>Hi all -- having a) had English ancestors (some immediate) and b) >been to England -- twice -- and c) having a current English >son-in-law, I cannot resist a reply. (see * below) >I read with interest the different kinds of Christmas traditions within the >Sunday Coffee. The one for England made me go - What? We don't do that. I >thought that I would share some of the traditions that we do have .... Or >is it just my family. * One is always reading someone else's version of one's national traditions. They are rarely true -- at least for oneself. What it does do is open one's mind. I once read in a cook book that a "Boiled Canadian Dinner" is traditional in my country (Hey, sorry, not in MY family! But it did make me wonder if there is something really Canadian that I had missed.) > >Christmas Eve is reserved for going down the pub, this usually involved >drinking ye olde traditional Vodka in vast amounts before deciding that >perhaps it wasn't a good idea after all and you feel ill. To each his own -- in Canada, we are more likely to go for Rye Whiskey, rum, or -- if we have some class -- Scotch -- most of us being at least half Scottish at source anyhow!) > Because the >landlord has arranged a lock in after closing time, it is sometimes >necessary to hide in the cellar, or under the pool table (given the drunken >state you may be in and can't manage the stairs) as the boys in blue knock >at the door. This causes a kinda hush to creep over the pub and reminds us >that it's Christmas Day. Hurray! * Whatever works is fine. > >Christmas Day consists of moaning because you have a hangover and there are >very excited children ripping open the parcels that Father Christmas left >(what a shame he forgot to include the batteries - oops) and screaming, and >jumping around, and ... oh... my head. * Now you are starting to sound much like my London-born grandfather! >Now you have to cook a turkey, >which you forgot to get out of the freezer the pervious day and it will take >7 hours to defrost and a further 4 hours to cook. So .... You give up and >go down the pub to have a Christmas drink with your mates (the hair of the >dog and all that ... ) You arrive and everyone is wearing their new jumpers * Being a Canadian of English descent, at least I know what jumper is! >(from Marks & Spencer's of course) and having a jolly old time. >When you arrive back home around 2pm the turkey is still rock solid and you >know that its not going to be thawed out until at least Boxing Day * Warning: Our American cousins may be bamboozled by "Boxing Day." >even if >you do use a blow torch on it, so you give up and give everyone baked beans >on toast, which is eaten while watching the Queens speech * Never miss it (and never remembered what she said 20 minutes later). >and then the James >Bond film. The in-laws arrive and you end up having an argument about the >dinner, because SHE would never forget to defrost it. You play a game of >Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, or if all fails get the cards out. >But this was a bad move ... the arguments are just waiting to happen. * Best reason to avoid family dinners except at Christmas (that gives you one full year to get over it and try the same madness again). > >So basically you end up with a hangover, a jumper that you've got to take >back to the shop, a turkey that will never cook, your mother-in-law >tut-tuting, discussing who is the best James Bond (Sean Connery), * No contest! > having >beans on toast and playing board games that anyone in their right mind would >normally not go near any other time of the year, and everyone's not talking >to each other! > >This is my usual Christmas .... no wonder I really don't like Christmas. > >Roll on January 1st. > >Merry Christmas everyone..... thank heavens its only once a year! > >Jak Daniels * Hah -- it had to be you, Jak! Best and -- Merry Christmas anyway Dixie Bower Cutler > >PS: We're having a Goose this year, fresh from the butchers ... I just know >that its going to be something wrong with it, I just know. I've got in >extra cans of baked beans just in case! :) > > > > >==== BOWER Mailing List ==== >The Bower Family Homestead, homesite of the Bower mailing list -- > http://bowercommunity.com/homestead