Thanks For Christmas

You probably don’t know what it’s like to watch Christmas from the outside. It was tough growing up.

The Fox Family enjoys Christmas though it’s not our holiday.

Jews may have elevated Channukah to fill the gap, but it’s not the same. Christmas is “the” holiday bar none!

You probably don’t know what it’s like to watch Christmas from the outside. It was tough growing up. All the imagery depicts Christmas. It’s on every commercial, every show, every website.

Over the years we’ve come to embrace it. There’s a good feeling this time-of-year. Thanks for letting us enjoy it with you.

People claim there’s a “War on Christmas.” Seriously?

We have no tree. I could never take that step. We have stockings. Don’t ask.

SoCal Stefanie is coming home early Thursday after an overnight in-the-air. We’ve been out there, but it’s nearly two years since she was last in Connecticut.

Stef, it’s all where you left it.

Helaine and I went out a few nights ago looking at Christmas lights. Nice. Nothing too much. Nothing over-the-top.

There were some homes with minimal outdoor lighting but beautiful holiday decorating inside. Very nice.

Helaine is done with illuminated reindeer. For me it’s faux icicles.

When we first moved here there was a man in the southern end of Cheshire who had a huge yard full of lights and displays at Christmas. It was crazy! The traffic was crazy! I’m sure the neighbors tired quickly. No more.

I will be working Christmas Eve. That’s the right thing to do.

I’m going to track Santa. At one point I was worried I wouldn’t have the chance.

I’m looking forward to Christmas.

26 thoughts on “Thanks For Christmas”

  1. So glad you will be on the air to track Santa. My daughter Alexis will be thrilled and so will I! Happy Channukah to you and your family!

  2. When I lived in Manchester, there was a gentleman who did a display like the one you described in South Windsor just down the street from Applebee’s. He had a sign out front of his display and a small FM transmitter which played a loop of Christmas music. it was quite nice!
    Love your pictures Geoff – especially the stockings!
    All the best to you and yours for a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy 2012!

  3. I’m glad your stock’n is Goofy. He’s my idol. I have several ornaments of Goofy. I understand your feelings about the holiday and am glad you can enjoy season.
    Happy Channukah, Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings.

  4. We had Mr. Christmas in Dayville section of Killingly. He has since passed away and so has the displays. He was featured on GMA among so many others. It was fun to bring the kids and watch them with Santa! I’m glad you enjoy Christmas also. So to you and your Merry Christmas and Happy Channukah! Have always enjoyed your tracking of Santa through the years!

  5. Try the tree one year, make the ornaments with your family and consider it a family craft night – you won’t regret it – having a tree that we’ve helped to decorate with ornaments we’ve made symbolizes a lot about spending quality time with loved ones! That’s my slant if you decide to take that step at some point 😉

  6. I remember the house in Cheshire. It was beautiful with all the trees lit. Not sure how the neighbors felt, but it was the place to see in town. The gentleman who lived there passed away several years ago.

  7. Sure Channukah may have been elevated into a gap-filling holiday, but even though it may not be one of the “major” holiday’s there is nothing wrong with Jews celebrating Christmas as well. After all, Christians are actually celebrating the birth of who is, to us, a very special member of the Jewish faith. In reality, He was born sometime in September, but the Christian leaders only chose December 25th as the official day because they were trying to overshadow the celebration of Saturnalia celebrated by the pagans in December. The attitude was “it’s as good a day as any”. So, by all means feel free to join in with us in spirit. There is nothing wrong with placing a Christmas tree next to the Channukah bush (or just call the Christmas tree a Channukah bush without ornaments) and Menorah. Wikipedia says, “A Hanukkah bush is a bush or tree—real or simulated—that some North American Jewish families display in their homes for the duration of Hanukkah. It may, for all intents and purposes, be a Christmas tree (without any Christian ornaments).” Happy Channukah and Merry Christmas!

    1. I agree w/Kevin, I also know some of the Jewish Faith who also believe in Jesus too. I treat the Holidays as just that, Holidays, time for families to come together, people to put aside ill wills and the beautiful decorations and lights. It is what is in your heart towards others that matters. All Faiths have one thing in common— GOD. Know matter what name you give God, we all have 1 God. So celebrate the goodness that he meant for us to have and to be. So have yourself a wonder Holiday Season and celebrate your faith or others as you wish. God Bless

  8. geoff i remember the guy in cheshire , probably got to expensive , he had to hire an electeician to put in a temporary electrical service just to handle the power needed to carry the lights . im sure he had a lot of drama in his yard with that many people. everyone would walk thru the yard , not to mention the broken bushes from drunks falling on thier stuff in the dark. and the people night after night , wow im sure (not counting the disturbed neighbors) they eventualy got smart and opted for a quieter option , it was a very affluent neighborhood my wife and i went there once the crowds sent me running ,im sure that if the neighbors complained , the powers that be in cheshire could make it next to impossable to pull the necisary permits to put the electrical in , and oops i can make it over for inspection on ohhh the 26th everyone is so busy this time of year..lol ive seen the inspectors in wallingford play these games with a boss of mine when he gave them a hard time .if i wasnt so ingenious and figured out how to work around it we would have gone home for a cpuple of weeks , i guess the inspector forgot some bosses are jerks but they actually have crews of men who live from the hand to the mouth. 9/01/01 thats what i was doing …. an a cheeryier not geoff im glad we as christians can share our holiday with you , and yes theres a war to take christ out of christmas cant say merry christmas , its not politicaly correct , now its supposed to be happy holidays .. no christ in that .. and then theres the christian war over christmas. should we celibrate theres pro and con , is it a pagan holiday , is it ok , the bible says we shouldnt celibrate like others do when they worship thier gods .. and lets add a little fuel to this fire , christ wasn,t born on dec 25th he was born depending on who you ask either september 20th or 22nd 2 bc . yes geoff thier is a san… i mean war , and santa clause lands right smack dab in the middle of it (i wont get started on this one , after all there is no inheritance in heaven for any liar or thief, so what do we do ….looking left …. looking right .. dont see anyone elses children around ..next statement rated x not for your kids .we add an imaginary elf by the name of santa clause to the holiday .. i guess you can see where this one is going lol hope you get a little understanding on the holy war surrounding christmas . any way geoff hope you have a wonderful holiday channukah (hope thats spelled right im copying of the post above , or merry christmas , or happy arival of longer days ..or what ever .and may gods blessings be on you and your family during this holiday season , may it be everything you want it to be and more … god bless duane woodbury.. and to everyone eles here the same to you also

  9. I remember the Cheshire house, too. Driving down his street was an adventure. I believe he owned a funeral home in Hamden.

  10. I live down the street from Mr. H, who did pass away a number of years ago. He was a very generous man to take the time (I think he said he started in August!) to put up the display. Lights, trees, wooden cut out characters, & the music! As a neighbor, I didn’t mind, though there certainly was a lot of traffic. I think I still have video somewhere of his display. He would even dress as Santa and hand out candy canes to the children. Those are good memories. I don’t think the town gave him too much trouble, I just think after a number of years, aging, ill health etc, it got to be too much. But we have the memories of all of it — thanks for bringing those memories back to front of mind for us. The best to you and yours this holiday season.

  11. Actually, Wayne Rd. In Wallingford is worth driving by on your way home. First right off Cheshire Rd. before Ashlar Village. You can probably see it from Space, but his display is carefully thought out and he makes all of the trees himself from PVC pipe.

  12. Happy Hanukkah!

    It’s cute you do the stockings – do you open them Christmas morning or are they strictly decoration? You said not to ask but that just makes me wanna know!

    Christmas is everywhere this time of year. I never really thought about the commercials. Glad you embrace it. I can only assume it’s tougher on kids. How do you explain when a majority of kids are talking about Santa coming?

  13. Hi Geoff, Love the stockings!I have always thought that we Christians should celebrate Channukah as well. After all, Jesus was Jewish. I wish you a blessed Channukah and safe travels for Steffie.

  14. Yes I’m a lapsed catholic but I always stand up for non believers and the Jewish folks. Its Happy Holidays. Its not a Christmas Tree, I’ts a holiday tree. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to protest the town display in East Haven but thats for another post on another day.

  15. When I was a schoolkid in the early to mid 1960s we always gave our classmates Christmas cards, as we did Valentines. There were two Jewish kids in my class, and I knew they didn’t celebrate Christmas so I remember crossing out “Merry Christmas” on the card and writing “Happy Hannukah” instead. Some of the cards had very Christian images, too! But it never became an issue. And no one from any non-Christian faith ever protested our school’s Christmas celebrations (which were really pretty secular anyway) or the town decorations. That’s the world I grew up in. The existence and beliefs of other faiths, or for that matter faithless, revealed themselves over the years, and I do now say “Have a nice holiday” to folks I don’t know — I am not a “Merry Christmas” diehard. I don’t want to assume anything or offend anyone, and “Happy holidays!” doesn’t offend me. It’s all about hope, and love, and coming together for a cease-fire, so to speak. I am beyond delighted that you’ll be tracking Santa. I am beyond delighted that you’re here to do so. Yes, as Mark above put it, you get it. Have a wonderful holiday.

  16. Love the stockings as well as well as your pictures. Looking forward to you tracking Santa. Happy Holidays to you and your family!

  17. I always look forward to your Santa hat and Santa-tracking on Christmas Eve – I appreciate the fact that you do it every year, and I’m so glad you’ll be doing it on Fox 61 now!

  18. Happy Channukah to you and your wonderful family Geoff. We have Jews and Christians in our family and it’s so wonderful to embrace all our traditions. Hope you have a wonderful Holiday and a Blessed New Year!!

  19. My husband and I went to that home in Cheshire many years back. It had to be the coldest Winter ever as I recall but it didn’t matter. We walked all over this wonderland and suddenly found ourselves feeling like kids once again. We took so many pictures that evening and to this day every now and then bring them out and go through them all….I can still feel the cold go through my bones!!! He was a wonderful man for giving us the chance to experience the joy of Christmas..

  20. I think it’s wonderful you celebrate Christmas! I LOVE the stockings! My mom (who was a huge fan of yours) was an elementary school teacher all through the 50’s-80s and was always concerned about making holiday projects that would be ok for her Christian/Jewish/non-believers. She always found the parents of the Jewish kids were not offended nor worried about the “political correctness” and enjoyed the felt candles/bells or whatever they made. In turn, she’d have the kids tell about “their holidays” and they were always happy to do so. They’d bring dreidels and gelt and somehow, my mom was always the recipient of a dreidel to bring home to me! As I type this, I smile, since one of those wooden dreidels is still in my Nativity set–I put it there when I was 9, thinking Jesus would like a toy and since he was Jewish, he probably had one. The tradition has continued for almost 50 years. Some people put the star on the tree? We place the dreidel in the manger. Isn’t it fun to share celebrations? Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a fantastic 2012 to the Fox Family!!! Evi 😀

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