Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Ghosts (of Christmases past)
I was the fourth of five kids growing up. We were very close in age, with just six years and five months separating the oldest and the youngest. There were two girls, my brother and me, then my younger sister.
When we were teenagers my parents began a tradition of holding an open house on Christmas Eve; anybody who felt inclined was welcome to come have a glass of punch (or pop) and some Christmas baking, and the house would be filled with teenagers and young adults, as well as friends of my parents. At midnight, after all of our guests had gone home, we would gather around the tree and open our gifts, one at a time, with everyone watching.
We would enjoy tourtière and other goodies while we opened our presents. With seven people in the family, the gift exchange often lasted until three or four in the morning, at which time we would tumble into bed, only to awaken five or six hours later to full stockings (we drew names to stuff each others' stockings) and the smell of turkey wafting through the house (my mother would have been up for a couple of hours already). For several years I had my own tradition of making waffles for the family on Christmas morning.
All day the house would be filled with the sounds of the vinyl records we had given each other the night before, and we modelled the new clothes we had received. My mom would spend most of the morning and early afternoon in the kitchen, preparing a big meal that was usually served around 3:00 or so and that lasted for a couple of hours. My father and we kids would take care of the dishes afterwards.
To this day I don't know how my mother managed it – the preparations for the open house, the late night/early morning gift exchange, getting up early to prepare the meal. I honestly don't know if any of us ever really understood or appreciated what she did for us and all our visitors during the Christmas season. I know I took for granted that there would be a delicious turkey dinner regardless how late we stayed up on Christmas Eve.
My mother is 80 years old now and recently widowed. We all still try to see each other at Christmas, but not necessarily all at the same time or on Christmas Day. My family has established its own Christmas traditions that revolve around our home. My oldest sister and my brother both live out of town and can't always make the trip.
Christmas will always be special to me, and having new traditions with my wife and son make it even more special. But with my father gone I find myself reflecting on my past and my family's past more than I used to. You can't bring the past back to life, but I will always treasure the memories of Christmases long past.
To anybody who is celebrating, I wish you a Merry Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. Best wishes as well for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
When we were teenagers my parents began a tradition of holding an open house on Christmas Eve; anybody who felt inclined was welcome to come have a glass of punch (or pop) and some Christmas baking, and the house would be filled with teenagers and young adults, as well as friends of my parents. At midnight, after all of our guests had gone home, we would gather around the tree and open our gifts, one at a time, with everyone watching.
We would enjoy tourtière and other goodies while we opened our presents. With seven people in the family, the gift exchange often lasted until three or four in the morning, at which time we would tumble into bed, only to awaken five or six hours later to full stockings (we drew names to stuff each others' stockings) and the smell of turkey wafting through the house (my mother would have been up for a couple of hours already). For several years I had my own tradition of making waffles for the family on Christmas morning.
All day the house would be filled with the sounds of the vinyl records we had given each other the night before, and we modelled the new clothes we had received. My mom would spend most of the morning and early afternoon in the kitchen, preparing a big meal that was usually served around 3:00 or so and that lasted for a couple of hours. My father and we kids would take care of the dishes afterwards.
To this day I don't know how my mother managed it – the preparations for the open house, the late night/early morning gift exchange, getting up early to prepare the meal. I honestly don't know if any of us ever really understood or appreciated what she did for us and all our visitors during the Christmas season. I know I took for granted that there would be a delicious turkey dinner regardless how late we stayed up on Christmas Eve.
My mother is 80 years old now and recently widowed. We all still try to see each other at Christmas, but not necessarily all at the same time or on Christmas Day. My family has established its own Christmas traditions that revolve around our home. My oldest sister and my brother both live out of town and can't always make the trip.
Christmas will always be special to me, and having new traditions with my wife and son make it even more special. But with my father gone I find myself reflecting on my past and my family's past more than I used to. You can't bring the past back to life, but I will always treasure the memories of Christmases long past.
To anybody who is celebrating, I wish you a Merry Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. Best wishes as well for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
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