Christmas in Washington

I joke about being a Jewpiscopalian - that's a Jewish Episcopalian, you know, or an Episcopalian Jew - but, really, I love that I was raised to appreciate both my family's and my community's faiths.  I've talked about this before, almost exactly two years ago, but I think it's worth revisiting at this time of year.  These days, I don't think that the Christmas spirit has much to do with anything overtly biblical, and I think that by celebrating faith in all of its guises, especially when the days are short and dark, we come together in a really beautiful way.

Christmas has always been a vibrant part of my winter calendar in Washington.  From caroling on Capitol Hill to admiring the decked-out houses in Chevy Chase to making gingerbread men at the National Gallery's annual party to leading services at the Cathedral, I've loved participating in Christmas activities around town.  One of my favorite memories from childhood is of seeing the Nutcracker every winter, so I was thrilled when my friend Harriet suggested we snag tickets to The Washington Ballet's production at the Warner Theatre last week.  It was such a fun show, and perfect for my transatlanticism: the Nutcracker was George Washington, his soldiers were Revolutionaries, and the mice were Redcoats!

As soon as the overture began, I was transported to such a magical place, full of wonder and joy and imagination - make yourself a mug of hot chocolate and come with me!

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