I know. I know. You just received our magazine with a nativity scene on the cover, and you’re probably thinking, “The Christmas issue, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!”
I actually sat down to write this column on Nov. 1. In waking up from an evening of wandering from house to house in the dark with the kids seeking sweet treats, it was apparent in watching the morning news that we had shifted to all things Thanksgiving and Christmas. The news anchor was standing in a yard full of turkeys and discussing prices and deals for the upcoming meal, while the commercials were focused on holiday shopping. You could tell the calendar turned to a new month.
After years of working for print publications, my sense of time is a little warped. We start thinking of the new year in early summer, and plans for this holiday issue start long before World Dairy Expo. By the time Christmas gets here, we will be well into 2025.
But our advance planning doesn’t have anything to do with this Christmas issue arriving in your mailbox before Thanksgiving. Some of it has to do with Thanksgiving being late this year and most of it has to do with the fact this issue is sent to our expanded audience of all dairy producers throughout the country. Now, isn’t that what Christmas is about? Sending the message of Jesus’s birth far and wide.
I’d also say it is something to be thankful for. I often hear people don’t like it when Christmas is recognized too early, as it overshadows the importance of taking a moment to give thanks for our many blessings. Yet, the greatest blessing of all was the gift of our Savior.
This season tends to blend both holidays. As I gather with family for Thanksgiving, it is also a convenient time to work out our Christmas plans, sharing gift ideas, making meal plans and setting the dates for when we’ll be together again. This issue offers some ideas for each of these.
We feature a gift idea in the book The Christmas Calf, written by a retired Vermont dairy farmer.
If you’re looking for ideas on what food you can offer to bring, we have ideas on cheese and butter boards that are sure to please your Christmas guests (and Thanksgiving too if you were needing a last-minute suggestion).
And if you happen to be around Hudson, Iowa, you may want to gather your family and friends for a visit to Hansen Dairy’s “A Very Dairy Christmas” event. Read more about this holiday event.
Since I also mentioned we’ll soon be into 2025, now is a good time to start reflecting on the past year. Join us as we look back on our most-read articles of 2024. We provide a short summary to jog your memory, as well as briefly revisit each of them to learn a bit more of the story.
However, if you’re not ready to focus on Christmas and the end of the year, by all means set this issue aside. Take time to give thanks and be grateful. I am thankful for our readers, our advertisers and our contributors. I wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
