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CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS penelope carlevato | penelopecarlevato.com
Christmas holds many fond memories. When I was a child in the United States, my English mother continued to celebrate Christmas as though we still lived in England. We placed our tree in front of the living room window on Christmas Eve. We spent the evening decorating the tree and the tabletops in the living room. After dinner, my dad read the Christmas story from Luke. It’s a story that never grows old, and my husband and I continue that tradition, even if it’s just the two of us.
“I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.” —Charles Dickens At midnight, my parents bundled us up, and we went to church for the midnight service. It was the only night of the year when we were allowed to stay up so late. The church was aglow with candlelight and the fragrance of evergreens. It usually snowed, so the roads were often slippery and somewhat scary. We kids loved seeing our breath so frosty while we sang Christmas carols on the way to the service. Christmas morning, we found our stockings, which we hung on the ends of our beds the night before, filled with apples, oranges, nuts, and little treasures. The “real “ presents were under the tree that we opened after breakfast.
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Since my mother kept Christmas very English, less emphasis was placed on Christmas Eve, as everything happens on Christmas Day. We started with a rather large breakfast and then gathered around the Christmas tree as everyone took turns opening presents. Christmas dinner was a grand affair and served early afternoon. My mother would usually invite those who were alone or had no family close by. She made a giant turkey with all the trimmings like roasted vegetables, cranberry sauce, Brussel sprouts, mincemeat pies, and plum pudding (Christmas pudding). Our Christmas dinner always included Christmas crackers. They are cardboard rolls wrapped in fancy paper with toys and trinkets inside. Each end has a pull-tab, and when it’s pulled, it makes a firecracker noise. Out pours some small toys and a paper hat. Everyone at the table wears a hat during dinner. For many years, my aunt in England sent us our yearly Christmas crackers in her package. Now they are easily bought in many department and discount stores here in the US. Mother reminded us that if we were home in England for Christmas, at 3:00 pm, we would all gather around the radio and listen to the Queen’s yearly Christmas broadcast. Then we would have our Christmas tea. However, as much as I enjoy reproducing an English Christmas at my home, I find the weeks leading up to Christmas are now more important to me. I began my tradition about 25 years ago. I invite my neighbors and friends to a Christmas tea.
