Poetry at the Dinner Table

Celebrating Christmas has nothing to do with spending a lot of money and having elaborate parties. Our biggest celebrations are the most personal ones spent with people whose company we love. A simple thing as watching a beautiful Christmas movie with a special someone can be all it takes. Or maybe share a home cooked meal with friends in front of the decorated Christmas tree and maybe share a few Christmas poems.

If you are holding a small dinner party before Christmas, tell your guests to print out their favorite Christmas or winter poem for each attending guest. Have your guests read their poem during the meal and then pass a copy of the poem to each guest. Everybody will leave your home with a collection of seasonal poetry. See here for Christmas poems.

Or get a family member to read a poem on evenings before Christmas. It could be a Christmas reading Advent calendar.

Bring Your Pipes

Traditional Austrian Poem

Bring your pipes and bring your drum,
Call the shepherds all to come;
Hasten quick, no time to lose,
Don’t forget your dancing shoes.
Frolic we right merrily:
He will laugh with happy glee,
Yes, and smile, and we will dance,
While He claps His tiny hands.

 

Do you love to read books and love Christmas stories? Why not host a book club afternoon with some of your friends. Tell each of your guests to bring their favorite Christmas book to introduce to the group. Or maybe somebody even wants to bring a story they have written.

The invitation can be a home made bookmark sticking in a small children’s Christmas book.

Serve coffee, tea and finger food. Fill the room with candles.