Another Christmas has come and still we are dealing with small numbers for gatherings, masks, and distancing. Rather than feel stressed, I decided to create a different way to celebrate. I had RyeVita crackers with goat cheese and pickles last night, as we used to always get together Christmas Eve for crackers, cheese, and snacks and opening a small gift. This started when we gathered a couple of people into the family with Danish heritage. I spent the evening remembering and relaxing.
Today I am cooking Christmas pudding in memory of my Mother, Grand Mother, and Great Grandmother (and perhaps even farther back than that). The pudding recipe is the faithful old carrot pudding with lemon sauce. It is a cheap, easy, and tasty pudding with things that all farmers had on hand. It is light enough to still manage room for it after stuffing yourself with a huge plate of turkey, dressing, and veg. The lemon sauce is just enough to start the digestion so you don't feel like you have gorged yourself. :)
The gift I am giving myself this Christmas is time to paint again.
There will be red cabbage cooked (also in memory of the Danish side) and tomorrow's breakfast will be Huevos Rancheros to remind me of the people in my life who grew up in Mexico.
At some point I will turn the flickering embers of my fake fireplace on and break open the jigsaw puzzle. This was always a big part of Christmas for us. A card table in front of the fire with a jigsaw puzzle that everyone contributed at least a few pieces to.
Then, I will play my keyboard before the day is over because the piano in the living room always enticed someone to sit and play a few tunes.
Christmas for us was always a peaceful day full of family, food, and games. I am eternally grateful for that as I know for many it wasn't a pleasant time. If I can't continue all of the traditions, I can continue to pick and choose the parts of it that I can still pull together where ever I am. I can relish the good times I enjoyed with friends and family, and keep the memories of them alive.
Next year, whether we can gather or not, I will celebrate the season with the intent of remembering and honouring the past and all the people I have been blessed to have in my life as part of Christmas.
For me, Christmas has not been a religious celebration, but it has been a sacred one. It is a time to say thank you to everyone for being part of my life; a time to relish in the darkness and the contrasting sparkle of snowflakes in moonlight; a time to skate on the frozen pond until your nose and toes are numb, and then to return home to enjoy the warmth of fire and human connection.
Air, water, fire, earth, and spirit. This time of year, for me, is a quiet time to honour all these things no matter what you wish to call it. A time to slow down, as the sun makes a momentary pause before its rays begin to advance north once more, and appreciate what I have, share what I am able, and acknowledge that I am blessed to be here - a part of it.