Cherish Christmas traditions: Books and stories bring meaning to the season | Opinion.

The arrival of cool weather inevitably brings memories of holidays long ago. How well I recall Christmas as a kid. On Christmas Eve, except for a wreath on the door, at my bedtime there was no sign of the transformation that was to come.

Hours later, when the gray dawn first appeared, not only were my parents awake, but in one corner of the living room was a train garden with a Lionel making circles and a fully decorated tree. Overnight, a miracle had occurred.

Today, whatever folk are celebrating, the festive season is beginning steadily earlier. Weeks before the arrival of Thanksgiving, decorations are going up. Back in September I spotted a huge display of artificial trees at Costco, a harbinger of wonders to come.

How do we account for this abundant pre-Christmas activity? Perhaps, in a troubled time people seek out joy and merriment. Those who observe the religious nature of the season are very likely to experience a spiritual transformation. Some religious denominations formally define the Christmas season, beginning with Advent (on Dec. 1 this year) and concluding 12 days later with Epiphany.

While many would say there’s too much emphasis on presents at this time of year, there certainly exists a need that will change not only individual lives but our entire culture. There is no certainty these days that young children will grow up to become proficient readers. This problem does not bode well for our nation’s future. Fortunately, the reading crisis is one whose solution lends itself to individual effort. Far too many kids grow up in homes without books or even magazines in print or online. This problem can be readily solved.

Books make especially great gifts when they have played a role in the life of the giver, especially an admired person. The best books at Christmas are those that carry a spiritual message. Particularly useful are books that can stand the test of time. A copy of the Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” will never go out of fashion, for it reminds us that no matter if we have misspent our lives thus far, it is never too late to start anew.

Always appropriate at this time of the year is the gift of an anthology. Still available is Jack Newcombe’s “A Christmas Treasury,” containing over 50 wonderful tales, including O. Henry’s “Gifts of the Magi,” which brings to life the Prayer of St. Francis.

If there is a “Bah, humbug” cynic around your table, one who doesn’t believe in Santa, also anthologized by Newcombe, is Thomas Hardy’s great poem, “The Oxen,” about the magic of Christmas Eve. You’ll remember this work for a long time to come, “hoping it might be so.”

Larry Fennelly can be reached at larney_f@hotmail.com