I grew up in Nebraska where Christmas turkey, dressing, gravy, and the trimmings were standard fare. But my family never celebrated in the traditional Nebraska way. Instead, we drove from Nebraska to Louisiana to spend the holiday with my Cajun relatives in Evangeline Country. The differences between Nebraska and Louisiana were numerous and striking: In…
From a Very British Christmas: Why, America, do (you) not bother with Boxing Day? What’s the rationale there? Is it because you’ve already had a lot of days off, what with Thanksgiving and Christmas Day? Do you not wish to enjoy another day in which you can look over your pile of presents, and then eat…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaay2WqCaFU In my family I am considered an aberration in regards to holiday decorating. My grandmother, mother and her two sisters all loved putting some type of knick-knack on every available space. They had always been decorating fanatics, but after they discovered Department 56’s Villages lighted porcelain houses, there was no stopping them. It wasn’t…
I was looking through my wardrobe the other day, looking for Chapters clothing. Our tres cher bookstore ordains that employees only blue, black, or white tops, paired with navy, black, or khaki bottoms. (Although now that’s it’s December, we can wear red.) Anyway, I couldn’t find what I wanted. So I decided to do what…
No matter what holiday you celebrate around this time of year a large portion of your time is spent thinking about gifts. For many of us it is stressful, especially buying gifts for friends, and co-workers. How much to spend? What to buy? And to whom are you giving a present? Before you bake or buy…
It’s December! Snow! Winter! And three very cool weeks of holiday. Siiigh. Of course, December also means Christmas. Which means good food (mmm), and parties (excellent), and spending time with family (hurrah). It also means, fortunately or unfortunately, gift season. I don’t know that I’ve ever been given a gift that I absolutely hated, but…
My husband and I don’t own a car, and never have. We come from big cities, where public transport is very good, and now live in a small town, where you can reach everywhere you want (well, almost), by bike. So there never was the need. Occasionally we would rent a car, and if you…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWlGsP1MHiIThe one aspect I probably really hate about winter is the fact that I leave my house when it’s still dark and only return when it’s dark again. I can deal with the cold (after all, that’s what wool is for), I can deal with fewer days of sunshine and I can deal with my…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCya1yiFFP4I heard this song on the radio during a recent train journey and was impressed enough to note down the singer (whose name the presenter mentioned, thankfully). I looked it up (thank you, YouTube!) and like it more and more.
I’m in the field of education. And I live in Toronto, one of the most multicultural cities in North America. Those two qualities together means that Halloween is, rightly or not, a pretty touchy topic. And I know Toronto, and education, are not alone in this regard. Popular stereotype usually only has orthodox Christians opposing…
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