homersimpson_esq
Posts: 19969
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Springfield
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Felix
quote:
ORIGINAL: Mozza
Every year, once we set up a nativity scene, we always hide Jesus around the house and leave clues to his location. So far he has been hidden on top of the tree and inside a teapot.
Have you found Jesus?
That actually made me 'lol' - 99.9% of the time I say 'lol' I haven't actually 'lol'ed but merely smiled. That was a definite 'lol' tho...
Right, my traditions.
When I was 8, as is well known in some parts of the forum, I went to a boarding school as a cathedral chorister which meant that we stayed at 'school' (the building, not actual classes) right up to Boxing Day, practising for carol services and the Christmas services themselves. Which meant that there were plenty of traditions each year. We would have parties to attend at the Bishop's Castle, the Dean's house, the choirmaster's house, and the headmaster's house. (The bishop would have a list compiled where we name one thing we're interested in, and buy a present accordingly.)
But it's the three Christmas days - Eve, Day, and Boxing Day - that have the most memories. There would always be two Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols - the big carol service - one on the 22nd and one on Christmas Eve afternoon. The service would start with the cathedral in complete darkness, absolutely packed. The choir would enter at the back of the cathedral, holding boards with candles on the end. To this day the smell of a burning candle (non-scented) transports me back to that service. A soloist (nope, never me) would sing the first verse of Once In Royal David's City, unaccompanied, followed by the choir still unaccompanied, as we processed up the nave. It was always touch and go, depending on how well we had rehearsed, whether when the organ and congregation came in on verse 3, whether we'd stayed in tune! One particular anthem - Howells' A Spotless Rose - possibly because it is rarely heard anywhere else, reminds me utterly of the service too.
After the service we'd have free time in the evening where we'd go to any of the choristers' houses who lived locally before heading back that evening. We'd put a rugby sock at the end of our beds and the headmaster would fill it with little toys, fruit, nuts, chocolate, etc, to open as soon as we woke up. The first year I was there was odd - I was 8, and it was my first Christmas away from my parents. I remember writing a list to Santa, making sure he knew I wouldn't be at home, and to make sure some of my presents were delivered to the school instead! At breakfast we'd open a few presents that, in hindsight, our parents left for us. Then it would be almost a normal sunday, two services in the morning, light lunch, break, evensong. After the Christmas evensong however, came the highlight - formal dinner. Chorister uniform (nothing prissy, just a black suit, white shirt, black/white tie - quite classy really.) full turkey dinner. Totally traditional. The headmaster would bring in the flaming Christmas pudding (complete with sixpences hidden inside) whereupon every single person there would bang his spoon on the table creating a hideous din - it was great! After the dinner were party games - murder in the dark etc.
Boxing Day would be a 6am get up - earlier than any other day of the year. In our pyjamas we'd wander the school making sure no rubbish remained (in hindsight, it was a pretty shitty thing for us to do on Boxing Day!). We then packed ready for our parents arriving at 10am ish. Now, this is where it gets great. When I got home that afternoon, I'd have a second Christmas - the rest of my presents, another traditional dinner, this time with the family. It was this that made me not miss it on Christmas Day, knowing it was coming the following day. The fact that for 5 years - ages 8-12 inclusive - I spent Christmas Day away from home meant the slow creeping realisation of the truth behind Father Christmas - I never had that sudden 'wtf?!' fortunately.
Of course for those 5 years my parents didn't feel right having a Christmas dinner on Christmas day without me. So instead my mum would knock up, from scratch, an Indian feast - home made bhajis, samosas, naan, curries, the works. I always felt I sort of missed out on it so when I left that school I asked if we could carry on that tradition, which we did for several years, eating Christmas dinner on Boxing Day instead.
I fully appreciate the richness of this Christmas experience and if there's anything wrong with it it's that every Christmas since has been a shadow of those years. Until, that is, 2003, when I had my first Christmas with my son. Of course he was too young then to know what was going on. This year however, through all the other shit that's going on, one of the things that has allowed a steady trickle of festive spirit to grow has been my children's growing excitement. My son was able to write his own Christmas list to Santa this year (he wants a DS, a skateboard, a lightsaber and some lego - go on my son!) and his own cards to his friends too. Seeing their faces on Christmas morning allows me to relive my own memories as a child.
I swear blind that one year, I must have been 7, I heard Santa's sleigh bells at the end of the village green. To this day I don't know what it was. I also remember, before I went to the school, that my dad would always have to go downstairs first, to make sure Santa had gone.
So, what traditions do we have now? Well, we're starting an annual toy purge whereby my children go through the hoards of toys in their room to look for toys rarely played with that can go to charity or to the hospital. It allows them to appreciate the joy of giving and sharing, and it also gives us more room for the new intake of toys! We sprinkle magic oats on the front drive for the reindeer to see their way. (It's oats and glitter, but with any luck birds eat the oats first thing in the morning and leave just the glitter.) We go one further than suggesting that Santa has a magic key - we have a magic key! We leave it out the front on Christmas Eve for Santa to get in. I also log onto Norad's Santa tracking service on Christmas Eve, so that my children can see where he is on his journey. (And if, I'm honest, I check myself after they've gone to bed...!)
I started this thread in the hopes that, in writing this, I might help get myself in the Christmas spirit a bit more. Well, mince pie consumed, mulled wine to hand, I think it's working.
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That deep-browed Homer ruled as his demesne.  TREK WARS |
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Christmas Memories, Reminiscences, and Family Traditions - 
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