6 HOLIDAY SPIRIT TRAVERSE CITY RECORD-EAGLE Thursday, December 4, 2003 New gift-giving rules to get in the true holiday spirit

BY STEPHANIE JOSEPH LONG posed to spend. By my 30s, ness, not by our seeming in my heart that is good. I I’m helping. give anonymously in order Special to the Record-Eagle the rules of appropriate greatness.” take great pleasure in find- I want to ensure that to help myself not expect gift giving that I had So I’m going to start the ing and giving what I think there will be no external anything in return. It prob- Who should I include on learned from our culture season of gift giving with will be fun, unique gifts. reward of any kind, ably won’t work with my my holiday gift list this became more confining simple goodness in mind It’s my doubt in the whether it be a tax break family because each time year? What should I buy? and rigid, and I started to because it puts all my gift- receiver’s ability to appre- or thanks, because the someone opens a gift with- Did I buy for her last year? dread shopping. I hated giving fears into perspec- ciate my intent, though, word “charity” suggests out a name tag, they’ll Will he expect something what I perceived as the test tive. that stops me from giving altruism, giving without eventually catch on that no fun or useful? of finding the “right” How many times before what I want to give and expectation of receiving. gift tag equals me. I’ll have Ahhhh, stress! All too gifts and the have I found what I persuades me to give what It’s the expectation of to do it for strangers. This familiar rantings, but inevitable spending binge believed to be the perfect I think the receiver expects receiving that I’ve got to will require that I give to thankfully, no more. I vow and debt that would follow. gift for someone only to put to see from me. My first give up. I don’t like admit- people who either have to give differently this This year, I’m not having it down in a flurry of doubt. new rule for this season is ting that I do secretly wish never received anything year. it. I’m tired of letting exter- It doesn’t cost enough; to trust myself in choosing for something in return, from me in the past and When I was a kid, I loved nal forces dictate my gift- they’ll think I’m cheap. It’s gifts that I think will be that deep down I still have who, therefore, won’t be making Christmas gifts and giving philosophy. not fancy enough; they’ll meaningful and to trust a small voice that is saying, expecting anything or to was happy to give macaroni For starters, I’m going to think I’m not creative. It’s those whom I love to accept “Please, please, please!” people who don’t know me. pictures and pressed start trusting my instincts. I not fill-in-the-blank them. Intellectually, I under- So this year, I’m going to leaves. That didn’t last long had never realized before enough; they’ll think I’m Rule number two this stand that this voice is self- give by my own rules. If it and by late childhood, I how much trust was something bad. I’ve tor- year is going to be to give ish, so I don’t ever speak it works, who knows? Maybe was doing extra jobs involved in giving. We risk tured myself with self- charitably. And not just to (until now), but there’s still then I’ll tackle the ever- around the house so I could rejection every time we doubt for years. the local shelter or the a small part of me who repressive New Year’s res- buy presents for my family. give a gift. William Arthur It’s my goal this year to needy. When I give to a keeps score. This year I olutions next. I came to learn, unfortu- Ward, the noted American give gifts, not because they charity, I often get a want to give charitably — nately, that real gifts were scholar and teacher, said, will allow me to seem receipt for a tax write-off, freely and without strings. Stephanie Joseph Long is store-bought. I also came to “Each of us will one day be great, but because they and when I volunteer, I Which brings me to rule a local teacher and free- learn that the older I got, judged by our simple good- come from a simple place receive the thanks of those number three. I’m going to lance writer. the more money I was sup- Some ‘New’ holiday music includes classy anthologies BY RICHARD HARRINGTON “Christmas in Hollis.” rations like Duke Hampton Callaway have a have legendary origins The Washington Post While there are mostly Ellington’s sublime “Sugar challenge matching up to familiar songs done with Rum Cherry” (reinventing standard-setters like Ella Here’s a sampling of holi- good cheer, other titles the “Dance of the Sugar Fitzgerald (who somehow BY PAT STEIN been good. day releases: reveal a certain attitude Plum Fairy”) and Lionel elevates “Rudolph the Red- Copley News Service Children in many coun- ä “Genuine Houserockin’ tries around the globe problem: “December Is for Hampton’s shimmering Nosed Reindeer”), Carmen “‘Twas the night before Christmas” (Alligator). continue to hang Cynics” (by the Matches), “White Christmas,” and McRae, Nancy Wilson and Christmas and all through Mostly original holiday Christmas stockings, but “ Shoot Your Eye Out” such spirited numbers as Rosemary Clooney, whose the house, not a creature tunes from the Chicago in some countries the cus- (Fall Out Boy), “I Won’t Be Pearl Bailey’s “, 1954 solo version of “White was stirring, not even a label’s roster of blues, soul tom is to set out shoes. Home for Christmas” (Blink- Cha Cha Cha” and Louis Christmas” was featured in mouse. and zydeco artists. In France, children 182) and “Christmas Night Prima and Keely Smith’s the classic film “Holiday “The stockings were Highlights include harpist place their shoes by the of Zombies” (MXPX). “Shake Hands With Santa Inn” but never appeared on hung by the chimney with Carey Bell’s hard-chugging fireplace, a custom dating The creators of theUltra- Claus.” the soundtrack. care, in hopes that St. “Christmas Train,” Lil’ Ed back to when children Lounge series serve up a ä“Under The ä“Cool December A Nicholas soon would be and the Blues Imperials’ wore wooden shoes. In trio of albums under the Reindeer & Romance” Warm and Fuzzy Winter” there ...” stomping slide-guitar-dri- Italy, on Jan. 5, the night banner “Wonderland emphasizes the latter, from emphasizes the full range of There’s hardly a holiday ven “Christmas Time,” before , children Adventures in Popular Peggy Lee’s gauzy “The romantic holiday idylls, tradition that’s more uni- Shemekia Copeland’s sly put out their shoes for La Culture” (Shout). Christmas Spell” and Sarah from Bing Crosby’s “Looks versally cherished than “Stay a Little Longer, , the good witch, to ä“Yulesville: The Other Vaughan’s ornate Like a Cold, Cold Winter” the Christmas stocking. Santa” and Little Charlie & fill. Good Italian children Side of Tinseltown” fea- “Goodnight My Love” to Lou and Pearl Bailey and Hot Legend has it that the cus- the Nightcats’ oh-so-true receive toys and candy in tures warm crooners Dean Rawls’ virile “Merry Lips Page’s “Baby, It’s Cold tom of hanging Christmas “It’s Christmas Time Again their shoes while those Martin and Leon Redbone Christmas Baby” and Dinah Outside” to Billie Holiday’s stockings for Santa to fill (Spend, Spend, Spend).” who have been bad get and cool singers Julie Washington’s languid “Ole 1937 recording of “I’ve Got with gifts (for good little ä “A Very Special rocks and ashes. London and Claudine Santa.” Contemporary My Love to Keep Me Warm.” boys and girls) or lumps of Acoustic Christmas” (Lost In Hungary, children Longet (the hilariously vocalists Steve Tyrell, Kevin coal (for those who have Highway). The sixth in the shine their shoes before kitschy “Snow”), jazz explo- Mahogany and Ann been bad) began in the popular “A Very Special putting them near the olden days. Christmas” series features door or a windowsill for The legend tells of a acoustic-based songs per- St. Nicholas to fill and in kindly nobleman whose formed by an array of coun- Holland, the children fill wife had died of an ill- try artists. Norah Jones The Record-Eagle on Vacation their shoes with hay and a ness, leaving the widowed ruminative take on Horace carrot for the horse of man and his three unmar- Silver’s “Peace” has long (). ried daughters in despair. been featured in her con- In Puerto Rico, children For every paper you donate to Newspapers in To make matters worse, cert performances. Other put greens in small boxes the widower lost all his highlights include the sweet and place them under Education while on vacation, the Record-Eagle money in bad investments melancholy of Alan their beds for the camels and had hardly enough Jackson’s “Just Put a of the three kings. money for food and shel- Ribbon in Your Hair,” will provide a local classroom with three. In contemporary times, ter, much less for dowries Marty Stuart’s jovial work stocking stuffers range for his daughters. plaint “Even Santa Claus Just call (231) 946-2187 to specify the dates from trinkets to hand-held The family moved into a Gets the Blues” and Ralph games to jewelry. peasant cottage where the Stanley and Patty Loveless’ you will be out of town and a school or The origin of the first daughters did their own high harmonies on the is a mixture of cooking, sewing and Stanley Brothers’ legend and history. The classroom you would like to receive the papers. cleaning. One night after “Christmas Is Near.” first nutcracker is they had washed their ä “The Trojan Christmas believed to have been clothing, they hung their Box Set” (Sanctuary). Three carved in some stockings from the mantel CDs with 50 reggae/ 250 years ago and it really to dry. ska/dancehall/dub takes on was made to crack nuts — As luck would have it, Christmas and the New especially walnuts. As St. Nicholas was traveling Year from the fabled became popu- through the village where Jamaican reggae label lar throughout Europe the impoverished noble- Trojan, many surprisingly and elsewhere in the man and his daughters straight despite obvious world, they were carved lived and heard villagers idiomatic flourishes. There in a variety of styles and talking about their plight. are several tracks from depicting a variety of fig- That night, St. Nicholas Jacob Miller’s classic ures, from chimney stopped by the cottage “Natty X-mas” album, and sweeps to bakers and sell- and, looking through the seven from Yellowman, ers of birds and cloth. window, spied the stock- including a “Breadfruit Over the years, nutcrack- ings hung out to dry over Roasting on an Open Fire” ers have become highly the fireplace. Also seeing that would make Mel Torme collectible pieces of yule- that the family had laugh out loud. tide ephemera. already gone to bed, he ä“A Santa Cause: It’s a The legend says that the took three small bags of Punk Rock Christmas” first nutcracker was made gold from his pouch (some (Immortal). The rap and by a farmer who was very versions of the legend say metal label joins the holi- wealthy, but miserly and three lumps of gold) and day fray with 20 mostly high- lonely. Walnut trees grew threw them down the energy tracks, kicking off on his property but he chimney. They landed in with the A.K.A.’s tribute could not be bothered to the stockings. cover of Run-DMC’s classic crack the shells to extract In the morning, the the nuts. He put up a daughters discovered reward for anyone who their stockings contained could come up with a way Music enough gold to provide to crack the walnuts. An them with the dowries old puppet carver in the Gifts needed to get married. German village of Seiffen The nobleman was able to Walls of Music is said to have come up see his daughters wed and Books with the idea for the nut- (including Christmas) lived a long, happy life. cracker — a figure with Word of the family’s jaws strong enough to Tote Bags good fortune spread crack nutshells. The through the village and Metronomes farmer rewarded the carv- It’s more than just free newspapers for local classrooms. then throughout the land. er with a special work- Music Stands Soon, people everywhere shop and gave all the resi- Call (231) 933-1402 for more information. were hanging their stock- Stationery dents of the village ings by the fire in hopes Piano Lessons German studded that St. Nicholas would with walnuts. Piano Lamps fill them with treasures. Grand Traverse Regional The message of the nut- In more modern times, Band Instruments SPELLING cracker is that it not only an orange in the toe of the BEE cracked walnuts but the Digital Keyboards STOCK stocking has come to sym- hard heart of the farmer MARKET bolize the piece of gold New & Used Pianos GAME ‘04 who ultimately poured and some say that an forth generosity and kind- apple in the toe of the ness for all during the stocking and an orange in yuletide season. the heel means you’ve 12/4.728613.HB 946-4848 1126 Garfield 12/4-728504-HB