Tis the season to be jolly

Tis the season to be jolly

You’d never think it was the season to be jolly when you see the hundreds of people with stressed out countenances as they frantically search for the Christmas presents that are now fast running out of stock. Some people leave it very late to start asking family members what they want for Christmas causing unnecessary stress, panic and disappointment. Meanwhile you also have the totally over organised people who will buy the Xmas presents and decorations at hugely discounted prices in the January sales a year ahead of time.                                                                                                                                  

In December, families with young children, have the added stress of the Toy Show, and their children want what they have seen and of course some of the toys can’t be bought as they are out of stock. I met one stressed out parent whose child wanted a particular gadget for Christmas, and it just could not be bought in Ireland because it was out of stock. Desperate situations require desperate solutions so she what’s apped a first cousin in New York who is conveniently coming home for Christmas and was able to procure the desired elusive toy. The mood music has improved considerably.

The frozen turkeys, hams and the mountains of tins of chocolates and biscuits have been in stores for the past 3 months while the annual selections of crackers and cheeses are now beginning to appear in greater numbers than heretofore. As for the threatened shortage of wine I didn’t see any evidence of it around with various stores tripping over themselves with competitive offers. The extra cheeses consumed will no doubt increase our cholesterol levels but what the hell, its Christmas time, mistletoe and wine. Where would the wine be without the crackers and cheese.

And as for decorations every second shop seems to be dabbling in Christmas lights, decorations and baubles de gach sórt. You would really wonder when will we reach saturation point with these decorations. There is a fair amount of work in putting them all up and all the consequent hassle of putting them all away again every year. We have certainly come a long way since Sir Henry Cole produced the first commercial Christmas card of a family drinkingwine while helping the poor.2000 were printedfor a shilling each.The card caused outrage by showing children drinking wine.There are only 21 surviving copies and one sold in 2001 for £22500. I am sure the Victorians never envisaged what they started with their arty cards with simple robins and holly and their initial Christmas crackers, would end up as a massive commercial over kill. Cards were deemed expensive then because they cost one shilling and then you had the penny post coming on stream to send the cards. Such excess spending.

Try posting a small parcel to Australia or buy a set of batteries for the outdoor Christmas tree lights and see how far the old shilling [a few cents] goes in today’s world. Jingle bells, jingle tills, jingle all the way.

 I like to visit card shops at this time of year and browse through the selection of available cards when I am buying ones for close family members. I try my best to get one with an apt message and image which suits the chosen family member. I don’t think I will ever change to e cards and text messages.

In my younger days I remember Jim Reeves and that favourite Christmas song “The old Christmas Card’ and the memories that evoked. Have a listen to it sometime but make sure you have the tissues ready.

In many households there is an annual debate of whether to send Christmas cards or a cold email message which will self-destruct in 7 Days. Will we send Christmas cards or give a donation to charity? Why not do both. I just love the Christmas cards and supporting a charity by buying some of their cards.

Writing the cards is another ritual. I take out my list, following the tradition of my father who had an annual ritual of taking down the list from the top of the wardrobe. Then he read through it with the comment about who had died since last year. He opened his Brian O Higgins Irish made cards and started writing them with an individual letter to each family member on December 8th every year. I wrote most of my cards on December 8th this year and posted them on the 9th. Tradition, tradition, is a nice way to follow and evokes good memories.

The custom of posting the turkey to family members across Ireland and in England for Christmas seems to have ceased. It was a cumbersome process wrapping the bird securely with multiple layers of greased proofed and brown paper. Mary Cogan in The Listowel Connection relates that in 1951 Aer Lingus flew 10000 turkeys to Engand.There was many an exiled family very happy at Christmas devouring the free-range Irish turkey.

Could you just imagine the mountain of paperwork you would require in todays over bureaucratic world if you tried to send a turkey to a relative in England.

Wrapping paper is in abundant supply at Christmas with every present large and small unnecessarily being wrapped. There must be several forests wiped out to provide it all. Children and adults just tear off the wrapping paper from their presents in their zeal to check out the inner present and it is all quickly discarded into recycling bins. I think we could all do a bit more here to protect the environment. There is no need for all this wrapping.

I heard a lovely story about a Cork school where the second class was doing Kris Kringle. Teacher said there was a strict limit of €3 and don't be bothered with fancy wrapping paper says she, wrap the present in newspaper. Well, the parents what’s app group went into overdrive that evening. Everyone had lots of Christmas wrapping paper, No one had newspaper! What started as a simple cost saving instruction turned into a nightmare with one parent driving miles to a shop to buy a newspaper.’

One of our family members has solved the annual labour-intensive job of erecting the outside lights by putting up all year-round lights which need to be installed only once under the fascia and are operated by an app on your phone. You can change them as the need arises, Christmas colour display, green for Patricks Day, purple and gold for Wexford. green and gold for The Kingdom, party mood colours, the list goes on.

We’ve travelled a long way since the star of Bethlehem inspired the three wise men to journey to Jerusalem.

Fan cluthair istigh ón mbáisteach, ón ngaoth, agus ón bhfuacht. Tá an tádh linn go bhfuil díon ós ár gcionn. Mo thrua iadsan gan dídean ag an am seo ach go háirithe.   Slán go fóill agus guím beannachtaí na Nollag oraibh go léir