2008 Christmas Mantels
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I should be faster at this by now, this magical task of putting together a Christmas village. After all, I've been doing it on and off since I was seven. (True, there was that decade or so when we lived aboard a sailboat ... but still.) The earliest village that I can remember creating was made of little white houses from Sears. The fences around them were sections of Plasticville pickets that refused to stay together on that run up the cotton hill to the Christmas tree stand. The mirror came from my mother's dresser; it made a wonderful pond until one year I accidentally stepped on it. After that, I used Cut-Rite waxed paper (which made a more realistic surface for ice-skating anyway). The heavy lead Barclay skaters were five times taller than any door they could ever hope to enter. It was all simple and humble and not-to-scale fun.

And then I grew up. Got married. Moved away, leaving a cardboard box of memories behind me. Eventually what was left of the Christmas village got passed in bits and pieces to my sisters, who were far more respectful of tradition than I. I had things to do, places to see. Not to mention, John and I always had at least one cat around, and everyone knows cats have absolutely no respect for anything. They will trample, they will steal. They will certainly hide a two-inch bottlebrush tree under the couch if they haven't actually tried to eat it.

We usually had a Christmas tree, though. Live ones, even on the boat, although the ones we had there were little potted nursery things only a foot tall. I'm sure my parents, knowing about the trees, clung to the hope that someday, somehow, my traditional soul would be saved. And it was -- by my youngest sister, who asked me innocently a few years ago if I'd poke around on eBay and try to find the vintage cardboard houses and village accessories that we grew up with.

I found all that and more. I found that there were earlier, more beautiful houses than we ever had, and that I admired them enough to bid on them. I found, too, that there were actually little tin figures called zinnfiguren, from the same pre-war era, that were just the right size to go in and out of the doors on those houses. So, yes, I now have a collection far more beautiful than the plain little village under my childhood tree. But here's the thing: the reason I love this collection so well -- the reason I take forever to arrange the two villages on my two mantels -- is because the longer it takes, the happier I stay. Plain house, fancy house, it's still the same: every moment is a moment of childhood happiness relived. Every moment is one of profound gratitude that I was raised by parents who cared.

So, Mom and Dad -- if you're watching? Then you know that I'm on board with tradition -- and that, like you, I love sharing the joy.

Have a good Christmas, everyone. If things get too hectic, find yourself a moment, make a cup of tea -- coffee's good, too -- and perhaps visit here for just a little while. Click here to see 2008 mantel villages.

For more on vintage Japanese cardboard houses, visit papatedsplace.com