CRISSOULI'S 2012/2017 CHRISTMAS GENEAMEME

I have taken this directly from my friend, Pauleen's blog ... I am a little past the start of Advent, but here I am... revised and republished..

You can read her answers here...

http://cassmob.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/pauleen-decks-the-halls-my-xmas-geneameme-response/

 To be involved, please copy the questions as below and add your own answers, then follow up by leaving a comment on Pauleen's blog, so she can collate the answers in a short while. It will be great to read of others Christmas traditions, what a beautiful way to unite us all at this time.

Thank you Cassmob (Pauleen).

It's the start of the Advent season today and I thought it would be fun if we shared our different experiences of Christmas and how we celebrate it around the world. By doing this through a geneameme we'll be able to compare our responses and see whether we do things very differently or if there's lots of similarities.

For this meme, it doesn't matter whether you're religiously inclined or not, just tell us how important this season is to your family.

It would be great if you joined in from around the world– the more the merrier (and it's the season to be merry!).  I've tried not to be Australia-centric so please pull me up if any of these are unclear…we should all be able to "have a go".

THE 2012 / 2017 CHRISTMAS GENEAMEME

1. Do you have any special Xmas traditions in your family?
1.We always get together for Christmas lunch rather than a dinner, and follow the way that our family has always done with mainly hot food, no matter what the weather. 

2. Is church attendance an important part of your Christmas celebrations and do you go the evening before or on Xmas Day?

2. We used to when we were small, but not now...

3. Did/do you or your children/grandchildren believe in Santa?

3. Of course, I still do :-) Our children and grandchildren believed, sad to say the grandchildren have decided they don't now, so that has left a great big gap in Santa's life...      but Santa has given me his private email, so I can pass on Christmas wishes

4.  Do you go carolling in your neighbourhood?

4. No, it would spoil everyone's Christmas.

5.   What's your favourite Christmas music?

5. I love all kinds, from traditional to pop. There is something really special to me about Chris Rea's Driving Home For Christmas... I can't help thinking about all who will be making their way home at this time.

6. What's your favourite Christmas carol?

6. Adeste De Fideles

7. Do you have a special Xmas movie/book you like to watch/read? 
7. Not really... I am usually a bit otherwise occupied, but my husband loves "White Christmas" and "Joyeux Noel". I tend to listen while I work.

8.  Does your family do individual gifts, gifts for littlies only, Secret Santa (aka Kris Kringle)?

8. We used to always do individual gifts, but it's now a mixture, always gifts for the children and our own kids and parents, then  Secret Santa for the rest. There are now 16 of us for Christmas lunch, at least... The group is smaller, back to individual gifts

9. Is your main Christmas meal indoors or outdoors, at home or away?

9. We take it in turns around the family, though as we don't have air con, we will be back at our daughter and family's place to make it easier for our elderly parents. It's mainly indoors, though they do have a pool. Our parents are no longer with us, we're the oldies now..my mother in law passed in 2013, my father, in 2014, each aged 91. Still sadly missed.

10.  What do you eat as your main course for the Christmas meal?

10. Roast turkey and vegetables, cold meats and salads...

11. Do you have a special recipe you use for Xmas?

11. Many of them, from gingerbread to kourabiethes (Greek shortbread), the Christmas cake and pudding .. plus. How this has changed, just a pudding this year, unless I get very enthusiastic and find a few extra hours over the next couple of days..

12.  Does Christmas pudding feature on the Xmas menu? Is it your recipe or one you inherited?

12. It certainly does, with my recipe, that I have been using since I was a girl and decided that I would change the way it was done. Not many eat Christmas pudding now, but I still make at least one. There was a time when I'd make at least a dozen, the same with Chrismas cakes... and many batches of kourabiethes and gingerbread men..

13. Do you have any other special Christmas foods? What are they?

13. See answer 11...  the grandchildren always come to bake the gingerbread men, as did their mother and uncle before them, with various cousins in between. That too, has changed, they are in their late to mid teens now..

14.  Do you give home-made food/craft for gifts at Christmas?

14. Yes, often puddings, cakes, etc. sometimes things like passionfruit butter and sauces. I have made everything from Santa Sacks to stockings, from Christmas wreaths to garlands...

15. Do you return to your family for Xmas or vice versa?

15. Always.

16.  Is your Christmas celebrated differently from your childhood ones? If yes, how does it differ?

16.  We don't have as many people these years, and while we have always had decorations, many of them now are electronic, or bought, whereas it used to be all fresh flowers and leaves, Christmas bells made from milk bottle aluminium tops, chinese lanterns from old cards and crepe paper streamers and home made cardboard stars.

17. How do you celebrate Xmas with your friends? Lunch? Pre-Xmas outings? Drop-ins?

17. A mixture, but many live away now, so not as much celebrating these days. We still keep up with various family members and friends when we can, sometime over the Christmas/New Year period.

18. Do you decorate your house with lights? A little or a lot?

18. It varies, not a lot this year as we will be elsewhere, but we are gradually switching to solar so that will make a difference.

19. Is your neighbourhood a "Xmas lights" tour venue?

19. No, not at all, though a few more around this area are putting up lights as young families move back into the neighbourhood.

20. Does your family attend Carols by Candlelight singalongs/concerts? Where?

20. No, not since the children left school.

21. Have any of your Christmases been spent camping (unlikely for our northern-hemisphere friends)?

21. When we were younger and our family returned home for Christmas, we would 'go home' with a caravan and that would become the kitchen for the day. It would be taken out to the local headland, where we would swim or paddle, etc. and often catch extras for Christmas lunch which would be cooked there and then.

22. Is Christmas spent at your home, with family or at a holiday venue?

22. Always with family, but spread around 3 homes in turn. I suspect that will change in future years. Now, mostly between two homes, but always visit others.

23. Do you have snow for Christmas where you live?

23. Not really an option in SE Qld, we have had many storms with hail, that's about as close as we get.

24. Do you have a Christmas tree every year?

24. Always... it has gone from a gum or she oak when we were small to various live pine ones, which used to grow in bushland near by, but now is an artificial one. Over the years, when it was a more crowded house, we have still managed to have some sort of tree, no matter how small.

25. Is your Christmas tree a live tree (potted/harvested) or an imitation?

25. See above... I should have read further on. 

26.  Do you have special Xmas tree decorations?

26. Yes, many are home made by the children, there are small framed photos of family members, some are from our very first married Christmas, others are crocheted by my mother in law, some are the children's choices as they were allowed to pick one decoration a year.

27. Which is more important to your family, Christmas or Thanksgiving?

27. We don't have Thanksgiving in the southern hemisphere, which is a good thing with the seasonal heat. I can't imagine all that so close together.

Feel free to participate in this Christmas Geneameme and share your Christmas experiences!

Don't forget to leave a link to your geneameme response in the comments section or on Google+ or on Twitter using hashtag #xmasgeneameme. Thanks!

AS I REMEMBER...........Christmas Eve

AS I REMEMBER...........Christmas Eve

A chorus of cicadas herald the warm summer nights,

in strange harmony with the buzzing of brightly coloured beetles....

The neighbourhood resonates with the thwack of ball hitting bat,

as energetic children challenge the fading light, to remain just a little longer.

Weary mothers, mentally making numerous lists,

for shopping, for cooking, for cleaning....all to be crammed into too few hours.

Perplexed dads, not  believing that yet another year has scurried past ,

wondering when their children were first able to outrun them.

It's a time of whispering of secrets, and sudden silences.....

followed by muffled giggles and a harmony of "shhhhhhh!"

Eucalyptus competes with the scent of jasmine ... and ripe mangoes!

Roasting turkeys and chickens work the senses overtime...

Bubbling puddings and cooling gingerbread, 

all send the promise of a feast to come.

There are melons to cool and drinks to chill,

 extra chairs to be set beside the long table on the verandah.

The tree is trimmed, presents piled teasingly beneath, tinsel quivers in the breeze.

Midnight mass, or perhaps extra prayers at bedtime...

Assurances that Santa would've received the much fretted over letters...

and hearing muffled yawns, as tiny eyes try in vain to stay open.

Christmas in Australia.........it'll do me!

Crissouli (c)

AN AUSSIE CHRISTMAS

AN AUSSIE CHRISTMAS

It's summer heat, and pesky flies,

that will not go away,

It's grey green leaves of eucalypts,

that make our Christmas Day...

Not for us the snow covered paths,

nor mistletoe to inspire

nor holly leaves,

nor chestnuts, roasting in the fire...

It's perfumed frangipanni

and poinsettia so bright.

It's miles of golden beaches

and cooler summer nights...

It's children riding skateboards

with squeals of great delight.

It's carols by the river

on a bright and starry night...

For some it is a bbq

upon the golden sand

for others, it's traditional,

turkey drumstick in each hand.

Cold drinks are most important

lots of Christmas cheer

Mother likes a shandy

and Dad, an ice cold beer...

But whether here in Aussie land

or anywhere at all

Good-on-yer-mate, it's Christmas

So have a bloody ball!

Crissouli (C)

THE KOALA THAT SAVED CHRISTMAS

                                                                                                     

" It's nearly Christmas, it's nearly Christmas... " called the parrots as they flew from tree to tree...

The call was soon taken up throughout the bush... "It's nearly Christmas.." called the possums, as they settled down for their nap. 

The bush was full of excited animals...well, mostly, all except for the sleepy koala. "Christmas? What's Christmas? That's for people, not for us... Be quiet, I need to sleep." The koala settled down on a limb and went to sleep.

"Don't worry about him, " said the kangaroo "he's always grumpy. I like Christmas. I like hearing the children laugh."

"So do I " said the wombat, as he waddled away to find a nice log to lean on. "Why last Christmas, I even found a little bit of pudding that one of the children dropped in the garden. It made such a change from digging up the vegetables."

The kangaroo laughed...

The next morning, the parrots were calling out a new message.. "it's Christmas Eve, Santa's coming tonight, Santa's coming tonight."

The possums woke when they heard that.."We love Santa and the reindeer, especially the one with the shiny red nose. "Not fair" said the kangaroo, " you are always awake at night and it's easy for you to see Santa. Sometimes, I fall asleep before he comes."

Koala heard the chatter and grumbled about all the noise... he wanted to sleep even more. "If you didn't eat so many gum leaves, you wouldn't be so sleepy" called the parrots, "or so grumpy ! "  At that, all the animals laughed. They spent the day tidying up the bush and picking wild flowers to decorate their homes, all except for koala. 

 The time went  by quickly and it was soon almost midnight... lots of the animals were still awake, listening for Santa... 

"Here he comes, here he comes, I can hear his sleigh bells" called the parrots, forgetting how tired they were. They were all so excited... but suddenly, the bells sounded really strange and then they heard a crashing sound.

The cry went up... " Santa, Santa, where's Santa? "

But there was no sound, nothing but the animals crying... till koala woke and called out, asking what all the fuss was about. The kangaroo and the parrots and the possums all answered at once "Santa's crashed, we can't find Santa". 

"Well, go look for him" said the koala... "We can't " said the parrots... "we can't see in the dark, and we're so sleepy."

"I can see in the dark" said possum," but what could I do? I don't know what to do."

Koala muttered... he knew what to do, firstly, he'd find Santa, then he would see how he could help. It would be better than listening to all the animals fussing. While they argued about what should be done, koala climbed to the highest tree and went from tree to tree, looking for Santa and calling out. At first, he couldn't see a thing except bush.. he called out to Santa, but it was silent.. then he heard a call, "over here. We're over here, we're alright, but can you help us?"

" Darn" said the koala, " now I have to help after all."

 Down he went and saw Santa putting a lot of toys back in his big red sack. Lots of them had names on them, but koala didn't know how to read and there really wasn't much moonlight. "Oh, koala, am I glad to see you. Rudolph's light went out in his nose... he hasn't had enough carrots to eat and he can't see in the dark and we crashed into a tree. We really need to find a light or at least some way of being able to see to fly, and quickly, or none of the boys and girls will get their presents."

Now koala was often grumpy, but he couldn't let the children be sad. "I can help" he said quietly. "Did you say you would help, oh, thank you" called Santa... Santa was surprised when koala jumped on Rudolphs's back, clinging on and whispering in his ear. "That will work" said Rudolph, laughing. Away they went, up in the sky and flew right over all the animals in the bush.

"Did you see that?" called the possums.. "Koala just flew past." " Koala can't fly.."  "No, koala can't fly.." "He can now" said possum " and he's on Rudolph's back."  Rudolph did a circle over the animals and off they went... flying all over the world and delivering all the children's presents.

The animals all fell asleep while waiting to find out where koala was. When  they woke, koala was sitting in his favourite tree, munching away on gum leaves. They all asked what had happened and koala leaned back, made himself comfortable and told all the animals the story. Kangaroo and wombat started laughing... "Well, koala, I guess you were the one who saved Christmas". 

" I guess I was the one " said a happy koala... "I guess I did save Christmas."

Chris Goopy (c) 2009