by Noella Noelophile®
(Royalty-free image by Vinzenz Lorenz M. from Pixabay)
“Can’t we keep them on just a little bit longer?” I always want to ask.
Tonight is it. Twelfth Night–Epiphany–the day when, traditionally, Christmas is officially over for another year.
And while it’s never fun to watch the magical, sparkling lights fade away on our streets, let’s hope the glow continues, year-long.
Here are just a few ways that it can. And you can add these to your calendar and be a part of them if you like!
(Photo courtesy of Scott Newton and Marcella McSorley.)
In Seal Beach, the Seal Beach Lions Club will already be starting preparations for their 42nd annual Christmas Parade. They’ll have quite a number of volunteer opportunities; here’s the link to contact them.
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
Further up the California coast? The Danish village of Solvang will shortly begin planning their 2020 “Julefest”! (Pronounced “Yulefest”.) Here’s the link to the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau, for information on their volunteer needs for the 2020 edition of this monthlong-plus celebration.
In a Dickensian mood in the Bay Area? The annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair welcomes volunteers who are willing to make a serious time commitment.
You’ll need to: register as a performer; get accepted into a specific performing group; attend workshops from late October to early November; and create your costume, which the Dickens Fair must approve. Then, upon completion of classes, you’ll be issued a gate pass and can volunteer with the Operations Department.
This brings to mind Mark Twain’s advice: “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Sound intriguing? Here’s the link to contact their Operations Department.
And, last but never least, a Long Beach favorite.
Since 1993, community activist Justin Rudd has been building community in Long Beach. His nonprofit Community Action Team hosts more than sixty events every year. For Christmas, they offer the “Joy to the World” free Christmas concert, the annual “Long Beach Christmas Cookie Contest” and Long Beach’s edition of “Operation Santa Paws”, where volunteers visit local shelters and bring gifts and cheer to pets awaiting homes.
You can plan now to collect gifts for shelter pets in early November, or start deciding if you’d like to bake something special this December to enter the cookie contest. If you win, a charity of your choice receives a $50 donation! Volunteers are very much appreciated, for special events like these.
However, you may not want to wait till Christmas season 2020.
Events including the ‘Red High Heels Walk” for heart health, and “Operation Easter Basket”, are right around the corner–and so are a lot of other opportunities to get involved and have fun!
So, one more time, Merry Christmas! May the glow of Christmas 2019 light your days all through the New Year.