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2003-12-10 - 4:15 p.m.

Okay, Christmas stuff, since I have a few spare minutes. (Second entry for today....)

Lessee. When I was a wee sprout (yes, I was once a wee sprout, or the lesser furry wugga-wugga, at least), the decorations went up early so they could be enjoyed throughout the season. My favorites include:

* a large white lumpy-sided (supposed to look like snow) candle studded with straight pins, each bearing a snowflake-shaped sequin thingie (very seventies!)

* the crinoline tree my grandmother made (star-shaped bits of starched crinoline cut out with pinking shears, in descending size, which get stacked on a center pole; at the end of each point is stuck one of those metallic stars your teacher used to give you)

* my mother's gingerbread churches - quite elaborate with hard white icing for snow, etc. And none of this kit-making things, she cuts all the pieces by hand, and glues them with burnt-sugar syrup

* the nativity scene creche that my godparents made us.

Okay, I have to go on about this for a minute. Those of you who have seen it and gotten the tour of it can just skim down.

The people characters are made of paper cones with styrofoam ball heads covered in bits of nylon stocking (for color), with embroidery thread hair, and felt clothes glued over the paper cone. Note that no mention is made of facial features, because they haven't got any. This never seemed to matter, for some reason.

The animal characters are mostly out of felt and stuffed.

So there's Joseph, in a brown felt robe. There's Mary, kneeling, in layered blue robes - very traditional. There's a little wooden manger with straw in it, and a little felt baby in swaddling with the aforementioned styro-ball head. There's a shepherd, with a collection of pom-pom sheep (with little felt faces glued on one end, to assist in correct orientation). There's a dark red felt ox with splendid bead horns. There's a grey felt donkey of great splendour. There's a white felt unicorn with a gold screw for a horn. (What, you don't remember the unicorn at the nativity? It gets better). There's a splendid calico rooster and hen, with wee little pom-pom chicks with little black felt beaks. Note that the rooster is about the size of the Baby Jesus.... (I think the roosters are partly a tribute to the Cursillo movement in the Episcopal Church, in which my parents were actively involved back in the 70's....)

Then there's Santa Lucia (not usually in a nativity, but she's there with her candle-hat and everything) and an old woman with a sack and a walking stick that we've been convinced for years is Baba Yaga.... And a Lion (to lie down with the lambs). And a serpent (for the whole babe/serpent connection).

It all gets very confusing, and makes for an interesting childhood understanding of the nativity experience.

More on the tree decorations & holiday customs later....

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