Every year, we go to the town center and enjoy the festivities that surround this holiday period.
Tree lighting
Kids we knew from the high school, the Madrigal singers, were there in Renaissance costume, Santa was atop Engine No. 1; the Christmas Tree was at the bank, waiting to be lit.
We waited for magic.
An anxious melancholy permeated the atmosphere.
Other years, snow fell gently.
Last night was a record 68 degrees, warmest since 1881.
Shops on both sides of the street were open, offering free hot chocolate and food.
Starbucks offered peppermint hot chocoloate and gingerbread latte, better than Dunkin Donuts, by far.
Toddlers, children and teens freely roamed Leonard Street, now shut off from cars, allowing townspeople and shops a free for all.
This annual affair is a microscopic view of my town; architecturally beautiful, the town has many historic houses.
In the early days, around 1880. the town was a country retreat, reachable only by railroad train.
The train station is in the center of town and serves an underpass, which connects three intersecting streets.
Visitors to my town often remark, "Oh, my, this is beautiful. I'd love to live here."
I especially used to hear that from co-workers who were in this part of the country from, say, California.
Visitors to my town often remark, "Oh, my, this is beautiful. I'd love to live here."
I especially used to hear that from co-workers who were in this part of the country from, say, California.
The famous train station is still a train station, but now it serves commuters, rather than summer home visitors. An old, frame gazebo next to the Unitarian Church is across the street.
Up the street leading to the center is the town Common, with benches for sitting, flowers (in summer) and a time capsule to be opened in 2084, two hundred years after the town's founding.
Winslow Homer used to live in this town, when it was part of Cambridge. Farmers from this town were known for their excellent produce.
Up the street leading to the center is the town Common, with benches for sitting, flowers (in summer) and a time capsule to be opened in 2084, two hundred years after the town's founding.
Winslow Homer used to live in this town, when it was part of Cambridge. Farmers from this town were known for their excellent produce.
Eventually, Cambridge split and Belmont was founded, populated by many academics and scientists from nearby universities.
Last night, the usual 'hurry, hurry, hurry, rush, rush, honk - gotta get going' spirit had quieted.
The usual clang and clamor of commerce was silenced.
Throngs of townspeople were out.
Many exchanged greetings and seemed so excited to see each other again, as if they were meeting a long, lost friend.
More likely, they had met up with each other at the market yesterday.
It is a quiet, polite, trusting town.
This is very important.
We heard the Madrigals, saw high school girls dressed as elves giving out candy canes, heard the high school jazz band, heard the DJ playing Frank Sinatra.
The pizza shops and Starbucks got a lot more business than usual, people not waiting for their freebies from the restaurants.
People talk to people they don't know.
This town prides itself on maintaining an image somewhere between the 19th century and the 1950s.
This town prides itself on maintaining an image somewhere between the 19th century and the 1950s.
So, as we stood there waiting for the tree lights to come on, I felt nostalgic for the spirit this event had stirred in me many times before.
The word was not yet on my tongue. I was missing something, I knew not what.
The word was not yet on my tongue. I was missing something, I knew not what.
A hush hung over the crowd as we waited. The music was silenced.
"Ah," the crowd cried out. The tree was lit.
"Ah," the crowd cried out. The tree was lit.
The band struck up and the lights in town turned on.
Not only did the lights of the Christmas Tree light up, but also the 19th century-fronted stores, which had hung carefully placed strings of white-bulb lights across the tops of the facade.
The town looked like so many Gingerbread houses, sparkling brightly at night.
I remembered what I had missed.
I remembered what I had missed.
Suddenly, the world around us changed.
We blinked and in an instant, the world transformed.
We saw pixie dust before our eyes and we were forever transformed back into the world of our childhoods.
Years ago, my children were small and walked into a shop. The owner chased out some rowdy teens. My children were fawning over some "Christmas goose" coasters from England they saw. This was the London Harness shop.
"How much are these? Our mother would love these," they said.
"15 dollars," said the owner, a striking young woman with black hair down her back.
"Oh," my children said. (I was outside, not even knowing where they were, much less they were trying to shop for me. This they recounted later.)
"We don't have 15 dollars."
"How much do you have?" the shop owner asked.
"We have 9 dollars between us."
"Then you can have this for nine dollars," the shop owner said.
That kind of magic or trust does not happen every year.
But that year it did.
Copyright © 2007, Kathryn Esplin-Oleski
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Comments: 69
Richard, Lee, Vicky, Bert, Debbie G. all: Thank you. Enjoy and create the magic, where ever you are...
I was just in Cambridge over Thanksgiving visiting my SIL; if I'd known how close you are I'd have tried to say hi!
Sounds like you had fun- and it also sounds like a neat city!
Frohliche Advent Kathryn!
Johannes
Great article!
Kimberly, yep, that's the real ticket.
Thank you, Curt, Jean, Emma.
What is fun- is to have the kind of Calender that you can put real gifts behind for whom you love. That is great fun leading up to the Holiday.
Of course there is Sankt Nikolaus Tag/Krampus coming, as well as the Christkindl Tag...
It is my belief- a person is never to alt for the magik of Advent!
Johannes
I have not seen that kind of advent calendar...
Thanks JoAnn, Leslie and Melissa.