Memories at Christmas…..
Hello. No need to worry….although Christmas seems to have popped up rather suddenly, it’s because time has seems to have skipped a beat or two this year! It’s reminds me of a very old song, though I don’t know why?! ’Skip to my Lou, my darling’…… It was only two blinks ago, that I was having my photo taken wearing my Christmas present; a gorgeous hair clip!
Looking back to the very first Christmases I experienced as a young girl - one of five children - I can’t believe how very vivid my memories are of that time; almost as if I’m standing in front of the huge wood table, with it’s incredible selection of Christmas fare…
There was a big roasted chicken on a serving platter, with attending large carving knife and fork. The chicken was lovingly prepared by my mother; home made stuffing - the lot! Back in the day, it was gas cooking so it was roasted to perfection as well. Taking advantage of the hot oven, mum would have prepared either a home made custard, or a rice pudding. Both of these were equally delicious and always a generous sprinkle of nutmeg!
Along with the roasted chicken, there was a whole side of ham. This was rarely cooked at home, but the local delicatessen had the most succulent and delicious baked sides of ham; an easy choice! Then there was the traditional Greek Salad.
My mother delighted in producing this delicious fare - consisting of washed crisp iceberg lettuce, fresh juicy tomatoes, slivers of sliced crunchy celery, crisp crunchy slices of cucumber, grated carrot, and over the top she’d sprinkle greek salad dressing: there was nothing quite like the taste!
Set out on the sideboard, were little dishes containing the following; cherries, ripe and wonderful plums, Christmas lollies, smiths crisps, twists, and various other snake foods such as toffies, and the like. On the other end of the table, there were plates of slices of watermelon, rock melon, grapes, and mango!
Set aside for after the main meal, there was a huge crystal bowl in which a home-made fresh fruit salad had been prepared. With this delicious dish, you could have fresh whipped cream, and/or vanilla ice cream! My goodness, when I think of this feast, my mouth waters….when I reflect on the amount of food people put away at this time of year, I wonder how we didn’t fall through the floorboards!
Along with the fabulous feast at Christmas, before this day began, earlier in the month, we’d be sat in the living room, helping to make decorations! Oh there were some shop-brought baubles, tinsel etc, but we’d make the paper chains, and twist the corrugated foil with silver on one side, and either pink, blue, green or yellow on the other side. When you put up that particular decoration; if the breezes caught it, it would make the most beautiful sound. One I always associated with Christmas!
One thing was very different. While we had a to - die - for Christmas meal, there were no such things as ‘gifts’… There were of course, the rare exceptions. Like one year, from my grandparents, I got a hat. One year, we were given a handkerchief each. That was about it! I never really thought anything of it to be honest, because that was the way it was!
Sharing my old memories was once a regular thing on my blogging page. But it has been a long time since I wrote my memories - I used to keep all my posts on file, for convenience sake, but some of them have gone missing… Anyway I hope you may have enjoyed my trip down memory lane today!
Wishing you a very happy Christmas…. [if we had that kind of fare these days, I reckon we’d have to reinforce the table, so it didn’t crack under the strain! Haha!]
[End] Christmas, 2022
