DECEMBER 26, 2025

“Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.”

–Washington Irving.

Thank you, all you dear readers who took the time to send Christmas cards, and email me with Christmas wishes and greetings.  I cannot express to you all how much those messages meant.  I thoroughly enjoy overseeing The Observations daily publication, and I am gratified that so many of you read and enjoy it.  Even those dear readers who disagree, occasionally or regularly, are valued, welcomed, and appreciated.  Debate and thought are sadly disappearing throughout society, and our goal is to promote debate and thought as much as we can.  The feedback we get from our readers tells us that we just might be making a difference.  Thank you.

English and Holland are in South Carolina, visiting Gram and Rufe.  Dudley and I are enjoying an uneasy, fragile Christmas truce.  As usual, the dog blames me for English’s absence. It is so unfair.

Dudley and I shall spend the day together by the fire, reading, perhaps watching some football. I shall drink Scotch. Dudley will drink water. But if he is a good dog, some of the very delicious Christmas roast will be in his future.

Today, throughout the British Commonwealth, is celebrated as “Boxing Day”. In Britain, it was a custom for tradesmen to collect “Christmas boxes” of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.   This custom is linked to an older British tradition in which the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families since they would have had to serve their masters on Christmas Day.  The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses, and sometimes leftover food. Until the late 20th century, there continued to be a tradition among many in Great Britain to give a Christmas gift, usually cash, to vendors, although not on Boxing Day, as many would not work on that day.

“God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay; Remember Christ our Savior, was born on Christmas Day.”

GFK