Different lands, different customs!  Such is the case in America with the legendary age-old traditional Father Christmas figure. Characteristically pictured wearing a pointed hooded cap trimmed in fur and boughs of holly, he is borrowed from the mythology of English-Irish cultural lore. (The custom of kissing under the mistletoe also stems from this English-Irish cultural heritage.) In addition, Father Christmas is portrayed as the bringer of gifts and toys for children the whole world over. And of course, a little bit of snow from the North Pole is needed to complete the picture of Father Christmas, who represents the rebirth or renewal of life even in the dead of winter. 

Indeed, in Frankenmuth, Michigan, the world-renowned Bronner Family has brought back something truly unique to the USA. It is a true-to-life, actual size replica of the Silent-Night-Chapel  in Austria. It was here in 1818 that Franz Gruber hurriedly composed the famous Christmas song that spanned the globe: Silent Night, Holy Night...based on the lyrics written by J. Mohr. It has been translated into many, many different languages, but it still remains the same unforgettably beautiful Christmas melody. 

And so we prepare ourselves for the arrival of Father Christmas, who in his kind and gentle way, brings something to each and everyone of us to add to our emotional and spiritual well-being.