The best thing about the holidays is that everyone celebrates differently and has their own traditions. Traditions are what make the holidays so special, and traditions look different for everyone! No matter what holidays you celebrate or how you celebrate them, one thing is for sure, it is a magical time of the year!

 

Each year around the holidays, the library puts up a Scandinavian Christmas Tree in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Griffin who were long-time library patrons and donated the tree and its decorations to us. For many years, the Griffins volunteered to put up this tree and decorate it with authentic Scandinavian ornaments and tell the stories of Scandinavian Christmas traditions. Scandinavian Christmas Trees are traditionally decorated with simple, handmade wood, straw, and felt ornaments. Today, the library staff and patrons appreciate this special tradition and are honored to support the continuation of this tradition. 

 

Library staff also have some special holiday traditions. One staff member celebrates Yule each year and decorates a yule log. Yule is celebrated over the course of seven days, and each day is spent playing different games and exchanging gifts. Another staff member has a unique holiday tradition—a Christmas book exchange with several friends from college. This began as a way to share their favorite reads with one another and connect across state lines. Initially, each person in the group would purchase a different book for every other member of the group based on what they thought the others would like. About a week before Christmas, they all join a video call and unwrap all the books.

 

This year marks the fourth year of this tradition. Another staff member has a tradition of making “Christmas Punch” each year to serve on Christmas morning with breakfast. The recipe for Christmas Punch is 2 cups orange juice, 2 cups cranberry juice, 1 cup pineapple juice, and 1 cup ginger ale. Combine ingredients in a pitcher and serve chilled. 

 

If you are interested in reading about other holiday traditions, the library has a few books of interest including Christmas Is Coming: Traditions from Around the World by Monika Utnik-Strugala and O Christmas Tree: Its History and Holiday Traditions by Jacqueline Farmer. 

 

The staff of the Bridgeport Public Library would like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy, and relaxing holiday season! The library will be closed December 22nd-26th.