Well Christmas was here but I could not get into the spirit
as 2017 has not been a good year in terms of some ridiculous unnecessary
business problems and last couple of months I have had bad Kidney stones (not
sure if you can get good ones) and last 6 days I have had very painful
infection from a Insect bite on my face which I had to have antibiotics and
pain Killers. So I have always looked forward to meeting my Christmas Eve Club
mates, we all turned up at the Coniston at 1pm only to be told the Bar doesn’t
open till 3pm, then of to the Billet no seat available so we end up at the
place we all started drinking when were youngsters, The Beauty of Bath. Managed
to get a table here but it has changed into very much a family pub. Just Keith
Jacobs, Johnny Elmer, Trevor Jordon, Trevor Waghorn and myself managed this
year, an annual ritual we have done since 1966. Sadly the pain from my
infection made me go home early after just 2 diet cokes.
Coming home early was a downer for me but I have never
missed a Christmas Eve Club meeting since we started so I was not going to miss
this one no matter how I felt. I slouched into my chair when I got home far
from happy when Andre Rieu Christmas show came on the telly. This was something
I would not normally watch but I am glad I did it really cheered me up and
reminded me of Christmas past.
Two carols put a lump in my throat they were Silent Night https://youtu.be/TuyroRHlcBE
and O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) https://youtu.be/lS4wTuvR7Ik My Mother
would break into tears when she heard these tunes at Christmas Time as would
always remind her of her Parents in Germany, the only other tune that make her
do that was O Mein Papa. Of course as an Englishman I could not shed a tear
well not in public. I had a marvelous childhood and my mother brought from
Germany many traditions with her:
1)
Four Candles of Advents, the start of four
Sundays before Christmas Advent we would start celebrating the first Sunday we
would light one Candle and so on till there were four Candles. Prayers were
said; my mother was a devout Roman Catholic my father was also RC but far from
devout at the end we would sing Christmas carols in English and German. My
brother and myself then got Chocolate remember this was the 1950’ so that was
quite a treat. I carried on this tradition with own children and was very
successful. Tried with my Grandchildren but with out great success there only
interest was getting a present from Nanny and Granddad so it had lost its
Religious Context so we stopped, maybe when they have children they may
rediscover this Family Tradition
2)
Advent Calendar, this is very popular today in
GB with lots of variation but in the 1950’s no one in GB had heard of this and
remember it was not long after WW2 so anything German was frowned upon, especially
for us Jerry Kids as some would call us. It was strange I never heard my
parents complain about that instead they would say ignore it and they were
right by the 1960’s it had stopped. So we had to rely on my Grandparents send
myself and my brother an Advent Calendar, it seems silly to day but the joy we
got out of opening a window every day was unbelievable yet Germany had lost the
War but my German grandparents would send Food Parcel could never understand
that. Yet in that Food parcel we would get Lebkuchen, Stollen, German Mustard,
Sauerkraut, Marzipan Chocolate, Strudel, Pumpernickel, Wurst
3)
In Germany they would celebrate Christmas on
Christmas Eve a tradition we would continue with my Mother. The evening meal
was a Lavish affair with sometimes 8 courses it would consist of various Salads
including Potato salad, Fish, Various meats Meat load of Veg all finished of
Desert, Cakes, biscuits. Yet what me and my brother were waiting for was our
main present which was always given to us on Christmas Eve
4)
Christmas Day was Dad’s day we would have our
Christmas stocking then make a enough subtle noise so dad would wake up and
light the fire in the front room so me and Norman could go downstairs for more
presents, one pile for Norman one for me. Then dinner was traditional with
exception we had Chicken not Turkey, remember Chicken in the 1950’s was a
luxury
5)
When I got married Valerie would take care of
the Christmas Dinner at our home, luckily enough she was a very good cook and
she learn t some of the recipes of Mum and the Christmas Eve Dinner was a hard
act to follow but she always succeed and her dinner also became a highlight of
Christmas. Mind you that was not always the case. I had gone to meet my Father
at the Beauty of Bath and promised to be home for Dinner at 1pm. well what
women do not understand when you are having a few drinks and you meet friends
you forget time. Well my Mother who rarely went into a Pub, stormed in saying
in a very strong German accent “Martin I sink du must go home dien wife is sehr
angry mit you” any way on my return I walked in the door just as my dinner was
thrown in the bin. That was the last time I went for a Christmas day drink no
way was I going to take a chance on missing Val’s Christmas Nosh
6)
Boxing Day would always go Val’s Parents where
it would be Cold turkey, Mash Potatoes, Red Cabbage and Pickles a very typical
English Boxing Day meal. Now I new that Val’s dad and her Brothers would always
go the clubhouse and always get moaned out for being late. So I would meet my
mates for a drink and always get back 15 minutes before them and can remember
Val’s Mum saying to her Dad “Martin can get back in time why can not you” Mind
you it was soon forgotten
Yet as the years go by things changed Val’s Parents died
within months of each other my Dad died in 1990 mum made it to 2004 but in
latter years Val would have to go up Christmas Eve early to help with the meal which
was very important to her, she often said Val was the daughter she never had.
Mum would come to us Christmas Day and Doug would look after at her home
Christmas week. Most of my traditions have now passed yet Val still make a good
Christmas Dinner followed by Bubble and Squeak on Boxing Day and I still go out
with my Mates every Christmas Eve something we have done since 1966 and we call
ourselves the Christmas Eve club
The one thing I found with the modern generation they seem
to waste a lot of food and the case of Val buy to much. She will at least not
waste food as I have mention we have Bubble and Squeak, yet we also have Curry,
Kebabs, meat and rice/Potato dishes plus she will mince the meat add some
tomatoes, Tomato soup, plus condiments and you have a lovely Bolognaise sauce
ideal for Pasta. Sometime the meals after Christmas better then the main meal.
Also have you noticed how of these lefty Snowflake group want to demean
Christmas and how Islamic groups try to destroy it, Yet the Mass for Christ,
Christmas is still the biggest religious festival in the world yet when you
take way all the glitz the message JOY TO ALL MANKIND still hold fast
Anyway Hope you have a Good New Year
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