The word of the day1 for February 21, 2007 is “embellishment” — noun 1 : the act or process of embellishing. 2 : something serving to embellish. 3 : ORNAMENT.
My sister reminded me after Monday’s diatribe that not only the seasons and holidays are bleeding into one another, but also that decorations for holidays are all starting to look like Christmas. Mother used to have a green crochet “Christmas tree” that someone gave her. At first she decorated it with red bows and ornaments that didn’t make to cut for the “real tree.” Soon, however, she was hanging Easter eggs on it. Then other decorations for other holidays. And this was after the Christmas tree in March to celebrate my brother coming home from Air Force duty overseas to late for the appropriately-timed celebration.
Nowadays we have ornaments made specifically to hang in trees for every holiday of the year. They also have strings of lights in colors and shapes for any holiday you can imagine. Confetti is made in all shapes to strew decoratively around. This is for the more personal holidays—like birthdays and weddings—as well as the public ones. Not only that, but we now have the opportunity to buy geese, flamingos, dogs and heaven knows what kind of figures to dress holiday appropriately and inflict on our neighbors.
The quote2 for today is from Wallace Stevens (1879–1955), “The Auroras of Autumn.”:
The stars are putting on their glittering belts.
They throw around their shoulders cloaks that flash
Like a great shadow’s last embellishment.
;^) Jan
1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or TheAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.
P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.
NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.
3 comments:
ELF1 SEZ:
We have a few houses in our neck of the woods who have lights up for Valentine’s day.
I use to have pastel lights for Easter that hung on my office fig tree. (I have a small greenhouse in my corner of the hall; fig tree, spider plant, huge peace lily, the-unkillable vine plant.)
I know Hallmark has tons of ornaments all year, including Easter ornaments. It is bad enough that Christmas has become a MAJOR gift grab – it is part of the nature of the holiday - , but the fact that people are giving gift for Easter makes me shake my head. And we aren’t talking just little kids getting some Fun Pads in their egg and chocolate baskets. Oh and a new outfit or hat. Some people are spending as much money on Easter gifts as they do on Christmas. When did this become a gift giving time? Color eggs, have an egg hunt, forget where one hard boiled egg was hid, get jelly beans and 6 months later “find” the lost egg by scent while moving furniture.
And while we are on the subject of weird gift opportunities, well, me at least. When did Valentine’s Day become a kid day? I know we did the little “store bought” small cards in the tiny envelopes for school and Dad and I would pass conversation hearts back and forth during Saturday sports for weird conversations. But that was basically it. No major toys or gifts for me. Now, people are giving their kids teddy bears and video games for Valentine’s Day. (Nothing says romance like Grand Theft Auto #2) They also are taking the kids to romantic restaurants for “date night”. EWWWWWW.
Okay, ranting over. Resume with your regular scheduled WOTD.
Man did I hit a nerve on this one.
From DJ:
And to continue the holiday themed rant, since when has St. Patrick been the patron saint of drunks. And Halloween parties are more often for adults now than kids (Okay, I'm guilty of this one, but still...), although kids now are getting toys as well as candy for Halloween.
And poor Thanksgiving has become a forgotten holiday, just a blip in the year before the serious shopping begins.
and from Rae:
Valentine's Day is my favorite Hallmark card-giving occasion. In my opinion, the world needs more love...but not the romantic kind. Another excuse to give kids more stuff made in China is not necessary. I hand out the small "kid" cards to everybody & anybody. You would be surprised at how touched many people are to receive something so insignificant. One man in my church asked me to write his name on the card to personalize it!
from Lonna:
I have a neighbor that doesn’t take his Christmas lights down – or turn them off !!!!
And another neighbor is competing for some Tim Allen award for light displays – for EVERY HOLIDAY !!!!!
People are amusing.
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