She made her first Christmas card appearance in 1989, sharing the drawing with her great grandmothers, Nana and Nonnie.  She subsequently featured in 6 more holiday greetings, the last celebrating her pending graduation from high school and the as-yet-to-be realized adventures in college (Christmas 2006).  Now it’s 2011 and there’s been another graduation (okay, i STILL, can’t believe 4 years went by that fast) so, naturally, this year’s card needed to once again spotlight Jesse.  The best Companion a mother (or Time Lord) could ever have!

Wrapping up her senior year at NYU, finishing her last two classes in a study abroad program at Trinity College in Dublin, followed by what i affectionately call “The Mother/Daughter Magical Mystery Tour of Time & Space (w/ Nerdy Geek Encounters in) Ireland, England & Wales” ~ it’s ALL here.  Well, in the symbolic and convoluted way i depict things, which, of course, necessitates the customary Explanatory Notes/Background Syory portion of a Laurie Allen Klein Christmas card.  So sit back, relax, pour yourself a Guinness and enjoy.  Slainte!

The setting is a pub (and – no – not for the obvious reason, though Irish pubs did indeed get a fair workout).  Jesse and i took a Musical Pub Crawl through Dublin that turned out to be wonderfully educational (as opposed to simply an excuse to get wasted) and we learned, among a variety of things, that if the place looks like someone’s livingroom – you’re in a real Irish pub – so that seemed like the perfect setting for a picture that is not only part autobiography but also a holiday celebration The other thing we learned on the tour was – Irish music is taken very seriously.  There are, certainly, those places where folks just go to booze and watch football and sing badly to  Top 40 songs, but the real pubs are home to serious musicians who drop in with their instruments and just start jamming – ebbing and flowing, picking up the theme and playing with it before relinquishing it to the next instrument.  There is drinking, but more importantly there is always a corner of the pub reserved for the communal spirit of music and singing and sharing stories.  And as with all good jam sessions, my musicians tell the story.

Jesse’s in the middle, wearing the scarf that features in just about every photograph taken of her the past 4 years, and she’s playing a Clarsach (harp), a traditional symbol of Ireland. On the fiddle is a lion,  representing England, and playing the bodhran (drum) is the Red Dragon of Wales (the other places we visited on our travels).  The sheep plays the tin whistle and represents Ireland because Jess saw so many on her trip (and is just mad about them).  From New York, hoisting the pint of Guinness and holding Jesse’s diploma, is the NYU mascot (NOTE: the other two pages in the bobcat’s paw are the certificates Jess and i both received from the old Jameson Distillery, certifying us as “Qualified Irish Whiskey Tasters”).  Which, finally, brings us to the shark who probably needs no explanation if you are familiar with Klein family obsessions in general or Jesse’s in particular. That’s Bruce, the shark from JAWS.  Jesse got the movie when we moved to Florida 14 years ago and it has been a favorite ever since, so much so in fact that not only did Jess take a copy to college with her, it was the only DVD she specifically took to Ireland as well.  From a holiday standpoint it also happens to be a family tradition to watch the movie every Christmas (or the wonderfully awful Jaws 3 in 3D) but i have long forgotten how that started. The Christmas pudding has no symbolic significance other than this is a Christmas card and i wanted a holiday reference but, truth be told, it actually  wound up there because i had an empty space beside the bobcat and needed to fill it with something.

Of course no trip to Wales and England would be complete without indulging our other Mother/Daughter fixations, manias and obsessions and those too are represented in the card.  In Cardiff, Jess and i went to the Millennium Centre – home of the Time Rift and secret entrance to the Torchwood Hub; and in London we enjoyed the Doctor Who Experience and saw David Tennant and Catherine Tate (the 10th Doctor and his companion Donna Noble) in “Much Ado About Nothing” so those names are painted on the pub wall.

“Galway Girl” is the name of of one of the songs on Jesse’s Irish play list that she listened to a lot (tho, technically, not a traditional Irish pub song it was a favorite and she really liked Galway) and Jesse is, and always has been, mysterious… and stuff.

May your heart be warm and happy, with the lilt of Irish laughter, Every day in every way, And forever and ever after.

Nollaig shona duit!

I spent a good portion of 2010 working on a book about the solar system called, “Meet the Planets” (there are a couple blogs about the start up, with more to come).   I read everything i could about astronomy and the universe and while i fully expected to find all the scientific connections i was surprised to see how my research touched every other discipline as well:  Biology, Chemistry, Math, Philosophy, History, Mythology, Art, Literature, Music, even Pop Culture and Science Fiction.  I found such a wealth of information, in fact, i went a little nutty finding ways to squeeze it all into 12 illustrations (it was simply too perfect an opportunity to indulge all my space geek, science nerd, sci fi fan-girl obsessions).  The result was a sort of multi-style, collage-type effect and i was so pleased with the look i wanted to duplicate it in my 2010 Christmas card.  The fact that Christmas has its roots in the Winter Solstice (space) and the Roman Saturnalia (planet) perfectly brings my year spent in Time and Relative Space to a satisfying conclusion.  So, without further preamble (or pre-ramble in my case)… let’s Meet the Holiday!

It begins, quite literally, at the dawn of civilization, when Neolithic people celebrated the annual return of the midwinter sun – the Winter Solstice.  From the Latin, sol stetit (sun stands still) when the Sun appears to rise and set more or less at the same point on the horizon (thus appearing to stand still in the sky), our agrarian ancestors rejoiced in the renewed promise that planting would begin again.  In 3,200 BC  ancient Celts constructed what could arguably be called one of the first solar observatories in Newgrange, Ireland, aligning it so that on the day of the Winter Solstice a shaft of light penetrates the passageway and illuminates the rear wall of the chamber.  (The image of the sun on the horizon comes from a wonderful time-lapse photo of the Winter Solstice and the Newgrange entrance and carved megalith are depicted as they appeared at the turn of the century.  I should also note, while the image at the back of the cave is an actual carving from the interior, in reality it’s on a side wall).

Cernunnos, the horned Celtic diety of the natural world, here represents the Neolithic shaman who climbed into ancient oaks or ascended rocky crags and returned with messages from the spirit world bringing promises of the new year.  Very much like another annual gift-giver who descends chimneys every year.  (Cernunnos, with antlers and torq, is done in the style of an image from the Celtic Gundestrop Cauldron, and blows a carnyx, a Celtic horn).

Over time the rebirth of the Unconquered Sun took on new incarnations, with a number of  ancient cultures sharing similar nativity stories of their respective solar gods.  The birth of the Greek god, Apollo (pictured here in the style of a wall painting from the Etruscan city of Tarquinia, 470 BC) was celebrated with games and festivities on December 25 about 10 BC,

and around the 2nd century AD the Persian sun-god, Mithra, was imported to Rome by legionaries, and his birthday was similarly celebrated well into the 4th century.  (The image of Mithra is taken from a fragment of fresco, but i took creative license and added the fiddle).

Of course, if you really want to talk holiday fun you need to look to the ancient Roman midwinter festival of Saturnalia from which we derive many of our current traditions (see, i told you there was a planet involved).  From December 17 to the 24th, Saturn, the god of the harvest, was honored with feasting and merriment.  Slaves exchanged places with Masters in the spirit of Misrule, warfare was suspended, homes and places of worship were decorated with greenery, gifts were exchanged, candles lit, and there was much music and revelry (sound familiar).

Into this Big Bang of social and cultural activity a new Judeo-Christian religion emerged.  As the early Christian Church struggled to become established its leaders understood the powerful hold the midwinter festivals had on pagan worshippers and in the 4th century the Church officially recognized December 25 as the anniversary of the Nativity of Jesus Christ to win converts (NOTE: the actual phrase, Christmas, was first recorded in 1038).  Within a century the pagans were won over but  while they were willing to follow the new religion they had no intention of giving up their long treasured midwinter festivities.  This dual nature  of Christmas – pious and pagan – is represented in the style of the Celtic illuminated manuscript, The Book of Kells (ca. 800).  Combing both pre- and post- Christian influences and pagan traditions, sacred text illuminated by ancient motifs, the Celts bring this brief, unofficial history full circle as the bard, Taliesin (both a figure of myth and history), leads Saturnalia revelers: Apollo, Cernunnos, and Mithra from the Newgrange sidh along a path decorated with festive greenery in celebration of the Winter Solstice.

But while the card’s story ends here the history of Christmas has another chapter.  Those killjoy Puritans attempted to suppress the holiday because of its pagan heritage (even going to far as to declare it a criminal offense to celebrate Christmas in Massachusetts in 1659) and the fact that they weren’t real keen on all that drinking and revelry.  You can’t keep a good party down however, and by 1800 Universalists and Unitarians began calling for a public observance of Christmas even tho it was not a biblically sanctioned holiday – they just wanted to celebrated it.  About 20 years later the emergence of a family centered hearth & home holiday, visited by a jolly old elf, calmed much of the “misrule” (ie: boozing) aspects of the festival and Christmas – as we know it – was offically here to stay.

As for any remaining explanatory bits:  the Triads (Power of Three) had a special significance to the Celts and is a common motif in their art and literature, thus the three swirls, the three suns, and the three groupings of berries.  The greenery is mistletoe, for obvious Christmas-y reasons and because it was a plant  held sacred by the Druids – representing the divine spark of creativity.  And the design on Saturn’s goblet is a Gallifreyan inscription because i simply couldn’t do a Time and Space history card without some nod to Doctor Who.

To History and Astronomy and Art, and the rich traditions of the Season!                       LAK 2010

There has always been a Santa Claus.  His story goes back to the beginning of known history when, on Winter Solstice nights, Neolithic shamans climbed into ancient oaks or ascended rocky crags and returned with messages from the spirit world.  The world’s first gift-giver has gone by many names and incarnations since then ~ these are but a few.

CERNUNNOS (c. 1000 BC) –  The Celtic “Horned Sacred One” was the god of animals and nature, symbolizing fertility & plenty.  Reborn every Winter Solstice he is often depicted sitting cross-legged surrounded by animals and holding a ram-horned snake.  Occasionally he has a cornucopia in his lap and gold streams from his fingers.  His antlers illustrate the eternal cycle of life, while the two torcs – gold collars – he wears denote power and prosperity.  [The image on the card was inspired by a detail from the Celtic Gundestrop Cauldron]

ODIN (c. 1400 AD) –  The Scandinavian god of war and poetry flew the skies on his eight-legged horse dispensing gifts.  Blind in one eye, the two ravens perched on his shoulders personify “thought” and “memory”.  [This image was taken from a 13th century stone tablet, tho in this drawing i was attempting a brass rubbing effect]

ST. NICHOLAS (1400 – 1600 AD) –  The good works of this Bishop of Myra grew into legend.  A wealthy man he was said to have left anonymous gifts in the homes of the poor and saved three dowery-less girls from prostitution with secret deposits of gold.  In the early middle ages winter celebrations honoring the saint replaced pagan solstice feasts.  [This image takes its inspiration from medieval  illuminated manuscripts]

FATHER CHRISTMAS (1600 – 1800 AD) –  When Protestant reformers sought to do away with “heathen traditions” and ties to the Catholic church St. Nicholas was quietly secularized into Father Christmas.  Embraced by cultures throughout the world he has been depicted as a kindly Victorian gentleman, a pioneer peddler, a smith, a knight, a mysterious hermit, and a jolly old elf.

Forever young, forever enchanted, with a twinkle in his eye… Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and however he comes to you, may he bring you joy & laughter.

Images & information courtesy of “The Santa Map: A Cultural Geography of the World’s Most Beloved Man”.

Today – April 8 – happens to be my grandmother’s birthday.  She went by many names: Lillian, Sis, Mother.  My brother and i called her Nana.  Or “My Nana” as i often have to say now, because my mother inherited the title when my daughter was born so when reminiscing about my childhood with Jess, i have to make the distinction to avoid confusion.  Anyway, at 4 this morning i happened to wake up and suddenly got the whim to post a detail of a drawing i had done of my Nana on my fb wall (yeah, i got sucked into that vortex – but that can be another blog) to celebrate her birthday and her memory.   The beauty of being an artist is – you so often have the odd piece of art just lying around to be used at such random, impulsive insomniatic moments.  And – to be honest – i also thought i could make this a fairly short blog.  We’ll see.

The illustration had been done for the Christmas card the year our daughter was born, really as something of a combination birth announcement/holiday greeting, and originally was just going to feature our new baby.

Thumbnail of Great Granddaughter Card

To that end i did a series of little sketches trying to work out the best angle of our little angel.  The quintessential, five-month-old, new baby pose.  The angel angle if you will.  The smiley one – with her tongue sticking out in pure baby glee – was the obvious choice.

Baby Poses

I don’t recall now exactly what prompted me to include the great grandmothers in the picture (as opposed to the more obvious new parents or immediate grandmothers) but such is the nature of creative whimsy.  I think it was simply because Bob had grown up with his “Nonnie” and i had grown up with my “Nana” AND we just so happened to have these great photos of the two women – as flappers.  That was simply a heritage and a legacy too wonderful to pass up.

Pencil Rough of "The Great Granddaughter"

And, of course, i managed to come up with an appropriate story ~

Some of my strongest childhood memories are of Christmas at Mammy’s house.  She was my great grandmother and her biscuit cookies were legendary.  Christmas is a time of magic and remembrances but unfortunately Jesse won’t have memories of her great grandmothers, and no one has ever been able to duplicate Mammy’s recipes.  She will, however, have the cherished photographs, the old letters and the sepia tinted stories of her parents and grandparents.  And I know that Nana and Nonnie are sharing her Christmas.

The Great Granddaughter, Nana & Nonnie

So to Lillian, Sis, Mother and Nana… Happy Birthday!