know many things are terribly expensive, but it is always another charitable way if you can, to donate this time of year, be friendly and kind, say hello to your local police departments, sheriffs, and local fire fighters EMS crews and say Thank You for keeping us all safe!...I like to take part in this and throw in a few dollars when I can...I appreciate our local police and fire fighters, emergency rescue teams I know they keep me safe all the time and without them we would all have a bad time in our lives without those agencies and constant tough workers...it's traditional as well for this campaign...
Christmas Plays----I know that many people are already in preparation for the Christmas plays that the local churches, schools, and theaters perform during this holiday season...I always have liked taking part in the Christmas plays..I have been an angel, and a narrator for the plays, and I have helped with costume/stage prep and design...It is a lot of work and takes many weeks of preparation and practice...I have always enjoyed helping to create these for Christmas...In church we have helped create the Nativity and had the stage set for the manger scene and the characters from the Bible....it is tradition for people to take part in the Nativity plays and it is a lot of work as well....You have to speak into the microphones and they may hang from the ceiling or they may be standing on the stage..so always remember to speak up clearly and loudly enough so others can hear you...It is exciting to take part in these plays and I rather enjoy them quite well..
I have also taken part in the Nutcracker Traditional stage play at school and I was a flower, I had a few lines, and we had to learn a dance routine...it was very tough work and sometimes it was stressful with the dancing.....But anyway everyone needs to go out there and show support for all the tough work and many hours these people have taken part in to get the Christmas Traditions going...or you could maybe join in to help with these also..it might be a little late right now, but go enjoy their performances!
Christmas Choirs, Community Singing----I like singing and I enjoy the choir and it is always nice to join in the choir and learn the music with them...I have for many years taken part in something we call a Community Christmas Cantata..You show up at the local town stage theater or church and they have ordered boxes of Christmas music books that are several songs in each book..The songs are usually about Winter or they are about Christmas and the songs are all kinds of newly written material in the Cantata..
Each holiday can have a music Cantata.We had a group of musicians who played instruments as we sang and it was really nice and pretty!...It takes a good choir leader who knows music and has had vocal training to make this work....Many people can perform solos or ballads and you have to learn the music from your choir leader and the book you are given...I enjoy attending these and participating in these every year....You have to practice, practice, practice!!!...lol afterward they have the local choir and the people who were in the audience invited for refreshments and to say hello.
these are all traditions this time of year and I wish for these to continue on...so go out there and help out and support all these great traditions...keep them going!
Julie
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