“Darkness was cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”
We always called today Christmas Eve Eve figuring we were so close to the real thing today deserved its own special name, but being so close to the BIG day meant the day passed slowly. It was as if we could hear the clock tick away the minutes. Seeing the wrapped presents under the tree didn’t help. They heightened the anticipation.
I remember one Christmas Eve my mother sent me to the white store for milk. We had no snow so I rode my bike. I remember riding and thinking Christmas Eve was such a momentous day that doing an errand was just wrong.
We watched A Christmas Carol on TV. My favorite Scrooge was and is Alastair Sims. I always think A Christmas Carol movie has to be in black and white. Those colors seem to heighten the dreary mood and the bah humbug of Scrooge. The ghost of Christmas future was a bit scary. He never spoke, just pointed. That was eerie.
My mother was the best Santa. She bought us the perfect gifts. One Christmas I got a new skirt, a furry white sweater and a medallion on a gold chain. I changed into my new outfit to go to mass. I felt special.
After midnight mass, my grandparents would come to our house to watch us open our presents and see our toys. We got woken up which was both good and bad. It was good because we got to see all our gifts really early, but it was bad because we had to go back to bed. One year I got a big, soft doll with elastics on her feet. The elastics attached to my shoes so she and I could dance together. She always followed perfectly. I brought her to bed with me. Later, my brother and I sneaked downstairs to play with our toys. I put the doll in my bed and covered her. My parents yelled down for my brother to get back to bed. They saw the doll under the covers and thought I was still bed. I stayed up and played. My brother was nice enough not to squeal on me.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
December 23, 2023 at 11:47 am
Hi Kat,
Thursday was the winter solstice and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Our friends living in the southern half of the globe have the longest day and probably go to the beach to celebrate the winter solstice holidays. It doesn’t require a lot of imagination why both Jews and Christians celebrate a holiday involving lights during the winter solstice. I’m just happy that the days will start getting longer if only in small increments. I love daylight savings.
Kids obviously can’t wait for Christmas because it’s the major gift receiving day other than on their birthday birthday. Most of us enjoy receiving gifts that we don’t really need and probably don’t have room to store. Just the idea that someone was thinking about us makes us happy.
Regardless, if we didn’t have Christmas, we would have to invent some other holiday to encourage people to spend their hard earned cash for the good of the economy. 🙂 Interestingly, our Muslim friends don’t seem to have a winter solstice holiday involving buying gifts. How do they keep their economic engine going all throughout the year?
December 23, 2023 at 5:21 pm
Hi Bob,
I also love that every day gets longer. There may be little change in light now, but by March, daily daylight expands by three daily minutes per day. That is a lot of light coming our way.
Finding just the right gift for everyone is something I work hard to do. Books are usually among them. I love shopping in antique stores and even thrift shops for a one of a kind gift. I’d like to think they want what I’ve chosen. As for need, most presents of need are boring like underwear and socks. I don’t believe anyone thinks of storage when choosing a gift. I like to find fun gifts also. Christmas is whimsy.
If there was never a Christmas, something would have filled the gap. Eid al-Fitr is when Muslims often exchange gifts of money, flowers, and different household items. Children get lots of eidi (candy and toys) throughout Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
December 23, 2023 at 12:41 pm
In the Christmas spirit, here’s my first and second favorite Christmas songs.
December 23, 2023 at 5:05 pm
Okay, One song I love while I don’t love the other one!!
December 23, 2023 at 5:26 pm
I had never seen Mel Torme, this must have been shortly after his Bar Mitzvah, sing The Christmas Song with Judy Garland. Grandma got run over by a reindeer is just a silly song that I knew you wouldn’t like. 🙂
December 23, 2023 at 5:34 pm
He wrote that song in 1945. I’ve seen him singing it many times. He had a neat voice. You are right about grandma and the reindeer.
December 23, 2023 at 9:12 pm
I knew he wrote it and I’ve heard him sing it before. However this version had both him and Judy Garland performing together. He was in Los Angles in the summer of 1945 at Bob Wills house. The temperature was very high and he thought writing a Christmas song would make him feel cooler.
https://www.jazziz.com/a-short-history-of-the-christmas-song-2/
December 24, 2023 at 4:21 pm
Thanks for the background. I didn’t know the trouble Nat King Cole had wit its release. That has always been my favorite version.