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As I write this post, Hanna and I are listening to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols broadcast from King’s College, Cambridge, England and eating cornmeal molasses pancakes. I put in my last hours of work for 2011 yesterday afternoon at the MHS and now both Hanna and I will be on holiday until January 3rd — all, the luxury of slightly anachronistic academic schedules! Later this afternoon we might wander down to the Boston Public Garden to check out the Christmas bustle before returning home to prepare cinnamon pull-apart bread for Christmas morning and possibly a screening of White Christmas.
And then possibly reading some picture books before bed. Because I don’t know about you, but Christmas isn’t really complete until you’ve read your favorite Christmas stories. Such as:
The Conscience Pudding, by E. Nesbit (available as a free audio file from Librivox!)
The Story of Holly and Ivy, by Rumer Godden, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
Child’s Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone
The Tomten and the Fox, by Astrid Lindgren (see illustration above)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson
What are the favored Christmas and/or winter holiday stories in your house? Share them in comments!
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| Schaerer family Christmas tree (Dec. 2003) photograph by Anna |
Best to you and yours this season, and warm wishes for the turn of the year.
~Anna
We read A Christmas Carol together (taking turns! out loud!) and watch one zillion versions of it. This year we watched the one with George C. Scott (the best), the Muppets, the Albert Finney one (dumb), the Disney animated one from last year-ish (Horrible! Gah! Barf!), the Mr. Magoo one, Scrooged, etc. I want to order the B&W Alistair Sim one for the Dude.
Plus White Christmas, Elf, and a bunch of the old Simpsons Christmas episodes at various points. We use them for good background accompaniment to card-writing, present-wrapping, and baking.
Merry Christmas, harpy friends!
We usually celebrated Christmas at my grandparents’ house, and I seem to remember musicals being a big favorite once that newfangled VCR thingy was introduced: Sound of Music, The Music Man, Singing in the Rain.
Then on Christmas Eve, Grandma would break out the flannel nightgowns she’d made for each of her granddaughters and daughters (usually this meant 5-7 new nightgowns depending on how many of us were there in a given year). We always got a new flannel nightgown on Christmas Eve and when I went to college, I was presented with a patchwork quilt that Grandma had made from the flannel of my little-girl nightgowns (which my mom had saved and then cut into squares for her). There would be music, with Grandpa playing his electric organ and singing. He sang with the church choir and had a lovely tenor voice.
My grandmother died a year and a half ago, and my beloved Grandpa died this past weekend, so I am really missing them right about now. My aunt and I made six fruitcakes the night before last from Grandma’s recipe, and that has helped, but not enough.
@Becky – I’m sorry to hear that your grandparents aren’t here to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the Sharper clan..
A lot of the traditions from childhood I don’t really like, especially given the religious sect in which I was raised.
However new traditions have been created as I’ve staked out my life as an adult – playing bocche after the BBQ. And largely staying clear of anything resembling Christmas Carols/books/movies. (Though I don’t mind watching the Vatican Midnight Mass – even though I wasn’t raised Catholic.)
Thanks for posting about the “Tomten and the Fox”, I grew up with that book and with “The Tomten” and still have them. Truly wonderful books with fascinating illustrations.
As for Xmas traditions, mine are less literary. I like to watch Mystery Science Theater 3000′s “Santa Claus vs The Martians” episode, and play snarky Christmas songs by Monty Python and Tom Lehrer. Your basic geeklady xmas.
veganmarcy–”Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is one of the Dude’s favorites! It might be on the bill for tonight, as I am now too sick (Santa, that jerk, brought me a sinus infection) to give a shit about much of anything.
I hope you had a Patrick Swayze Christmas, PhDork.
As soon as it gets to “it’s time for Septoberfest” I lose it. Luckily I just moved back to my hometown of Minneapolis, where MST3K was spawned, and they have a big club who shows monthly viewings a local bowling alley/bar/restaurant/showplace. Yay Midwestern Geekery!
Are you also a Joe Don Baker fan? Mitchell and Final Justice are both pretty epic. Right up there with Gamera.