Zena Wynn, Romance Author

*** SPECIAL HOLIDAY EDITION ***

Every year, the town square transforms itself into a Winter Wonderland for the Christmas season, and this year was no exception. On the first Saturday in December, residents gathered for the traditional decorating of the park and Christmas tree. 

This year the tree was a twenty-footer, decorated in shades of red, gold, and silver -- as voted by the town the previous year. It sported Christmas ornaments made and hand painted by the elementary school children. The lights were untangled and strung by the men's club and for the finale, Pop Hawkeye, local bird shifter, hanged the star. 

Hugh Mosely, the only one large enough to fit the suit without padding played Santa Claus. Children lined up around the block to sit on his lap and recite to him their wish list, some of which was quite lengthy while the middle school band favored us with favored holiday classics. The highlight of the evening, besides the lighting of the tree, was the annual rendition of Jingle Bells performed by barking dogs, or should we say howling wolves?

In the north corner of the square, the Living Nativity was assembled. Last year, the stable animals -- a cow, some goats, a donkey, horse, and a few chickens -- had some rather interesting additions, namely a wolf, a panther, and a bear (when Santa's Shop closed for the day). The newly acquired animals were the result of a question being submitted by a preschooler, who was over heard asking why shifters weren't in the stable that night. Didn't Jesus love shifters, too? 

Father Flannigan was overheard vehemently objecting to the additions. "It just not  scriptural," he protested. "Why, if we're going to toss out any attempt at historical accuracy, we might as well go whole hog and be totally diverse, including all races and ethnicities in the cast," he added sarcastically. "Jesus loves people of all colors, races, and ethnicities, but no one expects to see them present at His birth. " 

Well, this year in honor of Father Flanigan's suggestion: the baby Jesus is black; his mother Mary is Hispanic; his father Joseph is Italian; the three wise men -- ahem, excuse me -- the three magi consist of one male American Indian, an Asian male, and a Chinese female; and the shepards were a mixture of men and women. The stable had to be enlarged to accommodate the crew.  

Those in the know anxiously awaited his reaction when Father Flanigan came around to offer the Christmas blessing. He said not a word, but he was seen sipping from a little silver flask before, during, and immediately after the blessing before he promptly disappeared. The organizers were overheard speculating what changes they could make next year "in the interest of diversity."

All in all, this year's Winter Wonderland was as wonderful as ever.