I remember the Christmases during the war. We felt so lucky to have one orange in the toes of our Christmas stocking! At that time you were lucky to receive perhaps two or three presents, not like today - and I firmly believe we enjoyed them just as much, if not more than all the things the children of today receive.
Christmas was the only time we had oranges. We never saw a banana throughout the war years. We made up a spead by cooking parsnips, mashing them up and adding banana flavoring and sugar. Believe it or not, they were good.
Daddy was able to obtain raisins, sultanas and muscatels, plus dried peel, for Mammy to make Christmas cake and plum pudding. He was a commercial traveler for Keillers and Williams and Woods in Dublin at that time, so was able to obtain these goodies by increasing the grocers' order for jams and marmalades in exchange for the dried fruit and extra sugar. Sometimes, I really think he might have purchased some of the items on the black market because everything was rationed and one had only a certain amount of coupons.
The plum puddings and cakes were made weeks ahead of time, and Mammy kept adding the "good stuff" to the cakes every week. The plumduffs were always in cloth and hung up behind the kitchen door until we were ready to boil one on the big day. After the pudding was boiled on Christmas Day, brandy would be poured over the top and lighted before serving. It was decorated with a small sprig of holly.
Talking about holly, we always put holly up behind the pictures, along the bannisters and in vases throughout the house.
Our turkey came dressed, meaning with feathers and innards! The only time Daddy was welcome in the kitchen to smoke his pipe was when Mammy and I were cleaning out the turkey, and burning the pin feathers. When it was stuffed and ready for the oven, Mammy would slather lard all over the turkey breast, and as it cooked it smelled so good. We did not go in for gravy and cranberry sauce - hot Colemans mustard, yes!
We used to go into the country to pick holly and mistletoe and farmers did not mind anyone collecting the greenery, nor even obtaining a pine log. What was Christmas Day without the smell of a pine log burning in the grate?
We always had Bulmers Woodpecker cider with our Christmas Dinner. It was a tradition to sit down and be ready to eat, just when the King, and then Queen Elizabeth, would give the Christmas Speech on the radio, at 3 p.m. in the afternoon.
At work, gifts exchanged seem rather dull in this day and age. Boxes of chocolates, tins of cigars or cigarettes, and bottles of wine, whisky or the like.
Another favorite was to mix shelled almonds and raisins and set them out in a dish for nibbling. There was always the marzipan shaped fruits available for anyone who felt they needed more sweet things. Tea would be available, because coffee was not as fashionable as it is now over here.
Remember the pantomimes after Christmas? What fun - and what about everything closing down early on Christmas Eve until after Boxing Day? Nothing open except perhaps newsagent/sweet shops. We did have post delivered on Christmas Day, though.
The tree was never put up until Christmas Eve when we went to bed. At first there were little candle holders with candles on the boughs of the tree, but in later years the fairy lights came in and replaced candles . . . much safer. Though funnily enough I do not recollect hearing about Christmas Tree fires. We always put a huge tall fat candle in a front winder supposedly to light the way for the baby Jesus.
One thing we really looked forward to was going into Dublin to visit Father Christmas in the shops. At that time, every large shop had some kind of a Fairyland to walk through before you met Father Christmas. You then received a gift.
Clothing was rationed in those days, and we all had coupons, so another thing that happened when we went into Dublin in December was that our parents would by my sister and me a new coat and hat for Sunday wear.
Boxing Day or St. Stephens Day was when the "horsy" crowd went to the Races.
They were good days despite a war. Family was closer, and our special holidays seemed to mean much more than they do today. May I take this opportunity to wish you and yours a
-1.jpg){kind=small}
