Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful, Joyful, and triumphant, oh come
ye, o come ye to Bethlehem!
Sorry, I couldn’t help it, this is one of my all-time
favorite hymns, along with Hark the Harold Angels Sing, and Silent Night. Yeah, if you didn’t
already know, one of my very favorite holidays is coming up this week.
Though I guess you could figure that out just by entering my
living room. I have over 130 Nativities on display in the front room alone, and
that’s without counting the Nativities ornaments on my tree.
I might also point out that I have no snowmen decorations,
and only three “Santa at the manger” decorations, but no other Santa-themed
decorations. Is it any wonder that most of my tree decorations are Nativities? (By
the way, this is by choice.)
Then again, if you were to enter my living room you might
also be able to decern what my second favorite holiday is. The clue is in the middle of the top shelf of the small bookcase by my microwave cart. An Eagle,
two Star-Spangled Banner-themed knickknacks, and a replica Liberty Bell.
Figured it out yet?
Another clue is my all-time favorite song from a musical.
That song?
Why it’s, “God Bless America!” from “You’re In The Army Now.”
Other favorite songs are “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God
Bless the USA.”
And no, my love for Independence Day has little to do with
its proximity to my own birthday, though I do enjoy that they are so close
together.
I love Independence Day because it celebrates the birth of
our great nation just as much as I love Christmas because it celebrates the
birth of our Redeemer.
I also like Easter (it does celebrate our Redeemer’s
resurrection) and Thanksgiving, though I admit that it is at the bottom of my
favorite list, mostly because I feel it is better to be thankful every day of
the year, not just one. I do enjoy the food and being with family but that is
about it.
Independence Day has parades, picnics, and fireworks, and
Christmas – well, I love finding just the right gift for my loved ones. Though
some are easier to shop for, that’s another issue.
When thinking about holidays, have you considered what your
characters do for holidays?
If you are in fantasy or sci-fi you must consider if they
have any, and what and when they’d be, and how they celebrate, but in
Contemporary novels, you already know what the holidays are, now you need to
decide how your characters observe the occasion, and why.
First, you should start with whether your story will cover a
period when there is a holiday.
And, since it is so close, let’s just use this time of year
as an example.
This time of year, has several different religious or cultural
celebrations to choose from, and of course New Year’s Eve, so what festivities
will your character take part in, and why? What sort of traditions does your
character have for this holiday?
Do they open gifts on Christmas Eve? Or do they celebrate Hanukkah?
Are some of their friends Jewish? And there are other celebrations going on
around now, too. What are they? How are they celebrated? What are those traditions?
Don’t use one you know nothing about. In this case, you
really must write what you know.
So, for me, if I were to write something taking place in
December, my main characters are going to celebrate Christmas.
Of course, being one to celebrate Christmas can mean a lot
of different things. Some focus on Santa and all the giving and receiving of gifts,
others (like me) put little energy into Santa and focus on Christ. Either way, there can be a large variety of traditions for someone to follow.
Some open gifts on Christmas Eve, while others read from the
second chapter of Luke on Christmas Eve. Some make candy and cookies in preparation
for the big day, while others just buy all the seasonal favorites.
And for that matter, what are your character’s seasonal favorites?
Some people like fruitcake while others loth it. What about
your character? Some attend church, but only on this special occasion, while
others attend year-round. Some participate in pageants and shows, while others
avoid them. Where does your character fall?
For that matter, are there other holidays in your story? I have
one story that includes Easter break from school, and April Fools Day. Though
my main characters only get annoyed at all the pranks people are pulling, but
don’t pull any of their own. How would your character act?
Something to consider, isn’t it?
Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Writing everyone!
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