natik1483

In a friends-only post, someone mentioned the Menorah at the National Christmas tree site. Since we went there earlier this month, and I have pictures, I briefly considered hijacking the thread. I decided instead to put a teaser there and a post here. Lotsa pictures behind the cut.*daha*We didn't know we were going to see the National Menorah. We didn't know there was such a thing. For that matter, we didn't know there was such a thing as a National Yule Log or a National Creche. But they were all there. There had been some media coverage of the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree. Limited seating, invitation only for the the official Lighting of the Tree by the President. Mention of the 56 smaller trees, each representing a State or Territory, each decorated by folks from the place that sent it. My truelove wanted to go see it some time, so we picked an evening and we went and saw. We drove to our metro station and parked. We got off at Metro Center and I navigated as we walked. It was the second night of Channukah. The site was the ellipse - the large grassy area behind the White House. My camera has a setting for "illuminated night scenes" that I am slowly learning to disregard. It holds the shutter open way too long and no matter how carefully I brace my hand there is camera shake and blur. It really requires a tripod. That explains the blur in this picture, which is still the best I got of the tree itself. You can see one of the smaller "state" trees in the foreground, and the Washington Monument behind....=================The tree was transplanted, live, twenty-plus years ago, so they're not chopping and hauling a new tree each year.A little girl, close enough for me to hear, thought that six of the lights had burned out on the Menorah. I explained that it was the second night of Channukah, so only two of the lights were lit, plus the helper light. You can see the Menorah at the back of the picture. It looks far away in this shot, but it actually dominated the entrance. Up front are some of the state trees, including Kentucky, and a bit of the sign for the Iowa tree....=================All the small trees had clear globes, and inside each globe was a decoration. The signs identified which kids group made the decorations for each state's tree....=============================A concrete-lined pit held the "Yule Log" which was actually a fire made of several very large trunk segments. While we watched a frontloader added another chunk of wood. I think it was about the size of a clothes dryer. I couldn't get as close as I liked, because of the crowd around the fence around the fire. I had to hold the camera over my head and take whatever the camera caught....=============Somebody was able to get the word "pagan" into the sign explaining the Yule log. (I didn't see signs explaining the big tree, or the creche, or the menorah, but the Yule log had a sign.)..."Ye Olde Yule Log. The burning of the Yule Log is an ancient custom, ante-dating the Christian era by centuries, it was a part of a gay Festival honoring the mythical god Thor. Later, the English made it an integral part of Christmas Eve festivities, even as the beautiful Christmas tree, tho likewise of Pagan origin, is so dear to our hearts as a Christmas symbol."I wonder what negotiations went on over the wording of that sign....============================================="Look Ma!" I exclaimed. "It's the National Baby Jesus". "You're going to get beat up," replied my truelove....========================Homeward bound on the metro. The boy falling asleep with his face pressed against the divider glass. You can see a hint of my reflection in the glass.