A new year is beginning to peak through softly beautiful and different like new falling snow, each day unique and shaped just for you. Your life adding something as each day does grow. My wish for your new year is beauty and softness with surprises thrown in for delight. Love for each day bringing happiness to you, making your life a scene of sparkle and shining sunlight.

Long ago it was thought that leaving the decorations up would cause a disaster. People believed that tree-spirits lived in the greenery (holy, ivy etc) they decorated their houses with. The greenery was brought into the house to provide a safe haven for the tree-spirits during the harsh midwinter days. Once this period was over it was necessary to return the greenery back outside to release the tree-spirits into the countryside once again. Failure to do this would mean that vegetation would not be able to start growing again (spring would not return), leading to an agricultural disaster.