Being Scrooge-like (was:Re: Festive Note - Nativity Plays)

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

Kathryn Cawte:

>It's not Scroogelike. I adore Christmas, but I wish people would wait until
>December. Santa's Grotto opened last week at the local shopping centre.
>Every shop is playing Xmas music and has decorations up - I'm going to be
>heartily sick of it by Xmas and have now scratched shops off the list of
>places I'm job hunting (because I'd be forced to go after their audio system
>with a hammer after a couple of days of constant Christmas music and being
>sacked is bad)

Well, confession time.
I've already been to a Christmas party. Last night. Not willingly, you 
understand, but I did quite enjoy it (much against my better judgement).

It was a corporate bash at Somerset House, on the Strand in London, which is 
a wonderful, elegant building with a varied history (it too, at one stage was 
part of the University of London - Kings' College, or at least part of it, 
used to be based there). It now houses the Courtauld Collection.

http://www.somerset-house.org.uk/

Anyhow, in the winter there is an ice rink in the courtyard. It was really 
very evocative. Folks skating, a professional choir up in the balcony singing 
carols, strolling entertainers, the ice rink lit by huge torches. Youngest one 
paying a visit to Santa accompanied by the most delightful elf. Made me (even 
me!) feel quite sentimental.

I had a wonderful surprise when I visited the ladies' room just before 
leaving. It was most beautifully decorated with sparkling silver branches, fairy 
lights and sprays of completely fresh eucalyptus and pine between the basins. 
I've never seen anything quite like it and it was just so unexpected, like 
suddenly walking into a fairy woodland grotto!

Like June, I saw the first signs of Christmas this year in the supermarket 
before the end of September. I can't believe that the central London Christmas 
lights have been on for a week already (as they have in our local town. Our 
village ones don't go on for another week, thank goodness. I'm trying to persuade 
my younger two that I need a musical flashing (and I don't mean illuminated) 
Santa like a hole in the head. I think soon ours will be the only house in the 
country soon that isn't adorned with an illuminated snowman, or doesn't have 
reindeer chasing across the roof.

I agree so much about being sick of Christmas by the time it happens. These 
days everyone seems to celebrate Christmas *before* the festival itself and 
forgets that the actual Christmas season is the twelve days starting with 
Christmas. After Christmas is such an anti-climax.

I used to be very strict, refusing to put up the Christmas tree until 
Christmas Eve itself. That softened to the weekend before Christmas. Last year I 
broke down and put it up at the beginning of the school holidays. Last year was 
also the first year I gave in to the pressure to buy chocolate Advent calendars. 
Not at the beginning of December, I hasten to add, but when they were reduced 
a few days later (told you I was Scrooge-like!) I never did quite understand 
what a daily chocolate ration had to do with marking a penitential season.

But then, in European tradition, the giving of little presents throughout 
Advent has an honourable history, I believe. Although I suspect this has more to 
do with the cult of St Nicholas than with Christmas itself.

I don't know. I suppose that I feel that when I was a child, Christmas was 
much more special, partly because it wasn't anticipated so much. It wasn't as 
commercialised, we didn't get nearly as much stuff. But many children these days 
have so much anyway that it is only an orgy of indulgence that marks out 
Christmas as being different. I was happy with a Christmas stocking of small 
presents from Father Christmas, with nuts and a tangerine in the toe. I've no idea 
*what* mine would think if they found fruit and nuts in their Christmas sacks!

Turkey, or even chicken, was a luxury food and traditional Christmas dinner 
was really special. Now it seems much more ordinary and despite more 
cosmopolitan tastes in this country generally, I'm about the only person in my house who 
enjoys all the *traditional* extras that make it special - cranberry sauce, 
bread sauce, chestnuts, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake with real, home-made 
marzipan.

Talking of which, I haven't made my puddings or cake yet. Must check my store 
cupboard and get on with them!

~Eloise (call me Ebenezer!)Herisson

wondering when *cranberries* became part of a traditional British Christmas.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]