Dog (Not) Gone!-10 Best Things to Do with Your Dog in a Christmas Village

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Best Friends," #55176

Dogs have been man’s friends since…..well, I guess no one really knows when. I was just reading Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, who mentioned that the Pilgrims brought to Plymouth a "small spaniel and a huge mastiff bitch."  He never said that Pilgrims played fetch with the dogs, or let them sleep at the foot of their beds, or dressed them up in hats with buckles.  Pilgrims have never struck me as warm and fuzzy kinds of people.  Still, deep in the recesses of their judgmental little hearts, they must have loved their dogs.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Village Vet and Pet Shop," #54275

Normal people still use dogs for all kinds of important and therapeutic stuff.  I don’t have a dog now.  I have Hemmingway, a rescue cat, meaning it rescued me from my wanton and undisciplined existence.  I say I can't have a dog because we are gone too much, but really, I can't have a dog, because I would miss them too much when we are gone. I desperately miss my cat also, but somehow I know Hemmingway will enjoy hunting and patrolling and prowling, even if I am not there to encourage him.  And he will roll over and bare his chest so our cat-sitter will know to pet him. Our cat-sitter, to whom we hand over a large percent of our children's inheritance every time he stays with our cat, is intelligent enough to have been trained by Hemmingway.  Our sitter deserves any amount he asks.

But I diverge.  This is a blog about dogs, and less about my inabilities and trainabilities.  So I have come up with a list of 10 best things to do with your dog, at least in a miniature Christmas village.  Here goes:

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Village Pets-Sales and Service," #55365

#1:  I feel compelled to start my list of things TO DO with one thing NOT TO DO.  Despite the fact that this Department 56 building is entitled "Village Pets-Sales and Service,"  you should NOT take your dog in for service.  Dog’s should not be oiled and they do not usually need a tune-up if they are fed the appropriate and good-quality dog food.  You must admit, when you consider it, this is a seriously odd addition to a Christmas village.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Doghouse/Cat in Garbage Can," #51314

#2:  Dogs do need a place to live, like in the Department 56 doghouse shown right.  Therefore, as an activity, your dog may let you build a nice dog house, and he will help supervise the task.  Do not be confused, however.  Once the doghouse is built, and you both need to rest, your dog will need to come into YOUR house to snooze, and especially spend the night.  The dog house exists really to prove to your neighbors that you are a good carpenter, and that you take good care of your dog.  Dogs know, and you should know, that dog houses are for appearances only.

Dept. 56, Snow Vilage,
"Here We Come A Caroling," #51616

#3:  Dogs, particularly in Department 56 villages, love to go Christmas caroling.  If the caroling group sounds particularly bad, your dog will join in to try to get you on key.  Have you seen the PBS version of Pride and Prejudice, when Mary Bennett is singing at an assembly?  She is so remarkably bad that the dogs outside the window join in the melody.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Early Morning Delivery," #54313

#4:  Dogs are the only members of the family who loved you enough, when you were a kid, to get up and join you on your early morning paper route.  Everyone knew you were safe when your dog was with you.  I bet you didn’t even notice that your dog got fed late, did you?  This proves dogs are well-read, and afterwards, well-fed.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Mush!" #54747

#5:  In old-fashioned greeting cards and nostalgic Rockwell prints, you frequently find dogs pulling cute sleds or little carts or wagons.  This does not happen in real life.  I have had many dogs in my life, and not one would ever stoop so low as to pull something, especially something with someone in it.  None of my friends have ever had a dog do this, either.  Not going to happen. Ever.  Oh, yes, someone out there will say, “My dog did that.”  I don’t believe it.  Unless they are trained for the Iditorad, dogs don’t deign to pull.  Makes a cute decorative village piece, very nostalgic, very old world.  That’s all.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Pets on Parade," #54720

#6:  Dogs are very willing, happy, and able to take you to pet parades with them.

Photo taken by myself; Honolulu,
During Spam-o-Jam Festival.

Dogs are quite amenable to you looking silly because you make them to wear funny little Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses.  Despite your idiosyncrasies, dogs are loyal enough, and secure enough, to withstand the embarrassment to be seen with you.  It is one of the most endearing things about them.  In this regard, they are kinder than children.

Depat. 56, Snow Village,
"Family Canoe Trip," #55116

#7.  A dog is one of the few in a family that will actually enjoy camping, so if you are going, you should take the dog.  The other family members will camp because there is this ubiquitous American notion that camping is fun.  Sleeping on the ground 50 yards from a bathroom is not fun.  Only dogs don’t care, because they are used to sleeping on the ground, and they are never 50 yards from a bathroom.  

Dept. 56, Sow Village,
"Who's Walking Who?" #55260

#8.  Dogs are good for taking you on walks, so you can get some exercise.  They have prowled the yard all day, and don’t need the walk.  But you know, and they know, that YOU need the walk, and they know you need an excuse for the walk, so the excuse is to walk the dog.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Christmas Lake Chalet," with
"The Final Touch Accessory," #55061

#9.  It is good to play with dogs, with the toys THEY like.  Dogs don't need fancy toys.  They need a greasy bone, sticks without too many sharp edges, old socks, and an occasional new shoe.  People need ipods, iphone apps, electronic games, designer purses, and expensive cars.  People get used to spending a lot of money on toys, and assume that they should also spend a lot of money on their pets' toys.  But pets do not share that assumption.  They do not think it is as interesting to carry around an ipod as a good stick.  

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Rest Stop," #55142

#10.  It is good to walk the dog until he doesn't need to be walked any more.  Dogs remind us that we are humans living in moderately culturally civilized times.  While we are comfortably ensconced in our warm and cozy bathroom, Fido has to use outdoor facilities in all stages of hot and cold, wind, rain and snow.  If you are not a woman who has endured backpacking, you may not understand the importance of this.  But any woman who was talked into spending days and nights, above timber line, cold, even if it is in the middle of summer, knows that a dog’s life sometimes isn’t a dog’s life.







Written in memory of our beautiful rescue cat, Coco Chanel, who died Feb. 13.  Her three years with us was too short, but she brought us such joy. 

Department 56 Snow Village Displays: Churches, Churches, Churches

 

Dept. 56, Original Snow Village,
"Country Church,' #50047

The First Churches in the Snow Village  In 1976 Department 56 of Bachman's Florists inventoried into its stock six ceramic buildings to be sold as decorations during the winter season.  This first offering included  four snow-encrusted houses and two churches, "Country Church," #50047 and "Steepled Church," 50054.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Steepled Church,"#50054

This line of Christmas miniatures was to become Department 56's largest:  The Original Snow Village.

Over the years, the line grew and evolved.  Homes and churches were supplemented by schools and barns and mobile homes, businesses and government buildings.  The Original Snow Village came to represent Main Street America, with its glorious array of unique homes, shops, restaurants and theaters, and idiosyncratic buildings.  Over the years Department 56 made licensing agreements to include businesses that have become household names, like Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Harley Davidson, and McDonalds.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Gothic Church," #50288

Lots of Churches in Snow Village Throughout the process, however, Department 56 continued to introduce churches.  Over the years Department 56 has introduced approximately 375 Snow Village buildings. (Note: it is not easy to define "building." For example, is a floating casino a "building?"  A lighthouse?)  Of that number, about 39 buildings have been churches, and there was also a parsonage.  Approximately 10% of all Snow Village buildings are churches, on average, about one a year.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Silent Night Church", #55378

In some ways, of course, this is understandable.  The Snow Village was originally conceived as a magical moment that, like a good photograph, sums up an entire time and place and evokes wonderful images.  Since the moment was during the winter, it implied Christmas.  Since it was Christmas, it implied church. Department 56 Silent Night Church

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Woodlake Chapel," 55068

Before Cable tv, video, smart phones and texting, and internet social media, there were organizations.  Some of the most ubiquitous were the family's churches, which were religious organizations with a social connection.  Entire school and event schedules were planned around church holidays,  Christmas and Easter notably.  Churches were important to whole families, so it is not surprising that Department 56 introduced so many churches.Dept 56 Woodlake Chapel

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Stone Church," 50096

Similar Churches  What is surprising is that some of the churches Dept. 56 introduced were so similar.  Consider the "Stone Church" of 1977, #50096, left with its two color versions.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Stone Church," #50591

Then take a look at the strikingly similar "Stone Church," #50591 of 1979.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Village Church," 50261

Or consider the Village Church, #50261, issued in 1983.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Parish Church," #50393

Then compare it to the "Parish Church," #50393, issued in 1984.  Different color, pretty similar church!

But my job is not to discuss the aesthetics of the Snow Village churches, or to speculate on the intent of Department 56.  My job is to help explain the cultural milieu that these villages represent.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,

"Wooden Church,' 50318

Church Attendance in 1976 I tried to find data on church attendance in 1976.  That process became a snare and a delusion.  According to a Gallup poll, the "fraction of Americans who say that 'religion is very important in my life' fell from 75 percent in 1952 to 52% in 1978, but then recovered somewhat to 60% in 1999." (Source #1-See bottom of blog.)  However, many social scientists have questioned the results of such polls.  Many feel that people report what they "normally" do, but what they do on a specific day, thus raising the actual participation scores.  Nonetheless, over time, it is reported that somewhere around 40% of Americans report participating in some religious activity. Other recent studies suggest the number is exaggerated by half, and claim that only 20.4% of the population attend church each weekend. (Same   Source)

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Start a Tradition," #54623

Largest Denominations In the US there are approximately 335,000 religious congregations.  Of those, about 300,000 are Protestant, 22,000 are Catholic and Orthodox, and about 12,000 are non-Christian. (Source #2)  The following are the top five denominations/communions from the 2011 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches:  Shady Oak Church Starter Set

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Our Lady of Guadalupe,"
#4020215

1.  The Catholic Church, 68,503,456 members The Original Snow Village from Department 56 Our Lady of Guadalupe

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Countryside Church,"
#50583

2.  Southern Baptist Convention, 16,160,088 members

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"St Luke's Church," #54216

3.  The United Methodist Church, 7,774,931 members

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Pioneer Church," # 50229

4.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) 6,058,907 members

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Church of the Open Door,"
#50482

5.  The Church of God in Christ, 5,499,875 members

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"New Stone Church," #

Different Baptist Denominations It is interesting to note that, in the largest 25 denominations, there are multiple Baptist groups:  The Southern Baptist Convention (16,160,088 members); the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc., (approx 5,000,000 members); the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.(approximately 3,500,000 members); National Missionary Baptist Convention of America (approx. 2,500,000); American Baptist Churches in the USA, (1,310,505); and the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. (1,010,000 members).

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"All Saints Church," #50709

Church Data There are some fascinating data on church attendance.  For example, "... while the United States has a large number of very small churches, most people attend larger churches....the smaller churches draw only 11 percent of those who attend worship.  Meanwhile, 50 percent of churchgoers attended the largest 10% of the congregations (350 regular participants and up." Source #4.) Dept 56 Snow Village All Saints Church & Choir Kids

In 2005, the four Christian groups who were growing the fastest were:

Dept. 56, Snow village,
"Cathedral Church," #50674

1.  The Orthodox Church in America, which reported a 6% increase, bringing total membership to about 1 million members

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Town Church," #50717

2.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon), approx. 2% increase

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Redeemer Church," #51276

3.  The Assemblies of God, approx. 2% increase Dept 56 Original Snow Village Redeemer Church 5127-6

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Mission Church," #50625

4.  The Catholic Church, less than 1%

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Good Shepherd Chapel and Church School,"
#54240

In comparison, the following mainline Protestant denominations declined:

1.  The United Methodist Church
2.   The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
3.  The Presbyterian Church USA
4.  The United Church of Christ
5.  The Southern Baptist Convention

Remember, data are tricky.  A 1% increase or loss in a huge denomination is a huge loss in actual number of people.  A 1% increase or loss in a small denomination is a small number of people.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Spanish Mission Church," #51551

One piece of information was very interesting.  The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has a full range of demographic comparisons among religions.  In identifying traditions that have the most members in post-graduate (i.e., post college) education, Hindus lead with 48% getting post-graduate degrees, while 35% of Jews do, 21% of "other faiths," and 20% of "other Christians."  Mainline churches have 14%, Catholics, 10%, and Orthodox,18%. (Source #5)

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Parsonage," #50296

Clergy Data  There are about 600,000 Christian clergy in the US, including retired clergy, chaplains in hospitals, prisons and the military, denominational executives and ordained faculty at seminaries and divinity schools.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Trinity Church," #50350

What has been the profile of a clergyman in recent years?  First,  more clergy have entered religious service having already pursued another career.  The median age of solo or senior Protestant pastors is 51, while Roman Catholic priests have a median age of 56.  Assocate pastors are slightly younger.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"English Church," #50784
Image from
www.dept56retirees.com

Additionally, women are making up about a third of all seminary students, according to the Association of Theological Schools.  Thirty years ago women were less than 20% of seminary students.  Still, twice as many men as women completed the Masters in Divinity degree in 2005. (Source #6)

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"St. James Church," #50687

Salaries vary widely.  For example a Protestant pastor of a small congregation would receive, on average, a salary and housing package of $31,234.  But a Protestant pastor of a large denomination of more than 1000people may receive a package of just under $82,000.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Our Lady of Grace," #805503

Catholic priests, who have no families to support, receive less, between $21,000 and $26,095. (Source #7) on average, the mainline pastor spends 50.8 hours a week at work.Department 56 Snow Village Our Lady Of Grace Church

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Holy Spirit Church,"
#55003

The salary gap between men and women clergy is narrowing.  In 1991, women earned 91% of men's salaries in comparable positions, but by 2001 the disparity had virtually disappeared.  However, 70 % of men were serving in medium or large churches, compared to 37 % of women.  Therefore, the gap in opportunity persists. Dept 56 Holy Spirit Church

Dept 56, Snow Village,

Colonial Church, #51195

Mega-Churches A new phenomenon in American Christian life is the growth of the "mega-church."  While this kind of church first appeared in the 1950, it was in the 80's that they experienced explosive growth. Dept 56 Original Snow Village Colonial Church 5119-5

Dept 56, Snow Village,
New Hope Church, #54904

By definition, a mega-church grows very quickly, generally over a 2 to 5 year period,  It is a congregation with 2000 or more parishioners that organizes itself with multiple ministries along program lines, and sets up structures for members to interact.  They typically have a charismatic pastor who attracts large crowds and who can build the church organizationally also.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Wedding Chapel," #54640

Wikipedia states that there are approximately 1300 Protestant mega-churches in the US, and about 50 of these have attendance from 10,000 to 47,000.  Catholic Churches with similar attendance are not seen as part of the movement, because they do not display the other characteristics associated with mega-churches. Dept 56 Original Snow Village Wedding Chapel 5464-0

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Congregational Church," #50342

The Snow Village churches I have included in this section may signify the size of some of the smaller mega-churches, but generally not the architectural elements.  Mega-churches are frequently new, large, with large lobbies, spacious auditoriums with theater seating, stages, sometimes video screens for easy viewing, and few religious symbols.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Stone Steeple Church,"
#55610

Mega-churches strive to be relevant to the modern person, and sometimes those who are "unchurched" or not attracted to traditional religious approaches.  Obviously, the Department 56 Snow Village churches follow the more traditional architectural forms.

Dept 56, Snow Village,
"Mount Olivet Church," #54429

Most often, mega-churches are in suburban areas, in locations that are highly visible, have easy access, and room to expand.    Mega-churches tend to  attract a certain demographic of people:  consumer-oriented, highly mobile, well-education, middle class families.  Dept 56 Original Snow Village Mount Olivet Church

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Happy Easter Church," #55325

Over 75% of these nega-church congregations are located in the Sunbelt states.  California has the highest concentration, followed by Texas, Florida, and Georgia.

Dept. 56, Snow Village,
"Meadowbrook Church," #55349

Denominational affiliation is not critical to mega-churches.  The church, its pastors, and programs attract members, and generally the denomination does not.  Consequently, most are independent and non-denomination.  However, about 20% are Southern Baptist, 9% are Assemblies of God, and 10% have historical ties with African American denominations. (Source #8) Meadowbrook Church 


Source #1:  From Robert D. Putnam, citing Mayer, The Changing American Mind, http://books.google.com/books?id=rd2ibodep7UC&pg=PA453&lpg=PA453&dq=religion+is+very+important+in+my+life+75%25+in+1952&source=bl&ots=G3EapXtjV2&sig=YulX3Xesa1zAAWhG1dfZqfk9pVE&hl=en&ei=o1ZJTtW6DenmiAK278DuAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=religion%20is%20very%20important%20in%20my%20life%2075%25%20in%201952&f=false
Source #2:  Hartford Institute for Religion Research, http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/fastfacts/fast_facts.html#numcong 
Source #3:  Hartford Institute for Religion Research, same URL as #2 above.
Source #4:  The National Congregations Study,
  http://www.soc.duke.edu/natcong/ as reported in the Hartford Institute for Religious Research, same URL as #2 above.
Source #5:  The Pew Forum on Religion and public Life http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons#
Source #6: The Association of Theological Schools, as reported in the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.  se URL #2 above.
Source #7: Jackson Carroll, as reported in the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.  See URL in #2 above.
Source #8: http://cbelan.free.fr/documents/megachurches.pdf