Christmas Traditions
By MK McClintock, Guest Author
"Gifts of
time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry
Christmas." - Peg Bracken
I
spent a lot of time reading through Christmas practices during the mid-late
nineteenth-century. How did the soldiers and their families in the forts spend
the holidays? What did miners and travelers eat while on the road or at a hotel
on the open plains or a cabin in the mountains? When it came time to decorate
the tree, did they use nuts, strings of popcorn or beads, oranges, lemons, and
candies, or did they go for a grander ornamentation like the fancier trees seen
in ladies’ magazines? Did they import their ornaments from Germany or decorate
with home-made trinkets? The traditions and customs varied from home to home
and region to region, but when it came down the traditions of my characters in
the old west, I knew I wanted to keep the holiday simple and focused around
family.
In
Christmas Mountain, each year the
mother made a small angel for her daughter to place on the tree. In Teton Christmas, the town had a
tradition of decorating every building with festive garlands and ribbons, but
they were open to including a new custom by holding a dance at the hotel. In Lily’s Christmas Wish, it’s the first
season when a new family has a chance to create their own traditions.
My own family’s
holiday traditions have changed over the years, but a few things remain the
same. We decorate the house the weekend after Thanksgiving, and the tree
remains up until the New Year. On Christmas morning, we always sit by the fire
with hot chocolate and homemade cinnamon rolls. Since I’m not one who enjoys
the commercialism of Christmas, there’s not a lot of focus these days on gifts,
but rather on spending the day as a family. Most years I’m in the kitchen by
five o’clock in the morning, baking, prepping, and cooking. I take a break for
the cinnamon roll breakfast and then head back to the kitchen, taking time here
and there for a board game or to watch part of a movie. Creating that
extravagant evening meal is one of my own personal favorite traditions.
No matter your own
traditions for this season, or whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or
perhaps it’s just another day, I wish you all a beautiful season filled with
hope.
"Christmas
gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a
friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a
good example. To yourself, respect." - Oren Arnold
Home for
Christmas
Short
Story Collection
By
MK McClintock
A
collection of three historical western short stories to inspire love and warm
the heart.
Praise for A Home for Christmas
"The cold nips at your face and delicious Christmas cake leaves you wanting more."
"The cold nips at your face and delicious Christmas cake leaves you wanting more."
- M. Ann
Roher, Author of "Mattie"
“If
you like the 1800's, like I do, you will love these stories!”
-Diane Holm, The
Reader’s Cove, Amazon Vine Reviewer
“I
really enjoyed these charming historical fictions CHRISTMAS MOUNTAIN, TETON
CHRISTMAS and LILY'S CHRISTMAS WISH! . . . Ms. McClintock is a very descriptive
writer, I could feel the surroundings!”
-Nicole Laverdure
CHRISTMAS
MOUNTAIN
In search of family she barely knows and adventure she's always wanted, Katherine Donahue is saved from freezing on a winter night in the mountains of Montana by August Hollister. Neither of them expected that what one woman had in mind was a new beginning for them both.
TETON CHRISTMAS
Heartache and a thirst for adventure lead McKensie Stewart and her sister to Wyoming after the death of their parents. With the help of a widowed aunt and a charming horse breeder, McKensie discovers that hope is a cherished promise, and there is no greater gift than love.
LILY'S CHRISTMAS WISH
Lily Malone has never had a real family or a real Christmas. This holiday season, she might get both. From an orphanage in New York City to the rugged mountains of Colorado, Lily sends out only one wish. But when the time comes, can she give it up so someone else's wish can come true?
Settings: Montana, Colorado, Wyoming
Christmas Short Stories/Western
In search of family she barely knows and adventure she's always wanted, Katherine Donahue is saved from freezing on a winter night in the mountains of Montana by August Hollister. Neither of them expected that what one woman had in mind was a new beginning for them both.
TETON CHRISTMAS
Heartache and a thirst for adventure lead McKensie Stewart and her sister to Wyoming after the death of their parents. With the help of a widowed aunt and a charming horse breeder, McKensie discovers that hope is a cherished promise, and there is no greater gift than love.
LILY'S CHRISTMAS WISH
Lily Malone has never had a real family or a real Christmas. This holiday season, she might get both. From an orphanage in New York City to the rugged mountains of Colorado, Lily sends out only one wish. But when the time comes, can she give it up so someone else's wish can come true?
Settings: Montana, Colorado, Wyoming
Christmas Short Stories/Western
Book Links
Excerpts from A Home for Christmas
Copper Point,
Montana Territory—December 1879
"Alone now,
surrounded by a peace she rarely experienced, Katherine pet Crockett in front
of the hearth. The fire flickered, causing the flames’ shadows to dance over
the log walls. The scent of yeast drifted from the rising loaves of bread
waiting on the kitchen counter. Quiet surrounded Katherine and Crockett as they
enjoyed a few moments alone before the others woke."
-from CHRISTMAS
MOUNTAIN
_____________________________________________
Wickliffe,
Wyoming Territory—December 22, 1892
"The sun
shone from the brilliant blue sky, kissing her skin and brightening the
freckles scattered across her nose. McKensie Stewart closed her eyes, breathed in
the frosty air, and spread her arms wide. She stood on the side of the
snow-covered road where the stage coach had dropped them off and relished in
the wonderment. They had finally arrived in Wyoming."
-from TETON
CHRISTMAS
Look for the Wycliffe Hotel's
Famous Coffee Cake recipe at the end of the book.
_______________________________________________
Cotter’s Gulch,
Colorado—December 1868
Dear God. Please help me find a
family. Love, Lily.
The forged wheels whirred and ground against the iron rails as the small window of the train car opened up to the vast landscape of the American West. Miss Abbott told her the same stories over and over again, promising that a new life waited. She wasn’t sorry to see the dingy city disappear four days ago, and she hoped to never see it again. Those memories she wanted to leave far behind."
The forged wheels whirred and ground against the iron rails as the small window of the train car opened up to the vast landscape of the American West. Miss Abbott told her the same stories over and over again, promising that a new life waited. She wasn’t sorry to see the dingy city disappear four days ago, and she hoped to never see it again. Those memories she wanted to leave far behind."
-from LILY'S CHRISTMAS WISH
 |
| MK McClintock, Author |
MK
McClintock spins tales of romance and adventure inspired by the heather-covered
hills of Scotland and the majestic mountains of home. With her heart deeply
rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, she lives and writes in
Montana.
-2014
RONE Award-Nominee for Alaina Claiborne
-Crowned
Heart for Excellence from InD'Tale Magazine for Blackwood Crossing and The
Montana Gallagher Collection
Learn more about MK by visiting her website at http://www.mkmcclintock.com or blog at http://www.booksandbenches.com.
Genres: historical romantic westerns, historical romantic mysteries, western short stories
Contact & Connect
www.booksandbenches.com (blog)
Thanks for stopping by!
2 comments:
Thank you so much for having me at your blog today, Caroline. It's always a joy to visit you and your readers. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
MK, I love your new cover and can't wait to read the stories. Each sounds tempting. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
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