Gathering Mistletoe 1886 Frederick McCubbin This weekend our home dons its Christmas finery.
This evening we will change the obi on our Chinese altar table (its original function, not its current one!) from one decorated with the cherry blossoms of Spring to one of our decidedly non-wabi sabi Christmas ones. We have maru obis of green and gold; red and silver; black, red and gold. Tonight we will decide which one will decorate our hall this festive season.
Our Christmas tree will assume its position in the front window of our home in readiness for the family tree triming rituals tomorrow night. The wreath will be mounted on our front door, and the mistletoe that we gathered this afternoon will be hung in the hall.
Jemimah will drink her favourite Swedish Julmust; her parents will continue the Scandinavian theme with Glögg, a delicious Norwegian mulled wine drunk warm with raisins, apple and almonds stirred through. We will nibble on pepparkakskola - a wonderful Swedish gingerbread toffee and Scottish shortbread (which is normally made on Stir-up Sunday, but is cooling on the kitchen bench as we speak!) In more normal years we also munch on Australian White Christmas...not this year though...
Through the sound system will waft the sounds of Edith Piaf singing Le Noël de la Rue, Andre Claveau crooning Noël sans vous and Gloria Lasso with Mon Noël and Noël de Nicodème along with Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Bryn Terfel, Kiri Te Kanawa and Joan Sutherland. (Our Christmas music collection is as multicultural as our Christmas is!!)
Christmas is not here yet, but it will be, very soon!
I hope you will enjoy reading about our multicultural Christmas traditions (however they happen this festive season) during the coming days.
Tomorrow we open our Advent boxes and Deck the Halls. The much anticipated basket of Advent books come out again - one for the 24 days of Advent. The Christmas decorations, recipe books, candles, table decorations and nativity will all be oohed and ahed over.
The season will have begun. I can't wait!
oooh, what lovely traditions you have Jeanne. We have hot chocolate with candy cane stirers when we put up our tree.
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Now candy canes are a good idea!! We tried cinnamon sticks but that is one idea that just didn't continue to become tradition...
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