I’m thinking of following some Advent rituals/traditions, this year. Do you have any particular traditions, spiritual or secular, that you’d like to share? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Singing this ancient Advent chant "Rorate Caeli" at church: Getting the Christmas and decorating it just before Christmas Eve Cutting holly and ivy from the garden and putting some over and round the pictures on the wall Attending and performing in carol services and concerts One of my favourites here - which I shall be singing this year: Cooking boudins blancs with apples on Christmas Eve, before going to Midnight Mass.
That sounds nice Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I must look up what “boudins blancs” are. My tree is up already but I kind of like the idea of waiting until Xmas Eve to put it up. That’s a tradition with a few cousins and friends of mine. Midnight mass. While I’m not Catholic, it is a beautiful procession.
Most of our family traditions have gone away since my parents died. Mom would start baking for Christmas about when school started (it seemed). She used to make "animal cookies" and we would all decorate them with icing and sprinkles. Two of my brothers lost interest but my youngest brother and I got more and more elaborate as we gained experience. On Christmas Eve we would each put a plate at our place at the table and in the morning it would be (magically) filled with nuts and candy. Dad had quite a sweet tooth so it grew to the point where we each needed a side plate too.
Decorating Christmas cookies! I remember once my naughty uncle made a ginger bread man into a blonde bikini girl.
Maybe not exactly a "tradition" but, these "Prune star" pastries: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! And cardamom bread: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Both Finnish holiday fare that my Mom made every year (Prune stars are Joulutortut and the the bread is Pulla in Finnish) I still get at least a taste of both each year as my wife will pick up some at the Scan-fair they hold every year here (she was just there this last weekend, so I am now enjoying them.)* Also these. Even though you can get them year round, I only actually remember having them around the holidays: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! We just recently found these at a store that imports them, so we have a bag for the holidays. *I just may be getting a new supplier. My daughter has turned into quite a good cook/baker. Last year she tried her hand at cardamom bread, and she has asked for her grandmother's prune tart recipe. It's too bad that Mom couldn't have seen her Grand-daughter follow in her footsteps.
Drinking too much, especially port. A proud tradition I have maintained for many a year. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Boudins are either black or white "puddings". Boudin noir is a blood sausage, very similar to British black pudding. Boudin blanc is a white sausage made with chicken generally. We have no equivalent. The Irish do a white pudding but it is not the same. Boudins blancs taste good but are a bastard to cook as they almost always split in the process. You can fry some sliced apple in butter to go with them - I use a mixture of sweet and sour apples. A chenin blanc or sauvignon blanc goes quite well with them - but I don't bother any more as I need to be stone cold sober to sing at Midnight Mass. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! The tradition used to be to put the tree up on Christmas Eve and take it down on Epiphany, i.e. after the end of the 12 days of Christmas. These days if I wait until Christmas Eve there are no decent trees left, so I'm forced in practice to get one delivered by 16-18th. I used to get the tallest one that will fit in our sitting room, which has a high ceiling (10ft), but now a I get an 8-9ft one, as it is a bit easier to manage.
One year, I scoured the stuck-immigrant section of Toronto (Where people first lived when they got here, but then dispersed, making room for the next wave from some other trouble-spot, except for those few who established businesses and took root in the neighbourhood: now they're stuck until their kids or grandkids sell up.) for those candies we used to hang on the Christmas tree in Hungary. Found them: very pretty, very expensive... but they don't taste very good. Memory's treacherous. After that, my partner bought good bulk candy and we spent an evening with the children, cutting tissue paper and foil to wrap them and put string loops on for hanging. When we had family gatherings - kids still at home, a cousin's family and my mother lived nearby - we gave presents in Santa sacks. Great big drawstring bags made of patterned red cotton, each with a name-tag. We put them in a bedroom with the door closed. During the afternoon, each person would find an opportunity to go in and put their gifts in everyone else's sack. After supper on Xmas eve, we'd all troop into the living room where the tree was lit and the designated Santa would hand out presents, turn by turn. This tradition was started in reaction to watching a friend's young children rip away fancy wrapping paper to get at their loot. The only habit we keep from those days is poppy-seed roll. My mother made it very well; I have had some moderate successes and a couple of disasters, but I keep trying. For new year's eve, I also attempt those bow-shaped deep-fried things she used to make. It's a soppy, sentimental tribute. (PS I sure could go for a hunk of that cardamom bread!)
Went to all boys Grammar School in London. Short distance away all girls school Each Christmas would get together at a church which lay about halfway between the schools for Christmas Carols The most recognisable Carol was While Shepherds Wash Their Socks By Night Good traditional song Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
In the olden days when we used to have a real tree, we couldn't put it up too soon - I live on the dry, dry, dry prairies where you have to soak the air in water overnight before you can breathe it. With artificial trees, we could put them up earlier and earlier. Mom always insisted on taking the tree down on New Years Day. I used to put up my tree on December 1st and take it down on New Years Day. Then I had a friend who took her tree down on her birthday, January 8th, so I started doing that. This year we had a birthday party for my aunt (93) on December 1st so I put my tree up a few days earlier. Ask me on January 8th if it's down yet. In an apartment across the way, there's been a Christmas tree up since November 11th.
Why not just keep it all the time? You could change the decorations for each season, each holiday or family occasion. Better yet, make it a live tree in a pot - they smell good all the time. I have some friends who wrap gifts exclusively in advertising fliers that are deposited in their mailbox in spite of the "No Junk" sticker.
Did you know you can sing the words of the Fireball XL5 song to the tune of O Little Town of Bethlehem? I wish I was a spaceman, the fastest guy alive...etc.
I didn't. If we had known then I am sure we would have Cheers Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
We set up and decorate a Christmas tree, and buy and put gifts under the tree, for Christmas Day, a few weeks before Christmas, and open presents on Christmas Day. Afterwards, on Christmas Day, we go to church. Afterwards, on Christmas Day, we visit family and have dinner together.
From Pogo: Deck us all with Boston Charlie, Walla Walla, Wash., an’ Kalamazoo! Nora’s freezin’ on the trolley, Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo! Which was further mangled to: Tickle salty boss anchovy Wash a wash a wall Anna Kangaroo
