After witnessing the downtown Centralia Christmas kickoff last Friday, I was reminded again that enjoyment of real life requires a similar sort of willingness - call it a childlike sense of wonder and acceptance. Even modern adults can enjoy this seasons old-fashioned Christmas rites - all that is required is a lack of cynicism and the confidence to accept good times as they come, even when they are simple.
In a nutshell, Im talking about reindeer and Christmas carols.
The Mittge family arrived a few minutes late to the evening tree lighting ceremony in George Washington Park. Unfortunately we missed, I am told, Bill Moellers reading of The Night Before Christmas, but we got there just in time for the ceremonial turning-on of the lights strung between the trees outside the public library.
We oohed and ahed along with the hundred or more other people huddled outside the park pagoda. With condensation creating tufts of fog whenever we breathed, the crowd joined in with a few Christmas carols.
Justin and Lucy Page and their two cute children led us all in a few of the standard tunes - We Wish You a Merry Christmas and such - as a real live Santa Claus strode through the crowd in the company of Mrs. Claus. The kids in the crowd were fascinated. For them, this was a Big Deal.
When the party finally broke up, we headed straight for the nights other attraction, two live reindeer available for inspection and stroking.
A company called Reindeer Express from Spokane brought in the two docile animals with wild sets of twisting antlers. Each had a ribbon tied around their midriffs - petting behind the red line was OK, but moving headward would get young hands and faces too close to the pointy racks.
The fur, as you would expect with Arctic animals, was soft, thick and luxurious. The animals seemed content and the onlookers, young and old, seemed fascinated.
After wed had our fill of the reindeer, which took a while, we headed into the Centralia Timberland Library for cookies and hot cider. Although it had cooled to lukewarm cider by the time we got inside, it was still spicy, tangy and sweet, perfect for sipping as we chatted with old friends in a clean, warm, well-lighted place.
On our way out, to visit the Festival of Trees at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, we saw the reindeer being loaded into a stock trailer (no sleigh in sight). We and another family watched from a safe distance, pleased by another chance to observe the unusual hooved visitors.
All in all, it was an unsophisticated night, even a little hokey. For those adults willing to suspend disbelief and take a childlike view, however, it was a great time and a worthy kickoff to the Christmas season.
Im looking forward to more of the same this weekend, which is loaded with Christmas parades, bazaars, festivals and other holiday goodies. Check todays Arts and Entertainment section for a complete rundown, or check tomorrows newspaper for another detailed list, including an interview with Dave Waldock, the longtime storekeeper who will be the grand marshal in the Chehalis Santa Parade.
The Christmas spirit stays strong in coming weekends, with the Sing Along Messiah and the St. Lucia festival among other seasonal attractions. The Yuletide festivities go underground by Dec. 22, the last weekend before Christmas. Historically, the newspaper has had a hard time getting reporters and photographers to all the events in early December, yet by later in the month there is little to cover.
Thats an opportunity, then, for holiday event organizers who want coverage in The Chronicle - the weekend just before Christmas is the time to plan your events for maximum public exposure.
For the rest of us, the month is full of opportunities (between mad trips to the malls and marts, of course) to experience the small and large joys of Christmas, one carol, cup o cider and reindeer at a time.
