When Jack Frost starts painting a complex crystalline pattern on some of our windows (I live in Phoenix, so frost is rare … but I have lived in areas where the ice scraper was my friend … that or one of those fake credit cards you get in the mail), we know that winter has arrived. And, along with winter come the winter holidays.

Have you ever wondered why so many cultures have a celebration during this time of year? Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa … just to name a few. Some will say there is mystical significance … and that may very well be true. But I think it was just a good idea to gather the family together, share the warmth and make it through another harsh winter.

No matter what our winter holiday traditions are, there is an underlying theme that seems to permeate them all: family, friends and the celebration of these bonds that make us a community.

During the coldest time of the year, we all seem to gather to celebrate life and those we love. We gather to enjoy good food, good conversation and good company. We reminisce about past holidays, remember those we love who are no longer with us, and plan for the future. We share photos, we share gifts, and we share laughs.

No matter our age, our race or our nationality; no matter our heritage, our upbringing or our traditions; at winter time, we live, we laugh, and we love.

And that is my wish for you … long life, rich laughter and the warmth of love we all deserve.

Here’s something a little different: Western-themed Christmas cards.

You won’t see them around much, they are pretty cool. They show scenes of winter that don’t include snow, which to some is a pretty radical idea. And, of course, they showcase the cowboy motif.

These types of Christmas cards sport

• Cacti,
• Cattle,
• Horse shoes,
• Pueblos,

and sometimes some Southwestern Native American themes. Of course, there are also the cowboys. Maybe they’re sitting around a fire, trying to keep warm while sharing some Christmas joy. Or maybe there will be a solitary cowboy sitting atop his horse on a lonely bluff with a star shining brightly above.

These types of Christmas cards are uniquely American and celebrate the western and southwestern lifestyle.

And they are a little different, since Christmas tends to be Euro-centric with images of snow covered evergreens. But, despite their unusual-ness, they still impart the spirit of Christmas.

I was just watching The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (I Tivo it) and in his opening monologue he mentioned that he used to get tangerines and chocolate in his Christmas stockings when he was growing up.

When I was growing up there was always a tangerine in the toe of my stocking … even though my parents (and Santa) knew I don’t like tangerines much.

So, I wondered … is it a Scottish thing?

No, not really.

It’s part of a larger tradition surrounding St. Nicholas (Bishop Nicholas of Myra, Turkey).

According to legend, says Wikipedia, there was a poor man with three beautiful daughters. Because the man was so poor, he couldn’t provide a dowry to get his daughters married and he was worried about what would happen to them when he was gone.

St. Nicholas was passing through that village and heard of the poor man’s plight. He wanted to help but knew he couldn’t just give the man some money out right. He had to do it in secrecy.

That night, he crept into their home through the chimney, carrying with him three bags of gold coins … one for each of the three daughters. In looking for a place to put the bags of coins, he noticed that the girls’ stockings were hanging over the mantelpiece to dry. So he decided to put the bags of coins inside the the girls’ stockings, where they found them when they woke up in the morning.

Often, these bags of coins are said to be golden balls. Tangerines, and sometimes oranges, are used to represent those balls. And so, Europeans and their American descendants still put round, orange fruit in the toes of stockings as a reminder of Nicholas’ gift.

Of course, the origin of such traditions can get lost from one generation to the next … leading to my Internet research.

Oh, and about Ferguson’s chocolates … I found that chocolate coins are often added to Christmas stocking for the same reason as the tangerine.

What did my father say was the reason for the tangerine? Besides sharing the tradition of his father, he said it was to prevent stocking stuffers from getting caught in the toe of the stocking … which isn’t too far fetched. One year, we went to hang up the Christmas stockings and found a gift from the previous year still lodged inside!