Holiday Traditions
~*~
to numerous to mention
but here is just a few
I remember from
when I was a Kid.
***
We use to have carollers
going door to door
singing Christmas Carols
stopping only if you paid them.
To show our appreciation
for the lovely carols they sang,
who ever could make
the best ice ball
got to throw first.
As you probably guessed
we couldn't afford such a luxury.
***
The town would go hog wild
 |
decorating the main street
with all sorts
of shredded paper
from the Post Office,
covering all the trees.
Little did we realise then
that
we already had
a recycling program in use,
we covered all the street lights
with left over bubble wrap.
We took pride in preparing the town
for the Santa Claus parade.
***
Next we would hustle
out to Farmer Brown's shed.
There was an old Motoski snow machine
housed in there
for Santa to ride into town on.
We always took off the tread
so it would take Santa hours
to ride through town
because
the number of decorated floats
including Santa, was two.
The people on the floats
would jump off
and switch with a spectator,
that way
everyone got to watch
the parade.
Even Mr. Jones got involved
by dressing up in a Snowman costume
along with some of his buddies.
He would pretend to play hot potato
with snowballs
and juggle em
as high as he could.
Only that year, he somehow
got real hot potatoes instead.
(hehehehe)
He ran down the center of town
with his helpers
trailing behind him,
passing the potatoes back and forth.
As I recall, that was the fastest kids
received candy tossed to them.
***
We all knew who Santa was.
You could smell him a mile away.
He was always liquored up
and that of course
would be the crossing guard
for old R. H. King school,
Bobby Cole.
Never did anyone light up a cigarette
for fear of an explosion.
***
Later on that evening Dad an I
would go out
and
cut down our Christmas tree.
This was the highlight
of
the season for our family.
It had to be real dark
because
we would sneak downtown
to the centre square.
The trees there
already had all the decorations on them.
We always made sure
we cleaned up our mess
after the cut.
Part of the clean-up program
the Mayor had implemented
two years ago,
was helping to attract more tourists.
Dad insisted we do
our part.
I popped the tree,
lights and all,
on the toboggan
|
and then hurry home
through the back lanes.
Making sure they were ones that are wide enough
for a toboggan
but narrow enough
to stop a police car.
I could run
but Dad
had to practice jogging
for a month ahead of time
so he would be in top shape
for the escape.
Christmas time was so exciting.
Mom would have hot chocolate
and popcorn
waiting for us on our return.
***
Feeling all tired and cosy,
it was time to leave
Santa some snacks.
Everyone else would leave
the traditional cookies and milk
but in our home
Dad said Santa would enjoy
a six-pack and a bag of potato chips.
He said Santa would be all clogged up
from the many fire places
he had to drop down through
and the soot had a tendency
to plug up the nose cavities.
***
By now it was time for bedtime
and we'd all go
put on our pyjamas.
Actually
we didn't have real pyjamas.
We would just empty out
our pockets
and take off our socks
and brush our teeth
with Pepsodent tooth powder.
***
When Christmas morning finally arrived
we would rush down
to the livingroom
to open our stockings.
One year I took a pair
of my Dad's hip waders
and hung them
on the mantle.
All I got was a note from Santa
saying things about all the bad stuff
I had done
and that I had been greedy
and in the toe
of one of the boots
was a piece of coal.
 |
The year before I had switched
all the stockings
in the middle of the night
so my sisters
got boy things
and my brothers
got girl things.
I thought it was funny.
I guess Santa
really did know all
cause like I said
the next year
I got coal
in my Dad's hip waders.
***
After dinner
when the dishes
had been cleared away,
Mom would turn off
all the lights
and enter with the Christmas pudding
bathed in Rum,
all on fire.
This one year
Dad decided to help out
by adding Rum,
Uncle Mort saw fit
to pour some on
and then Mom not knowing
the pudding
had been doctored up,
she added her usual dose.
Lights out,
Mom flicked the match
and kaBoom....
 |
She looked so funny
with no eyebrows,
eye lashes or nose hairs
and her bangs
were singed to the roots..
Dad slept in the basement
for a month.
***
Well I hope you all
have enjoyed my family's traditions
because I have carried them
all out
having a family of my own.
* Traditions*
are very important to me
and passing them down
to my children and grandkids
means a lot
in this day and age.
**
Author: Mistyshadows2u
***
from
MISTYSHADOWS2U
