For Christmas is tradition time—
Helen Lowrie Marshall
Traditions that recall
The precious memories down the years,
The sameness of them all.
In my last post I mentioned that I had no memories of my childhood Christmas Eves. Since that post some memories have returned. I remember decorating the Christmas tree with my mother’s treasured ornaments. And tinsel. Boy how I hated putting on the tinsel. I always wanted to just throw it on in big handfuls but Mom painstakingly put it on one strand at a time. She made it look beautiful. Christmas Eve we’d take four kitchen chairs to the living room, putting them back to back and hanging wool socks over them fastened together with clothes pins. I guess the socks were my father’s.
More vividly I remember Christmas morning waking my parents anytime between 3:00 and 5:00 am to go downstairs, see what Santa brought, and open presents. Mom worked at Strwart and MacKay’s in Charlottetown and every Christmas they were given a big 5 lb box of Ganong Chocolates. Plus we’d have a few treats: ribbon candy, barley candy, chicken bones, satin mix and fudge. These were never out until Christmas morning.
And our socks alway had a huge red delicious apple and a giant orange (or so it seemed to me). One gift stands out in my mind. A soft pink mohair sweater. Loving knit by my mother. I constantly wore that sweater until it was completely worn out. She loved to knit and created many sweaters over the years. Especially the big, zippered, Mary Maxim sweaters. I have saved all the ones she knit for my children. Maybe one day my grandson will want to wear them.
Then we’d drive to Margate to have. Christmas dinner with my grandmother and other family members. Mom had four brothers and four sisters so there was always lots of people there. The adults ate in the dining room while all the cousins ate at card tables set up in the kitchen. You knew you were old when you finally got to eat in the dining room. My favorite treat there was Grammies homemade white fudge. Not divinity like my mother was so skillful at but old fashioned vanilla fudge. I loved it. Wish I had her recipe. Sadly my mother didn’t have it either.
Christmas morning with my kids was a bit different. Nobody up until 7:00. We’d all meet in the kitchen and go down to the rec room together. Well actually David went down first to start the wood fire. Stockings had been laid out in each persons particular spot. All the Santa stuff could be viewed on your own but then we’d all sit in a circle and I would pass out the wrapped presents, one at a time, and we all watched that present being opened. Savoring the moment. Then on to the next person. Round and round we’d go until all we’re opened. Back then it took a long time. This past year it was just James and me so it went quite quickly.
Next the kids would put their gifts under the tree while the adults began cooking breakfast. We would have the traditional Big Breakfast: toast, eggs, potato wedges, bacon, sausages, homemade baked beans (made the previous week), cheese, fruit, juice, tea, and milk. What a feast. How did we ever have room for turkey dinner. But we did.
Then cleanup and get that bird in the oven. Way back we had a lot of family there so we’d have a turkey that was well over 20 lbs. It had to get in that oven to be ready for 6:00. we always made it.
Dinner consisted of turkey and stuffing (then made either by my mother or my mother-in-law but now made by me), mashed potatoes, gravy, turnip, broccoli casserole, carrots, peas, corn and cranberry sauce (I made it). For dessert we had the never ending array of sweets plus Mom’s homemade plum pudding and brown sugar sauce. What a feast. No wonder no one could move afterwards.
Now it’s different. I do miss those busy times. So much work but so much fun. Guess that’s what happens as we get older. Nostalgia. Sigh. It was quieter this year. Just James and I for gift unwrapping and breakfast. But I still made the Big Breakfast. Even though there was just the two of us. Tradition. Then Jared, Katelyn, and baby David came mid afternoon to open baby David’s gifts and for dinner. I really missed my daughter Kathryn and son-in -law Scott as they were in Toronto but it’s time for them. We did FaceTime with them so they could watch David’s gift unwrapping. Time for them to begin their own traditions. I’m sad but happy at the same time, if you know what I mean.
And that’s it.
Merry Christmas.
On Christmas Morning- Kenny Loggins
Take care and stay healthy.
As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.
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Debi's Junket Journal 