Bonne Année!

Three lovely French cards wishing you a Happy New Year. For all I know, it may be the same woman on all three cards.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order:

Merry Christmas from the Goldfish

This is a not a postcard, but a regular Christmas card of a very large couple and their miniature children, separated by a Christmas tree.

I had always thought that the Christmas tree had pagan origins, but according to Wikipedia, Christian lore attributes the tree's origin to Saint Boniface and the German town of Geismar: "Sometime in St Boniface's lifetime (c. 672-754) he cut down the tree of Thor in order to disprove the legitimacy of the Norse gods to the local German tribe. St. Boniface saw a fir tree growing in the roots of the old oak. Taking this as a sign of the Christian faith, he said '...let Christ be at the center of your households...' using the fir tree as a symbol of Christianity."

Well, O.K., but then there's Santa Claus (aka Saint Nicholas), and he does appear to be based  on the Germanic pre-Christian God, Odin. And what about those elves? I'm just trying to figure out how this all fits together.

Christmas Security Threats

If you notice a suspicious object in the street...

Or you hear something ticking, something that might be an explosive...

be sure to contact the authorities immediately, so they can render these devices harmless. And if you are frustrated with those airport security checks, just think how Santa must feel.

Don't worry, Santa; the scan is anonymous. No one will recognize you.