'Tis the Season

Right after Thanksgiving...Columbus, Mississippi springs to life.

Or maybe I should say the pace of events speeds up. And as I've already observed, hardly a weekend goes by that Columbus doesn't have something going on. In just the last few weeks, Cliff and I have attended these events:

• Lighting of the Christmas Tree on the Riverwalk, just off Downtown
• The Christmas Parade—at night
• The Wassail Fest in Downtown
• Handel's Messiah

Actually it was the lighting of a magnolia tree. Local businesses served hot chocolate and cookies and provided kids' activities, attended by Santa and Mrs. Claus and a speech by the mayor before the lights were flipped on, flooding the magnolia with brilliant lights. There was even a fake snow machine that everyone delighted in, and this year, not long after that, Columbus was treated to a real snow that blanketed everything. Just a few days later we attended the Christmas Parade when it came down College Street. We were invited to a person's home where people have been going for over 40 years to watch the parade from the porch. The cost of "admission" to this lovely home is that everyone who attends brings some sort of food. Of course, most of the people who come have been doing so for many years, and my neighbor Sharon invited Cliff and me to attend. She said that next year we would be expected to bring a food dish. Much of the evening was spent visiting and getting to know people. Cliff spent quality time getting to know the owner who has been throwing the porch party all these years. I met a fellow writer who has promised to call me, so that we can visit about our writing. She and her husband got out of New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina, and they have been living in Columbus ever since.

A few days after the Christmas Tree lighting was the Wassail Festival, which each year draws hundreds of merrymakers to the historic downtown district. Nearly two dozen merchants competed for Wassail Meister bragging rights. Wassail is traditionally a mulled punch often associated with Merry Olde England and Yuletide. It is a mixture of juices and spices that has been served for centuries.  Wassail Fest has been selected as a Top 20 Event in the Southeast, and has been held for many years.

As it turns out, we also attended the local Catholic Church's annual presentation of Handel's Messiah, performed by local choirs and orchestra. Dr. Doug Browning conducted. The Columbus High School Varsity Singers also performed before the Messiah event. The high school singers are also under the direction of Dr. Doug Browning. Last year this ensemble earned all superior ratings at district and state festivals. The group needs chorus gowns, and anyone interested in helping can contact Dr. Browning at 601-826-9952. Cliff and I were invited to The Messiah event by my neighbor Sharon, and after that we went to dinner with her and her best friend Pat, along with Pat's sister and her husband, Judge Davies. This was on an exciting night, when Alabama's special election was coming to a close, but try as I might, I couldn't find out the election results until after Cliff and I got home. Enough said on the subject of politics.

We also attended the sales event at Magnolia Antiques just after Thanksgiving. Magnolia Antiques in Columbus, MS, has been recognized as one of the best antiques stores in Mississippi and surrounding states. This annual event draws hundreds of visitors from as far away as Georgia and is not to be missed during the Christmas season, either. Both Cliff and I have bought luscious furniture from the store over the past year. Every year, this store brings in all kinds of food and drinks, and as it happened on the day we attended, we made a lunch out of the offerings and spent a good two hours shopping.

One of the things that Columbus, Mississippi, and other moderately sized southern towns still unabashedly celebrate is Christmas. I'm not commenting on whether or not this is considered "politically correct" because, after all, we are in the South and the celebrations of this season are still done in the ways they have been done for a long time. However, as will be evident from the video, here, it's an event that draws people together, people of all races and one would think all religions, Christian and non-Christian. Here is the vid and you decide...