The advent calendar begins on the 1st of December. The month of December is already here, for many it is the most favorite month of the year. While festive cheer fills the air, everyone wrapping up the year’s quota of work and awaiting the holiday season, the hype around this time of the year is here to stay.
But lets not forget the reason for the season!
Going down memory lane —
I remember — following the Advent calendar from the 1st of December and the Christmas novena from the 16th of December to Christmas Eve 24th December each year to mark the count down to Christmas. This was a family ritual before dinner — cross out the date on the Advent calendar and say the family novena together.
I remember — each year, the last week of November is where all the preparation began, putting up the nativity crib, decorating the Christmas tree carols playing and gift lists being carefully budgeted and planned.
I remember —my mums Christmas cake preparation actually began with the soaking of the dry fruit in Old Monk rum in the month of October. The dry fruit was placed in a round shallow thal, generously soaked in rum and covered with a mulmul cloth. This mixture was stirred once a week till the day of cake baking.
Other homemade sweets one lot every Saturday morning included kulkuls, which is a mixture of Maida, sugar and eggs kneaded together into dough. Food colour was added to give us a variety of pink, green or natural looking kulkuls. Small bits of the big dough ball were plucked by each of us, spread over the back of a fork and gently rolled into a twiry kulkul, all collected on a sheet of butter paper and then deep fried into a golden brown crispy kulkul. The kulkul was then dipped and rolled into a tray of castor sugar.
Other homemade sweets included milkcream with cashew nuts, and marzipan with almonds, milk and sugar ground and cooked together and made into dough, rolled into Xmas molds.
There are a whole lot more of homemade sweets like the coconut sweet, walnut fudge, neuries, and guava cheese but we bought these from the church Xmas bazar.
I remember — being part of the Christmas play put together every year by Sylvia Athaide, the music teacher at Fort Convent, practices began months in advance and the show was held at the Catholic Gymkhana. The carol singing where we walked from building to building singing carols and giving all the donations to the church. A tradition followed to date.
I remember — Having a new outfit on Christmas day, for mid-night mass and the family Christmas lunch. Attending mass was definitely a fashion parade of sorts. Being part of the church choir was a big deal, a thing I did not ever qualify for. Mid-night mass was followed by a treat of hot chocolate and sandwiches but the main treat was looking under the tree for the list of gifts sent to Santa.
Next day conversations always began with, ”So did Santa give you all you asked for?”
Though I always said yes, the truth was “no he did not” and as I grew up and realized whom Santa was, I’m glad my list was not covered and I did not get everything I wanted.
Today, our family Christmas day begins with all of us attending mass together to celebrate the reason for the season- The birth of Jesus.
Followed by a brunch.
Everyone puts their gifts under the tree later distributed by the youngest ones in the family. Carols from Jim Reeves, Boney M, Elvis, Frank Sinatra and updated with Justin Bieber, Michael Buble, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande ring through the hallways as hugs, kisses and banter fill the air.
A Typical Christmas Menu
Appetizers:
Pate d’fois gras with melba toast
Assorted dips with Chip and salad sticks
Smoked salmon slivers
Mushroom cocktail
Assorted nuts
Mains:
Honey glazed ham
Roast turkey or chicken with stuffing and au jus
Baked cauliflower
Crab bake
Shrimp cocktail
Potato salad
Green salad
Sautéed vegetables
Roast suckling
Sorpotel with Sannas
Dessert:
Assorted Xmas sweets- kulkuls, milkcream, marzipan, neuries, guava cheese, bibenca
Fresh fruit platter
Dessert of the Season – Xmas pudding flambéed with brandy butter or homemade custard.
Coffee-tea
(Christmas day pudding is the traditional dessert at the end of a Christmas meal, the homemade version included old silver coins hidden within, and who ever got this in their helping was rewarded appropriately.)
The end of the year is marked with burning of the old man ”Auld Lang Syne” playing in the background. At the stroke of midnight, crackers sound, horns hoot, merriment is spread everywhere to ring in the New year.
While most of the emphasis is placed on gifts, festivity and good cheer, with maturity you realize the true meaning of Christmas.
It’s about —
— A baby being born in a manger, surrounded by animals and hay to keep him warm. No luxuries for this baby who was the Son of God.
As in the Bible-Luke 1:52-55
“He has brought down the rulers from their thrones but has lifted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”
NOTE: watch an old rerun of ‘FRASIER” (Christmas episode)
Clearly God did have a message here that his birthday needs to be celebrated by uplifting the lives of the poor and needy and enjoying the gifts of the spirit —
Love: Joy: Peace: Patience: Kindness: Goodness: Faithfulness:
Open your eyes to the true spirit of Christmas!
Rethink the point of Christmas!
Don’t forget the reason for the season!
The Christmas pudding will never fall out of fashion — it will just be tweaked.
