Day 12 of our 12 Days of Christmas Tea Tasting. Wow, those twelve days flew by!
Our last Christmas tea is the Nutcracker Tea. A rooibos tea with apple pieces, cocoa nibs, caramel flavor, marigold and blue cornflower. It's been my experience that people either love this tea or just don't like it. Maybe it's an acquired taste? I love it though. It's actually one of my favorites teas in the pack. At the Open House I hosted in November I served this tea to my guests. I was amazed at how many of the woman loved it. Most of them order a couple of ounces to share with their families over the holidays.
I have always been intrigued by the nutcracker doll. This fascination started when I walked into a friend's house one Christmas to find her house FILLED with nutcrackers. That is no exaggeration. Every room in the house had nutcrackers. Obviously, my friend has been collecting them for many years. Needless to say, her house was beautiful with all those gorgeous red, green, and gold colors of her nutcracker decorations. I never forgot how her house made me feel so Christmasy.
Last year I had the same experience when I went with my dear friend, Kelly, to see the 12 Days of Christmas Display at the Dallas Arboretum. We walked around adoring the twelve beautifully decorated Victorian-style gazebos that retell each day of this age-old Christmas song. The Christmas music playing in the background throughout the Arboretum put us in the Christmas mood instantly!
We toured the historic DeGolyer House with its rooms fully decorated with 800 nutcrackers to depict the scenes of the famous ballet. Breathtaking! If you live in the Dallas area and have never visited the Arboretum at Christmas, let me encourage you to go. Make sure you take your camera. There are lots of photo opportunities there! While you are visiting the gardens, you might as well stop to have tea at the DeGolyer Tea Room. Truly beautiful restaurant and delicious food!
Did you know that the nutcrackers originated back in the late 1600's? Yes, they were created by a German craftsman from Seiffen. Friedrich Wilhelm Fuchter is commonly known as the "father of the nutcracker" in Germany. Somewhere along the way, it became associated with Christmas.
The 12 drummers drumming represents the 12 doctrines of the Apostle's Creed. It was not written by the Apostles of Jesus, but by the early church.
The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.
Note: "The word “catholic” means “relating to the church universal” and was the word used in the original version of the Creed. It does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, but the church, the body of Christ, as a universal fellowship. The phrase, “He descended into hell,” was not part of the creed in its earliest form."*
As we finish up our last cup of Christmas tea for today, I pray that you have enjoyed our time together and that you and your family are blessed. Please join us next Christmas, Lord willing, for another twelve days of delicious tea tasting. It's fun to do Christmas activities with family and friends, but let's remember to be intentional about keeping our focus on Jesus even during this busy season. He truly is the reason for it all. Let's not lose sight of that.
I would love to hear from you. Please keep in touch.
Merry Christmas!
Resources:
https://www.dallasarboretum.org/visit/seasonal-festivals-events/the-12-days-of-christmas
http://blog.dallasarboretum.org/holiday-arboretum-family-tradition-need/
https://www.dallasarboretum.org/visit/dining/seated-teas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutcracker_doll
*https://billygraham.org/answer/what-is-the-apostles-creed/
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