Merry Christmas

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:23

A Child's Christmas in Decoy - Grandma's Memories (1932)

Christmas in our house was a noisy, happy affair.  We made our own decorations.  Mother made the traditional Christmas puddings in a big brown crock.  We all had to have a stir and to make a wish.  They were put into muslin in basins and boiled in the big copper.  Nearer the day, she cooked a whole ham and tongue.  We all had a Christmas stocking and inside these would be trumpets, balls on elastic, a colouring book, and other odds and ends.  Nuts and oranges also featured, paints and books.  Of course, we woke early and in our excitement woke our parents.  Fires were lit early in both rooms and after breakfast we used the front room.  Mother dug up the Christmas tree from the garden and we put up the decorations and holly and mistletoe on Christmas Eve.  My father brought home a brace of pheasant which Mother cooked.  Mince pies were made the day before.  Tea was a jolly affair with crackers.  There were no plastic toys (etc) but lovely Japanese flowers which opened when put in water, and ferns which appeared when a match was lit and put to the corner of the paper.  There were hats and mottoes.  We loved them.  In the afternoon, Bill and I cracked nuts on the kitchen floor with a hammer!  Mother put out dates, figs, and other crystallised fruits.  We did not have a lot, but we were very happy.

Christmas at Number 3

The temperature is dipping, cards are falling through the letterbox, the kitchen cupboard is filling up with tasty foodstuffs, and the houses of the neighbourhood are suddenly bedecked in a million fairy lights.  It could only mean one thing - Christmas is here again!  

In our home, the decorations made their way up a couple of weeks ago, and this year there are some new additions to the tree.  A memento from New York City; a reminder of a treasured birthday trip to Longleat; a keepsake from a day trip to St Ive's in Cornwall; and a lovely gift of a hanging sailboat are amongst the new adornments, mingling with the old favourites that hang from every branch.  A Christmas tree is always the focus of the home's decorations, and for me it's the place to celebrate our childhoods and the rich memories that such decorations invoke, be they old or new.

Christmas really is a time to be at home, to reconnect with the people and the things we love and hold dear.  It's also an opportunity to switch off from work and the wider world, and to find some time for peace and reflection.  For me, this usually involves a good bit of reading, and I'm pleased to say that this year, I've a good selection to get stuck into through the dark and cosy evenings.  

A festive Yankee Candle wafts gently through the crooning tones of Perry Como and, just like in the world at large, Christmas has come to number 3.  We're looking forward to settling down for a few days of festive cheer with those we love - I hope every reader of my blog finds their peaceful and perfect home for the holidays.