Home & the Holidays

"Holidays", Mixed Media Journal Page, November 13 2009

I don’t know about you, but for me, Christmas was/is a real “mixed bag” season emotionally.  I wasn’t raised in one of those “happily ever after” families (yes, I’ve seen some – they actually exist!) where everyone just loves to go “home” for Christmas.  My childhood memories of this time are filled with joy and pain.  Even still, it’s nicer to reflect upon the happier moments of times past; later, I’ll find a way to journal the misery away.

When I was a kid, although Christmas often ended on a sad note, the season started off with much excitement.  It began with the mouth-watering aromas of my mom baking holiday treats while we watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on TV.  Her home-made chocolate macaroons, sugar cookies, divinity fudge and much coveted fruit cake (spiked with brandy!) were some of my favourite sugary delights.  Each year she added more new delicious goodies to her holiday baking list.  Mom’s fruit cake always caused a great stir within the family.  You see the recipe was given to her by my late grandfather Marcus (my father’s dad) – an amazing cook who ran a catering business.  On tenuous terms with his daughters, Marcus passed down his baking secrets to my mother instead!  Ever since I can remember, Christmas was also the time of the great bake offs between my mom and my aunts – each one trying to outdo the other in the kitchen!  It may have been warfare for them but for us kids, it was great holiday eating!  🙂  Mom has passed down her recipe to a few select people; no one has ever come close to topping her Christmas fruit cake.  Blissfully ignorant of it myself, I’m content to simply sit down and devour a piece (or two or three or…)!

The other sure sign of Christmas was my Dad’s decorating.  When it came to that he was the king of Christmas decor – way head of his time, my father was definitely the Martha Stewart of his day and also a bit like Tim Burton’s  “Jack Skellington”.  Over the years he accumulated hundreds of decorations which he carefully packed away each year in several gigantic boxes as though they were semi-precious jewels.  He revelled in purchasing novel ornaments like Christmas balls that chirped like birds or Santas that danced to “Jingle Bell Rock”… things that made my younger siblings laugh – he loved to see their little faces light up.  Every wall, window and corner of our home was tastefully decorated in his elegant style… each piece transforming our ordinary home into a magical winter wonderland.  I’m quite sure some of the layout ideas for my art are descended from Dad’s design ideas.  Of all his decorating feats, his crowning glory was putting together our Christmas tree.  He spent hours configuring lights, selecting balls and unique decorations of varying sizes, shapes, textures and colours and draping tinsel just so to fashion the perfect tree.  By the end of the season the whole family agreed Dad’s tree was the classiest of all!  Before he died, he passed this tradition down to us and we in turn have passed it on to our younger siblings and nieces and nephews.  When I see a Christmas tree all decked out it’s hard not to imagine Dad sitting by it with a little one on his lap singing a Christmas tune in his base voice.  It was wonderful to see my father, a dark, brooding figure for most of the year, light up our world during the yuletide season.

Yes, those are the times I love to remember.  The ones I miss the most.  What about you, any Christmas memories you’d like to share?  I’d love to hear them.  Happy holidays to you and yours.  I hope the new year’s a happy, healthy and creative one!