“May this year be full of proud deeds and silly games, beautiful songs and hearty feasts, clever jokes, loving friends, and enough surprises to keep us on our toes.” – Bruce Goldstone, “A Gnome’s Christmas”

As declared last year on this day, and the year before that,, and the year before that, and the year before that – according to the book mentioned above, today is Edda Night. The very last day of the holiday season, and the start of the new year, for more “traditional” Gnomes (specifically the Poortvliet/Hyugen style ones).

This was a little bit of a last minute scramble as my original plan did not work out, so there are fewer types of Gnomes visibly represented than I would like. Featuring notably from left to right, though: a Rien Poortvliet-style Gnome (specifically from this illustration), Bumble Sprizzenfritz and Tock Corrigan (main characters of my comic “Tock the Gnome”), a Gnome from Azeroth (“World of Warcraft,” that is), and Maarten the Gnome (courtesy of my amazing Gnomish brother Mark Roloson). Holding space in heart for all the Gnomes of other realms that didn’t make it into the front, there – please rest assured they are among the crowd of pointed caps, behind. And a Faerie star, above, uniting them all in that folkloric ancestry ✨

Having to pivot so hard to make this devotional is, hopefully, still good energy for the coming year – things continue to be insane, and really dark and scary, don’t they? But we can choose hope, in big action and small action, whatever choice is available to us all in each moment.

That said, as always:

Happy new year, dear followers, dear readers, dear patrons. Thank you for helping me keep it bright. Picturing you surrounded with light and warmth, wherever you are.

~

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