'Christmas Jar' saga lives on
In 2005 when Jason F. Wright wrote a little Christmas story about love, finding oneself, and filling a jar with spare change and giving it away, he had no idea what he had started.
"The Christmas Jar," published by Shadow Mountain, became a New York Times bestseller, and what began as an experiment by the author's family has turned into a national movement that has spread to all 50 states and at least nine foreign countries.
"The movement has far outgrown the book," said Wright on a recent visit to Salt Lake City. "Now when people talk of Christmas jars, they are talking about the movement, not the book, and I couldn't be more proud."
He hoped that story would touch readers, of course, "but I never expected this. It has far overshadowed the book."
Because the jars are given anonymously, it is hard to tell exactly how many have been given away over the past four years. But Wright has a Web site — www.christmasjars.com — where people can contact him with their stories. He has heard from both donors and receivers of the jars, and although the stories differ, they all share one thing in common: The jar has changed lives.
What's also been interesting, he said, is that it has become a year-round phenomenon. "There are no rules. If you see a need in July, you can give your jar away in July and start another one for Christmas. The whole thing has taken on a life of its own, and that's pretty neat."
The Christmas jar movement has impacted his own life in myriad ways, but one he never expected is that he is back with year with a sequel, "Christmas Jars Reunion" (Shadow Mountain, $17.95) and with a children's book, "Penny's Christmas Jar Miracle" (Shadow Mountain, $17.95, illustrated by Ben Sowards).
"I never thought there would be a sequel. I know some authors write a book with that in mind, but I thought I'd told the story and was done."
What happened, he said, was that he "heard from so many people who had fallen in love with Hope (the main character in the first story) and wanted to know what happened to her and where she is now, that I thought I owed it to the fans of the book to finish her story."
In the first book, Hope, a journalist who was adopted as a baby, finds and develops a relationship with her birth mother as well as a loving community that surrounds Chuck's Chicken 'n Biscuits diner.
Recent comments
In a world of so much pain and chaos and confusion, this is one...
observing | Oct. 17, 2009 at 11:08 p.m.
Having once, many years ago, been the recipient of just such...
Angela Peterson | Oct. 17, 2009 at 8:33 p.m.
- State launches volunteer Web site 11:34 a.m.
- Two faucets better than one 11:31 a.m.
- White House ornament salutes past 11:28 a.m.
- Students, militia clash for 2nd day 11:27 a.m.
- IOC mulls cycling, tennis changes 11:24 a.m.
- The unnatural outcast 11:23 a.m.
- CBS cancels another daytime drama 11:20 a.m.
- SC first lady keeps her self esteem 11:19 a.m.
- Ex-manager of The Fray fires back 11:17 a.m.
- Obama plans: 'spend our way out' 11:16 a.m.
- Witness: Mitchell stalked victims
- BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall
- Williams' late jumper tops Spurs
- Yet again, we learn BCS is a big joke
- $2M error could mean layoffs
- Cougars in better mood about bowl
- Storm pounds Utah for 2nd day
- Ranking the bowl games
- BYU eager for crack at Oregon State
- TCU's BCS game missing something
- Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
267 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
203 - Letters: Global warming a lie
179 - Cougars going back to Vegas
147 - Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil
138 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
119 - Ed Smart 'appalled' at testimony
100 - BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall
99 - Harpring's NBA career is over
98 - Utahns want health care reform bills
82
I haven't yet played "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," and honestly I...
Hahaha. So it was all for charity, right. Is he still giving the 100k to...
What are you TEACHING????? ------- Your not a BYU Grad.
The only boycott that will have any effect is a boycott of sponsors. the BCS...
Hey, let's spend $2 trillion to push through a health care bill that the...
maybe the bcs purposefully set things up this so everyone gets mad but then...
When is he going to get off the blame game? Besides the dem's were in charge...
so in reality BYU is a "big boy" and Utah (more likly their fans) are...
Unsurprisingly, what he wants to do is illegal. Check it out.
Sound like a lot of Hate for those LOSERS. Maybe hating those that hate is...
It's all part of Obama's plan to destroy America. And that's the truth.



