"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Cloudy, occasional flurries and drizzle (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7); wet snow, ice, rain near coast, then windy and colder (8, 9, 10, 11); fair, chilly (12) turning drier, milder 13, 14); rain, then brisk with flurries, snow showers west (15, 16, 17);

Severe Weather Watch: The Almanack sees heavy snow and a wintery mix (8, 9, 10, 11); high winds (11) and more heavy snow (25, 26, 27).

Full Moon: December‘s full moon falls on the 7th. Because of the lower temperatures during the month, it has been appropriately called Cold Moon by many Native American tribes. Other tribes noticed that the beavers were scurrying to finish building their dams and lodges before the lakes and ponds begin to ice over so they called it Ice-Forming Moon or Beaver Moon.

Special Notes: The Winter Solstice will occur on Thursday, December 21st.

Holidays: Hanukkah begins at sunset on Sunday, December 18th , celebrate Christmas on Sunday, December 25th, and Kwanzaa, on Monday, December 26th. Enjoy the holiday festivities with family and friends and try to keep that joyful and giving spirit alive throughout the coming year.

Everyone here at the Almanack wishes everyone the happiest of holidays and again, pledges to its loyal readers to continue to inform, inspire, and entertain as it has done for the past 227 years! New Year’s Eve falls on Saturday, December 31st. Plan and enjoy a safe, family-oriented evening of fun, food, and entertainment on the very first night of the year. Look online at www.firstnight.com/cities to find a First Night Celebration nearest you.

The Garden: Enjoy a rest! The days are becoming too short and getting colder to push to do any more things outdoors. Instead, turn your gardening attentions to those houseplants (and other plants you have moved inside for the winter). Remember that warmer indoor temperatures can quickly dry out most plants so they will need a bit more than usual. It is never too soon to start planning for next year. Go to www.smartgardener.com for a free online vegetable garden layout tool that will help you to successfully grow healthy and tasty food

The Farm: Best for planting root crops (17, 18); weeding and stirring the soil (12, 13); planting above-ground crops (1, 27, 28); harvesting all crops (2, 3); the best days for setting hens and incubators (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 30, 31); the slaughtering and butchering of meat (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28); transplanting (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28); the weaning of all small animals and livestock (1, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26), 27, 28); harvesting and storing grains (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22).

J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living:

"The thought that goes into the giving of a gift to a friend or loved one, is so much more important than the value of the gift itself"