Epiphany

Today marks the end of the Christmas season, or at least it does according to the traditions with which we grew up. It's the Feast of the Epiphany, or of The Three Wise Men, the Magi.

Here in Northern California, the skies are blue, the air is dry, and it's the perfect time to take down all the Christmas decorations. My first task is to get the boxes from the garage, so my wife can remove all the precious items handmade for the Christmas tree by her late mother, followed by each of the many shiny glass balls, and tasselled tinsel, and small, colorful wooden toys which have graced our tree every Yuletide season.

It never ceases to surprise me how much of the stuff we have managed to accumulate over the decades, and yet every December they appear to be as fresh as ever. We say we do it for the kids, but really we do it as much for ourselves.

As for the outdoor lights, my wife keeps adding to the collection year after year. They are draped or wrapped around the bushes in our front yard, there to offer a welcoming brilliance to the front of the house. These lights have all to be taken down carefully, so as not to damage the tiny bulbs, and to avoid getting the wires tangled or mangled.

Only after all these preliminary chores are accomplished can our artificial fir tree with its segmented trunk and built-in lights and folding branches be restored to its place of hibernation for the next eleven months.

Whew!