DREAMS OF TOMORROW

I have always thought of stories as a magical time machine that transports us to a period and place we are often less familiar with, and immerses us in a wonderful experience of another person’s (or character’s) journey. This spectacular phenomenon has always been more alight for me during Christmas, because there is just something in a Christmas atmosphere that makes life magical.

An unwritten end-of-the-year tradition I have kept for about three or four years now is to always read a Christmas-ey book (mostly fiction) during the holidays. Though there have been setbacks, including troubles removing myself from the reality of the story when it’s finished, I’ve never seen those experiences as something to throw in the bin. Perhaps this is just another silly affair of mine, but I’m here to share the experience with you.

Historical Wintery tales and Christmas Fantasies.

I am a classicist by heart. I like to know what life was like centuries before I was born. Often bored with this timeline, I yearn to explore other cultures and customs of times past. So, naturally, I’m drawn to historical stories. Stories of or about the past are the best way for me to experience the minds of people who lived in that era.

My favorite season to read those sorts of tales is winter. More so, I find that historical stories set in winter make the experience more magical. Where I come from, there is no winter as experienced in most other parts of the world. My first experience of snow was surreal. There is something about the white-covered landscape contrasting with the red berries of the mistletoe; the ambiance of a warm house that smells of hot cocoa and ginger; and the calm of a church, booming with angelic voices singing carols that transport me to another place. Another era. The same way a story would.

For me, winter, despite the cold, has been a season when stories and characters come alive. The best tales, in my opinion, are set in winter. And some of my very favorites are:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

A Soul as Cold as Frost by Jennifer Kropf.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.

Nikolaos by Taylor Marshall (his Sword and Serpent Trilogy is also spectacular).

The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott.

The Nutcracker and The Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

There’s so much more! And this list will be extending over time. However, these are my most memorable ones.

Stories of Saints

Most are familiar with the nativity story of Our Lord Jesus Christ. However, I am sad that many people -myself included- choose to stop there when it comes to reading tales of real-life saints who lived and died in the truth that Christ came to bring. Undoubtedly, the story of Our Lord is the ultimate story -one from which other ones stem. However, I have found it most helpful and inspiring, to read the lives or writings of saints -people, human and broken like me, who accepted the gift of God to be holy.

For example, in Taylor Marshall’s Sword and Serpent trilogy, though the story is fiction based off of tales of the Saints, it offers an inspiring depiction of how normal people (from nobles to soldiers to commoners) withstood, with God’s help, the evil and persecution of the pagan Roman Empire under Emperor Diocletian. While reading the piece, I was often motivated by their virtue: love, fortitude, perseverance, etc., and in many ways, I reflected on how I could apply the virtues that the characters of these stories portrayed in my own life. Marshall’s novel was only fiction, but the same applies to real-life tales of Saints, from all walks of life, some of whose stories even seem more magical than a hobbit’s tale.

I think the very core of the Christmas season is to be inspired by these wonderful people and the One who made them; and then reflect on how we can apply their virtues to our lives. 

As a Catholic, I am big on Saints. They have become intercessors for us here on earth. A few Saints, whose lives I have read or watched on good books/films are recommended below:

The Blessed Virgin Mary- Book is The Life of Mary as Seen by The Mystics.

St. Giuseppe Moscati – Film is St. Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor of the Poor (2007).

St. Bernadette – Film is The Song of Bernadette (1943).

The Three Little Children of Fatima – Film is The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952).

St. Therese of Lisieux- Books are The Story of a Soul and The Story of a Family.

St. Joseph of Cupertino- Film is The Reluctant Saint (1962).

Bl. Franz Jägerstätter- Film is The Hidden Life (2019).

St. Thomas Moore- Film is A Man for All Seasons (1966).

Moses- Film is The Ten Commandments (1956).

St. Joan of Arc- Film is Joan of Arc (1948).

Again, there are much more. Hence, this list will continue over time.

Folklore

What feeling is more cozy than a cup of tea beside you and a knitting spool and yarn on your hands, while listening to a good audio recording of Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm?

Since my childhood, I’ve loved folklore. I love how short, interesting, and morally inspiring it is. In my primary school, we would learn different types of literature, and every time we talked about folktales, my ears pricked up. After saturating my mind with African (Nigerian) folktales, I moved to the West and fell in love with European folk/fairy tales. Most of these, I was already familiar with as a child, like Cinderella, The Snow Queen, Rapunzel, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin… And the list could go on. However, every once in a while, I go back to these stories and explore new ones, to get a sense of that childhood and otherworldly nostalgia that I often crave.

And together with the magic of Christmas and New Year, sometimes, all I need in order to feel myself again is to listen to a good old folktale by moonlight, if not in front of a fire.

Need I suggest examples of folklore to read? I would imagine that many people are already conversant with the popular ones, like those mentioned above.

Fairy or folktales can be seen as something childish and whimsical, however, I believe these stories need to be read and re-read, even as one grows up. They teach common lessons that people often forget as they age. Lessons of childlikeness, innocence, honesty, frugality, kindness, beauty, etc. One should also explore folklore from other cultures, which teach the same moral lessons, but in different lights. I am mostly affiliated with Nigerian and Western folktales (e.g. Grimm Fairy Tales), but I am looking to get into Celtic and Asian ones as well.

A simple search on the web or visit to a local library/bookstore can help you find what types of folktales you may be more attuned to.

Note: Check out my article on lessons from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. His other stories are extraordinary.

And you may want to check out books by George MacDonald, too. I have heard that if you like Narnia, you’d like his fairytales as well!

In summary,

Christmas and New Year have always been seasons for me to get into stories that inspire me with a new worthwhile goal for the next season or year.

What types of stories keep you cozy and motivate you during the cold days of winter? I would love to know!

Happy New Year!

Au revoir,

Christine.