2 weeks 'til Christmas
Ok,
so,
it's almost Christmas.
2 weeks and counting.
What is Christmas exactly? No, no...not what does it MEAN? What is its hisorical truth etc.?
What is it exactly to Americans in America?
I guess it's essentially a mess of stuff all jammed together and called "Christmas", from Christian mythology to pagan revelry and symbolism to unrepentant, rabid capitaltistic overindulgence.
Ultimately, I suppose Christmas is something different to everyone and their friends and family. When I think about Christmas I think about going home to Michigan, looking back over the year that has been, eating surf and turf on Christmas eve, making my famous shrimp scampi on Christmas day, seeing my old home boys and drinking red wine all afternoon into the evening contemplating the Winter Solstice and El Nino.
Nowadays Christmas also involves a movie with the nieces and nephews on Christmas and spending a few afternoons after Christmas at Lorna's coffeehouse, the fist place in Howell Michigan where a man could get a decent espresso and the warm, roasty smells of civilization.
Leave some comments and fill me in on your own tradions.
I the meantime, if you'd like to support this site please check out the music on the jukebox and buy a CD or 2 for Christmas.
Love,
Joe Nolan
2 Comments:
One more exam tomorrow, and then I am DONE for the semester, thank god.
Christmas means Chattanooga, chilling with mom and dad and Lela. Christmas eve is church night, which invariably involves this strange middle-aged woman singing the spiritual "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" in full slave dialect in the darkened sanctuary, forcing my sister and I to dissolve into hysterical, unstoppable giggles. The service ends with the typical candlelight rendition of "Silent Night", which almost always makes me cry because I am a complete sucker for earnest holiday spirit, especially when candles are involved. After church, it's back home for the annual chili and cornbread dinner by mom, and then watching old family slides in the living room.
Christmas morning is coffee cake and OJ, and then out to the tree for presents. The presents have to be started by someone yelling "1,2,3, RIP!!!", which my uncle started when Lela and I were wee'uns. After presents, it's my mom's famous Christmas dinner with turkey, the best stuffing and sweet potatoes in the whole world, and home-made cranberry sauce with oranges. I love Christmas so much.
By the way, if you're back from Michigan, I'll be in Nashvegas from Dec. 28 - Jan. 2. Give me a call.
Ok,
For me Christmas starts about the 20th of December, which is just round the corner. First is first: making Christmas sweets with 82-years-old grandma, with sugar and almonds from her own garden, collected in August by Dad and my brother. After that, decorating the house: and I,m not talking about American Christmas tree. It,s European tradition of Nativity, creating a small Bethlem town with all its peasants, animals, tiny houses and Holy Family. This year I,ll be decorating my own flat for the first time, exciting! And of course helping Mum at her house.
Chrismas Eve means having a light supper with family after a long day at work. Not many food. After that the table is suddenly covered on delicious sweets, cakes, biscuits and candies. And at midnight, Mum,s big pot of hot chocolate with "ensaimadas",Mallorca,s national cake. Amazingly all cousins show up around twelve!
Then we go out all together to meet friends at the bar, and we end up singing silly songs like Bonie M,s "Feliz Navidad, Prospero Ano y Felicidad"...
Christmas Day means big lunch with family, grandma, cousins Pep and Rafel and of course oncle Miquel. And then watching TV and having family visits all afternoon, sitting next to the fireplace and drinking hot chocolate.
No presents, as you might know that in Spain we get them from the Magic Kings (also called the Three Wise Men) and that means being patient and waiting upto the 6th of January...
Happy Christmas to everyone!
Bon Nadal!
Is
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