BECAUSE IT’S TRADITION … from the Porch

With the Christmas season in full swing … all the shopping, the baking, the visits to Santa, the anticipated visits from family … I am struck by the “why” of it all.  Why do we do the things we do in preparation for Christmas.  After all, it’s the birthday of Baby Jesus and I don’t see his parents running out to the mall for that one perfect gift, standing in the checkout at the grocery store making sure that everything is bought to prepare for a birthday party.  Yet, that is exactly what we do from the time the Thanksgiving table is cleared right up to the most holiest of the Silent Night.

When I was a little girl, I remember how much my Dad loved Christmas Eve …. at least when us kids were older and he had no more bikes to put together, the trees was already decorated and the gifts bought, wrapped and tucked away to be opened the next morning.  During those Christmas Eve’s, my Dad would sit in his chair smoking his cigar, sipping on a cocktail of Scotch on the rocks while Christmas carols could be quietly heard throughout the house.  He always said that this was his favorite night of the year … the fulfillment of a promise made at the birth of the Christ-child.  Now that I am older, I can appreciate what he meant by that …. after I place our gifts under the tree and stand at the door waving as Santa rides by the house on the fire truck, the world seems to take a deep breath and let it slowly out.  The stars seem brighter on this “Oh, Holy Night” as the evening deepens into a peaceful slumber.  This is one of my traditions that I follow even to this day …. to begin the celebration of Christmas with a sigh of love.

There were quite a few traditions that I’ve adopted over the years and some that I’ve created for my own family.  Our life-style has always been a whirl-wind of various schedules …. and it still is …. and I made it a point to try to balance this chaos of timing so that everyone in the family would be able to participate as a whole in a Christmas celebration.  One of the things that I cut out was a “sit-down” meal.  Gone are the days when I spent the morning, afternoon and evening in the kitchen … cleaning up from breakfast so that I could create our Christmas dinner along with all the munchies required during the day.  Now I take the time to do a great deal of early preps and finally create a sumptuous buffet suitable for grazing all throughout the day.  Every year I bless the local dollar store for providing such cute paper plates and matching napkins to that my Christmas table looks sweet, inviting, and festive without me breaking a sweat.  I do have some really nice serving pieces that I use to make the buffet look appealing and like the way it always looks with little decorations of snowmen, votive candles, and a Kitchen Santa.  I’ve been able to see Christmas gifts being opened and squealed over ever since my brain woke up from the fog of someone else’s Christmas traditions.

As you know by now after reading some of my stories, I grew up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood in Southwest Philly.  Our surrounding neighborhoods included many Italian families as well as a fine representation of German and Polish.  All of these ethnic groups held various traditions that were brought out in full force during the Christmas season.  It is my understanding of my ancient culture that the Irish began to merge their beliefs with the Christian cultures of the Romans and missionaries.  After the great Potato Famine brought many Celtics to American shores, they brought these beliefs and traditions with them … and many have been absorbed into the American culture we know today.  For example, a sprig of holly drapped across the front door promises good fortune in the coming year.  Holly bushes were used since it was readily available as it grew wild and even the poorest of Irish could use the berries and leaves as decorations.  Mistletoe was also used by the Celtic people and was believed to have magical powers … and if you ever had a good smooch under this divine vine, you’d sure be able to feel the mystical potency of it.  Christian missionaries, however, felt that it was a “devil root” and actually banned it from Irish cultural practices for centuries (much like the way England banned the Irish from speaking Gaelic!). The Irish Celts were the first to use candles in their windows …. as an invitation for Joseph and Mary to enter the home for shelter.  There is always plenty of room for the Holy Family in an Irish household — 🙂  Feasting on Christmas Eve is also a time-honored Irish tradition …. and this so totally explains why my Mom and Dad layed out a huge assortment of sandwiches, salads and sweets for us to enjoy after we opened our gifts at midnight.  I always went to bed …. around 2AM … with a full tummy and sweet dreams of my new doll and game.

Our Italian neighbors also shared their rich Christmas traditions with all of us.  One of these is the Feast of the 7 Fishes on Christmas Eve.  Those close to me are well aware that I don’t anything that swims, so I tend to snack on cheese and crackers during this meal.  I don’t feel that I am offending anyone …. after all, there would be no extra “clean up on isle 7” since I don’t partake, right?  Anyway, the reason for “7” is because this number is repeated most frequently in the bible.  And the reason for fish is because it is a tradition to fast on the eve of a Holy Day, which Christmas most certainly is.  A typical meal might consist of up to 9 seafood dishes which would include cod, smelt, anchovies, and octopus among others.  Once again, I don’t partake but I totally get the reasoning involving this tradition and respect it completely — 🙂  There is a little bit of Italy that I totally enjoy at Christmas time and that is the wonderfully fantastic sweets.  One of my all time favorites is the pizzelle wafer cookie …. can you say “YUM!”  Top that off with another favorite of tiramisu or a bit of Zuppa Inglese, you will be hearing me say, “Buon Natale” with gusto — 🙂

Even though I married a Polish fellow, I don’t know a lot about Polish traditions at Christmas.  Most of the time, my husband was working so I was pretty much alone to fend for myself … and some of the traditions that my little family follows are a result of this.  Keep in mind that, if you’ve never lived the life-style of shift work, it’s a bit difficult to appreciate the mis-mash of our personal family traditions, right?  At any rate, I did do a bit of research to see just what traditions some Polish Americans enjoy.  Christmas celebrations actually begin in Christmas Eve and is known as Wigilia (The Vigil).  The meal starts with the passing of Oblatek, a thin wafer that apparently tastes like a cross between the Communion Host and those little space ship-shaped candies from our youth.  These wafers are usually stamped with religious figures and comes in a variety of pastel colors.  There is always an empty chair at the table …. to make room for that extra surprise guest (possibly Jesus).  Each person at the table takes part in the toast by sharing a Christmas wish or blessing.  Then the meal begins as a 13-course feast …. this number represents Christ and His Apostles.  There is no meat at this meal …. again, like our Italian brethren, there is fasting before a Holy Day.  However, the variety of meatless dishes include a seafood as the main course, lots of pierogies, marinated mushrooms, brandied plums … just to name a few.  The meal is followed by the singing of Koledy-Polish Christmas songs.  I have never heard any of this music, but I understand from my research that these songs are quite melodious and beautiful.  After all the Christmas Eve festivities, the entire family and guest attend Midnight Mass.  Here’s a funny cross-over into what my Irish family always did … after Mass, the Polish family would visit the Nativity and take a piece of manger straw ….. interesting how some customs have meshed into each other, right?

Now how about our German neighbors!  When I was in school, I only knew of one family who followed their traditions ….. even right down to singing “Silent Night” in German (Stille Nacht).  Most of the traditions and customs of German American families have also been blended into our American culture.  One tradition is the Advent Calendar.  Behind every door was a piece of chocolate (YUM!) and the last door had the largest piece.  A treat a day all throughout Advent in preparation for Baby Jesus …. sweet! — 🙂  As for the Christmas tree, it would be “tagged” but not brought into the home until Christmas Eve …. and the children could not see the tree till a little bell was rung indicating that the tree was ready.  To pass the time, the family would eat shrimp (there’s that seafood again!) and play games.  When it was finally time to see the tree, it was decorated with old-fashioned wooden ornaments and real candles.  The candles were never lit unless the family was in the room … and were NEVER placed on an artificial tree. There is also a glass pickle decoration placed somewhere deep in the tree.  The child who finds this special ornament will have good luck throughout the New Year.  The Christmas Eve gifts that were left by Christkind were opened and admired.  Then off to bed, because now in America, Santa Claus came with gifts as well.  Another German tradition during the Christmas season is the celebration of St. Nicholas Day.  This is on December 6th and children put their shoes outside their doors the night before so that St. Nicholas can leave gifts of candies and chocolates.  The last of the Christmas holiday traditions we can thank our German neighbors for is the Feast of the Epiphany.  This day is celebrated on January 6th primarily in Germany.  It is to honor The Three Kings, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar as they completed their journeys from the East bringing gifts to the Babe in the Manger.

With the blending and meshing of all of our ethnic religious traditions, there must be something to the “Christ in Christmas” thingy.  After all, if cultures as ancient as the Celts, the Germans, the Italians, and the Polish hold Christmas in their hearts, it stands to reason that a country as young as America should be on a learning curve.  Here’s an idea …. instead of trying to eradicate Christmas and all of its meanings, which by the way is nothing but the teaching of pure and unadulterated love … let’s wish us ALL not a bland “season’s greetings” but a heartfelt and traditional