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

[junediamanti]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, eloiseherisson at a... wrote:
>
> 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).
> 
>>> 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. 

I inherited a beautiful, hand-embroidered advent calender that my 
mother made from a European Kit.  You hang little presents from it - 
one for each day of advent.  Do this one Christmas, and one only and 
that's it.  It costs a small fortune to do - 24 little presents.  

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!

Yes, I get the eyes heavenward when I start talking on that theme.  
> 
> 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.

The trimmings are the best bit - I could survive without the turkey 
but not the bits.
> 
> 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.

This reminds me of a favourite film of mine "Shadowlands".  For 
those who haven't seen this film it stars Anthony Hopkins and Debra 
Winger portraying the doomed and bittersweet romance between C S 
Lewis and his wife, Joy Gresham.  It's a wonderful weepy film and 
the performances by Hopkins and Winger have to be seen to be 
believed.

Anyway that brings me to the particular moment.  In the film, Joy 
Gresham and her son are guests of C S Lewis and his brother for 
Christmas day. He asks what they would normally have for their own 
traditional Christmas Lunch and she says "Oh, you know the usual, 
turkey, cranberry sauce..."  Now this is set in the late fifties and 
cranberry sauce, while common enough in the UK now was not a 
standard turkey accompaniment then.  However, undaunted, the family 
cook serves what she considers to be a near equivalent and everyone 
sits down to eat turkey and... raspberry jam, with Joy hissing sotto 
voce to her son "Just eat it and say nothing".

Wonderful moment.

June