Christmas At My House
The days leading up to Christmas were filled with excitement and anticipation. The old oil cloth on the kitchen table was replaced with a new square. The smell filled the tiny room. Add to that a new piece of canvas for the floor and we all knew that Christmas wasn't too far off.
Toyland always opened two weeks before Christmas and dad would take the younger children down town to see the colored lights and the toys. With eyes opened wide and wishes in our hearts we walked through the stores and believed we were in fairyland.
As we passed Silver's Jewelry Store on our way back home we would always stop to watch a toy santa play a toy piano. I can still feel the joy in my heart as I watched this.
There would be mixed feelings when dad brought the turkey home. There was no such thing as eviscerated birds back then so we would see the feathers and the lolling neck and I felt so sorry for the gobbler but not sorry enough to not look forward to seeing it on the platter, sans feathers, guts and neck and done to a turn.
We went to bed a little earlier Christmas Eve in anticipation of the big day. But before we did that we each hung up our stockings behind the kitchen stove.
It was hard getting to sleep with three of us girls in the one bed, so excited and wondering what time Santa would arrive. And what he would bring us. But we all finally dropped off to sleep and in the blink of an eye morning had arrived.
Down the stairs we would run at breakneck speed, run into the kitchen and take our stocking from behind the stove. We would pile on Mom and Dad's bed and slowly empty it. Every year the contents were the same but we were always surprised. The cracker with the toy inside peeked out from the top and there would be cries of "Take this side and pull" and someone would and we would prepare ourselves for the loud "pop". Besides a toy there was always a paper hat. The grapes were next and then the candy. One grape and one candy went into my mouth. The nuts were next followed by an orange and an apple. I thought I would burst with excitement.
The best gift I received was a xylophone when I was around six or seven. I carried it everywhere I went and taught myself to play a few nursery rhymes on it.
We had a coal stove at that time and mornings were always very cold especially in the winter months but dad was the first one to arise and the kitchen was warmed up some by the time we children got up. Our house was the only one on the avenue that used coal. All the others used oil or maybe electric. So every month you could see the horse and cart dump off a 1/2 ton of coal onto the sidewalk in front of our house.We then got a shovel and bucket and carted the stuff into the house where we put it down the hatch that was in the kitchen.As I got older I would be embarrassed by the unsightly mound of coal and even more so when it was my turn to help shovel it inside... but I tend to digress...
The extra leaf would be inserted into the kitchen table and all eight of us managed to squeeze around the small table, having borrowed chairs from Nanny who, with her daughter Lillian, would go to her oldest daughter Gladys' house. Gladys was what we called "well-to-do"; wanting for nothing. She wasn't blessed with children like my mom was so I would imagine Christmas dinner at her house would be somewhat dull.
Mom would cover the new oilcloth with her best table cloth and I would trace the design with my fingers. It was so delicate and pretty.
Dinner was always delicious so we ate heartily and with great relish. We all loved the stuffing but we only put a small amount on our plate because we knew that Mom loved it more. The food would be washed down with a glass of Purity Syrup, made here in Newfoundland.
The turkey wishbone was rescued and put in a place to dry out. Once dried, Dad and one of us kids would hold it with our pinkie fingers and pull until it broke, all the while making a wish. The one who held the biggest piece was granted their wish.
Once dinner was over and the dishes washed and dried Dad would head for the couch to take a nap. Mom watched over the smaller children while the older ones went to the movies. The Cornwall theatre was close to where we lived and it cost a dime back then to see a movie, to meet up with our friends and to exchange comic books. There was a cliff-hanger every week so we looked forward to that. The movies were for the most part westerns and how we applauded when the posse arrived on the scene.
We kids made the most of the holidays. We knew before long we would be back in school again but tomorrow was Boxing Day and we all looked forward to that day for several reasons.
