In times gone by everyone burned turf, which is raw peat taken from the bogs. So everyone had a blazing fire going on Christmass day, a tree, of course and the candle in the window. A big Irish Breakfast, sausages, rashers, black+White pudding+fried bread. There would be a stocking or stockings hanging from the mantlepiece with the pressies in it, which would be opened after breakfast. The snow was a festive plus+if it was there, the children would slide down the hills on anything they could find, cardboard from a box, maybe or a bit of wood. Dinner consists of Turkey, ham, cabbage or sprouts(miniture cabbages) carrots or green peas, boiled + roast potatoes+gravy. A Christmass pudding that would set you drunk because of all the Guinness+sherry that was in it topped with fresh cream, I think brandy sauce is relatively new. Board games +cards were played from the 1950s. + then there was the poiteen, pronounced potcheen. An unfermented whiskey, like moonshine, it is illegel now. Midnight mass was celebrated on Christmass eve+all the little ones were taken after pressie-opening on the day. Everyone just wandered in + out of each others home, if there was a knock on the door, it was either the priest or a Garda + then you would hear the shout from inside, "Theres no sinners here". Ah, how times have changed, still, the breakfast+dinner stays the same+the pressies, which is good enough for me. I swear Im goin on a diet, come the new year. Merry Christmass+a happy+prosperous new year to all of you and I don't even have the glass of poiteen in me hand. Ha ha. P.s. I will take some photos with this phone of the lights, when it gets nearer Christmass. I can send them to your private emails if you like. Maggie

Hi Maggie Here in Australia my parents would bundle us up off to Church for midnight mass home at 1am kids to bed after a cool drink and festive biscuit Temp (80f) the stockings filled and presents under the tree the Mothers would sit in the family room to talk until the kids were asleep. Over a quite drink the men would build any of the presents that had been disassembled or travel to nearby homes of friends to retrieve hidden gifts to big to hide at home. The adults would take it in turn to go to one house each year. Come morning 6.30am unless one of the kids woke early; It would be all the cousins showing off new cloth's and toys Our Grand Mother's stories of Clare as kids and Dad's Mother's stories as a kid in Tasmania. Handmade Dolls for the girls boats and planes for the boys not big or fancy but made with love. Tea, coffee, fun. Christmas is Family Time We have two Kids and their partners, 8 Grand kids, 5 G Grand Kids this Christmas to pass on the Spirit Love to all and a wish of peace for all Pat L -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Margaret Doyle Sent: Tuesday, 7 December 2010 9:12 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [IRL-DUBLIN] Christmass in Dublin In times gone by everyone burned turf, which is raw peat taken from the bogs. So everyone had a blazing fire going on Christmass day, a tree, of course and the candle in the window. A big Irish Breakfast, sausages, rashers, black+White pudding+fried bread. There would be a stocking or stockings hanging from the mantlepiece with the pressies in it, which would be opened after breakfast. The snow was a festive plus+if it was there, the children would slide down the hills on anything they could find, cardboard from a box, maybe or a bit of wood. Dinner consists of Turkey, ham, cabbage or sprouts(miniture cabbages) carrots or green peas, boiled + roast potatoes+gravy. A Christmass pudding that would set you drunk because of all the Guinness+sherry that was in it topped with fresh cream, I think brandy sauce is relatively new. Board games +cards were played from the 1950s. + then there was the poiteen, pronounced potcheen. An unfermented whiskey, like moonshine, it is illegel now. Midnight mass was celebrated on Christmass eve+all the little ones were taken after pressie-opening on the day. Everyone just wandered in + out of each others home, if there was a knock on the door, it was either the priest or a Garda + then you would hear the shout from inside, "Theres no sinners here". Ah, how times have changed, still, the breakfast+dinner stays the same+the pressies, which is good enough for me. I swear Im goin on a diet, come the new year. Merry Christmass+a happy+prosperous new year to all of you and I don't even have the glass of poiteen in me hand. Ha ha. P.s. I will take some photos with this phone of the lights, when it gets nearer Christmass. I can send them to your private emails if you like. Maggie ****************************** ATTENTION TO ALL:- Do any of you ever get to the bottom of this mail?, and do you remove the details that do not apply to your mail and change the SUBJECT LINE for best useage of ARCHIVED MATERIALS. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ======= Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.16460) http://www.pctools.com/ ======= ======= Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.16460) http://www.pctools.com/ =======