Christmas Traditions

Over the years our Christmas Eve has changed.

When the children were young, we always went to an evening mass and then visited with family and friends afterwards until midnight or so.

One Christmas Eve was very memorable. We got home well after midnight and as we all piled out of the car and looked up in the sky what should we see but formations of reindeer hoof prints. The kids got very excited and worried that Santa had been to the house and perhaps he hadn’t stopped because we weren’t home, unsure where he should leave the presents.

They quickly ran into the house, changed into pyjamas, climbed into bed and tried to fall asleep. Waiting for Santa and his reindeer to return with the gifts they had asked for and hopefully received. We still talk about that Christmas Eve, and we all remember those hoof prints in the sky.

Perhaps it really was Santa with his sleigh and his reindeer. We’ll never know for sure.

As the years passed and the children grew into young adults, off to university and the work force, our Christmas Eve changed.

My husband and I both come from larger families, and I found that our Christmas was spent with extended family, visiting and festing on food and drink which was awesome, but I was missing time with just our children and occasionally some of their friends so, we changed up our Christmas Eve and started a new tradition. We would just stay home on Christmas Eve and make some of our favourite dishes that evening. Our food choices became homemade dry ribs with honey mustard sauce and a Caesar salad. Although sometimes the salad would be forgotten and left in the fridge for another day.

Now what to do besides visit? Visiting is what we always do when our kids come home. We seldom pull out a game or a deck of cards.

I pulled some memories from my childhood and remembered how much fun the game Trouble used to be. So, I went and bought the game Trouble and introduced it to my grown children. They were not overly enthusiastic to say the least playing it that Christmas Eve; therefore, Trouble was not going to be a new Christmas tradition. The game was returned to its box and continues to collect dust. One of these days it will make a re-appearance, some little kids will come along who will want to play it with me.

The next year I started searching through my memory bank once again, what else can we do Christmas Eve?

Then it came to me.

When I was a kid, we had a Christmas record by Bing Crosby called “How Lovely Is Christmas created in 1957”. As children we had listened to this record over and over and over on a small portable turntable. Eventually parts of the record broke off and we could only listen to part of the record. We wore that record completely out. The thing with this record was that there was about 4-5 main characters. And Bing did all the voices. So, you had to let your imagination do all the work for you. It still brings fond memories to me when I think of that record. I decided my family needed to hear this Christmas album. I started looking on iTunes and sure enough I was able to find it and download it. I then made copies of it onto a CD for my siblings and my parents and gave them a copy for Christmas.

The first Christmas we listened to this album created new memories for me. Our children tolerated/accepted the fact that they were going to have to listen to this 20 minute Christmas story. Our son became quite good at making “mock” of some of the characters. Daniel Boone was in the story as well as Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed. The young boy Jethro gets to meet all of these characters and share his Christmas wish with them. An axe, an apple and a buckskin jacket were high on Jethro’s wish list.

We try and listen to this album every Christmas Eve. My son has repeated parts of the lyrics in front of my sister and myself and we have laughed until we cried.

We continue to stay home Christmas Eve and visit with our children. The last year made for a quieter Christmas due to the pandemic. This too shall pass as they say. Whatever your Christmas and traditions you share with your family may they be merry and bright. For some families Christmas will bring sadness. For those of you that Christmas brings sadness, may your next year be better for you and your family. Not all memories are merry and bright. Remember the good times and cherish your fondest memories.

And now for some laughter. I am famous at getting lyrics wrong in songs. This is a Christmas song that I messed the lyrics up for years. Made famous by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters – Mele Kalikimaka. The chorus goes

Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii’s way
To say Merry Christmas to you

I always thought it was

Mele Kalikimaka is a “wise way”
To say Merry Christmas to you

Pretty close. When I discovered my wrongful lyrics, I laughed for a very long time. This is just one example of many songs that I have miss-sung over the years. Since it ties in with Christmas I had to share. And the other funny part to this is that one of my daughters thought the same thing. As the saying goes “apples don’t fall far from the trees”!

I will leave you with a Christmas song as when I heard this song By Sara Evans called “At Christmas” it reminded me of what I enjoy at Christmas. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Cheers to 2022!

Merle Lee Ann Pratt – merleleeannskitchen.com – Email: merleleeann@gmail.com

This column is sponsored by MacKenzie Funeral Chapel and Crematorium – We will be there when you need us – Bev and Brian Stobbs

130 9th St. E, Prince Albert, SK

Phone: (306) 763-8488

https://mackenziechapel.ca/

by Merle Lee Ann Pratt – Merle Lee Ann’s Kitchen, author of “A Baker’s Dozen”

Christmas Traditions

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