There are things I miss about Christmas in the US.
For example, the decorations outside almost every house. What's striking about these is that, in New York at least, many of them were pretty high quality. In London, the decorated houses stand out - maybe one in twenty -- and they're usually quite naff, all inflatable Santas and blinking lights. In our neighbourhood on Long Island, you'd be more likely to see giant candy canes, fairy lights round trees, red velvet bows on every window and -- on one house's immaculate lawn -- a real wooden sleigh.
I also feel bizarrely nostalgic for American Christmas songs on the radio. I'd never heard Dan Fogelberg's poignant Same Old Lang Syne (see below) or the insanely catchy Feliz Navidad before I moved to America and at the moment I wouldn't mind hearing Kelly Clarkson's Grown Up Christmas List. Magic FM, are you listening? It's fine to play Phil Collins' "Coming in the Air Tonight" all year, if you want to - but not on the 18th December, OK?
Then there's the Christmas cards. When we first moved to the States, I noticed with mortification that I was the only parent at the Montessori nursery not to have sent a "happy holidays" card featuring a lovingly chosen family photograph. The following year, we fell into step. We've now of course reverted to traditional cards, but as Christmas cards fall more and more out of fashion (I
still send them, but more and more people don't) I can see the point of
the American card. It's more
of a memento than perhaps receiving a hastily written card featuring a
cartoon Santa -- and I have to admit it was rather fun choosing the photos.
But there are things that we missed in America, and are now totally gorging on in London. Like mince pies, mulled wine.....and carol services. We went to three last year, and this year have notched up two so far, as well as having lustily sung carols at two school assemblies. Littleboy 1, who didn't know any Christmas carols in America, is now in the school choir and is currently racing around the house singing Latin words from "Unto Us a Son is Born." (This was charming at first, and is now rapidly starting to grate on my nerves).
His brother meanwhile, read a very heartfelt lesson at the country carol service we go to every year. While they both missed out on Nativity plays (so I'll never see them play Joseph, or a shepherd, sadly), they've both recited lines about the Christmas story in their Christmas assemblies, something that would never happen in secular US schools. And most importantly, they now know the "silly" version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (you know, the one that goes "like a lightbulb").
I also went to a very traditional work-related Christmas lunch last week, in a Soho boozer -- let's just say lunch didn't even start till 3, and by the time I left at 5.30, we'd only just had the main course and quiz. Somehow I don't think these happen in New York in quite the same way......
I hope you are enjoying the festive season on both sides of the pond -- what traditions would YOU import?
6 comments:
'fraid to say we always giggle when we get Christmas cards from American friends, as the photos all seem to have an element of the Tony and Cherie Blair about them! Around us, there seem to be more houses smothered in Christmas lights than the last couple of years...but in other places people just don't bother so much. I love a good Christmas carol (and a bad one truth be told) in English or Latin!
Did your boys used to sing the "Police stole my car" version of Feliz Navidad?
Like you, I missed the nativity years with my daughter. She was an angel in a play the first year we came back here, so that kind of made up for it, though it wasn't a traditional nativity. I really missed singing "Away in a Manger".
I love all the good old-fashioned English Christmas carols. We sang one the other day, and I noticed that it had been written in the 4th century or something (Of the Father's Love Begotten). I missed all that sense of tradition and history, when we lived in America - words like "yule" and "wassail", that speak of a celebration that's hundreds of years old. So yes, I'm glad that my kids are learning all the old faves (Hark the Herald, O Come All Ye Faithful, etc).
I miss the decorated houses too. Where we were, it wasn't as classy as it sounds like Long Island was. Lots of inflatables, and brash lights - often flashing. There were a couple of houses where you could drive by, tune your car radio to a frequency to enjoy a light show synchronised to the music. Totally tacky, but quite fun (and something to show the rellies when they visited). There were certain streets that were noted for being good at decorations, so those were always worth a drive-through too. I always wondered if you were told when you moved in that you had to make a big effort at Christmas - or maybe you were told when you were first viewing the house.
Iota - no, we never heard that version of the song. (It sounds vaguely dodgy - seeing as it's the Hispanic Christmas song!) I remember a house like that with a radio station when we were visiting friends in San Diego. Clearly not an East Coast thing.....
Our kids' school does Vespers, which incorporates Xmas, Hannukah, Kwaanza and a trip round the world it would seem. This year the 11 year old was singing a lovely song in Swahili, but managed to get yet another cough and cold and missed the entire last week of school.
I went very natural and sophisticated this year with my outdoor deccies - two large planters full of winter greens with some red stick things in the centre. Very nice. Couldn't be bothered to get the lights out as I have been known to do.
Nice Post..... I like it...
oops lost my comment. Can you believe i just tried to type the code 10 times,
Post a Comment