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Christmas poem brings memories

Englisli Ytile inclutles Boxing Day, bellringing

Poge 26h Doiły 6gyption Dtffmbs' 7 1978

BROWN BA6

BANOUET FACILimS 622 E Mom $Ł Carbondale, Illinois

62901

618-529-9555

staden*. Isa"t warried tkat the itffonlivr storking the*s makio* w aa t catch her thare.

Ls samebedy—maybe It wat one W Santa * eh>et —te sald. "A watrhed storking aever fills." Bat Shenri Engelkardt. tnedical serretarial

There's no need to go to the city for something unusuol for —Christmas—

Backgammon - Chess

By (.lorv SirripoloMkl Student Hriłn

•The stockings wfre hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St Nicholas soon would br there ” I m surę everyone can recognize this famaus quote fro«n the Chnsimas lale "The Night Before Christmas.” For me this lale and especially the quote will always b* my favorite

Kver> Christmas Day for 12 years I tan »ividly rememher v?siting my grandparents. My grandfathei would alv ays hang six tiny red stocking? above thrir" hig red bnck fireplace The sto kings were for my Iwo hrothers. my thr*e cuusirn and myseif. On Chnrtraaa Day. mstead of flaming loęs. the fircplact usuaily contained rtozera ot brightlv w/apped packages for everyone m the family

Ahott the fireplace on the manile alwats appeared a tierman handmade natwity scene purchased by my gnndtalher dui.ng World War II

My grandfather al» ays deconted the fireplace with care and love It took the place of the traditional Christmas tree

As I grew older I thocght my grandfather might accidentally forget ahout the fireplace one Christmas. but he ne\er did I liked the fireplace. not because ił contained gifts out hecause nv grandfather put so much time and tarę into prepanng it for uur visit each year

thir Christmas dinner included jus! the immediate family. but after dinner cteryone in the family camr o\er to ext*h?nge gifts and to wish each uther a

By Pamela Rettty Staff Wrller

Plum podding ahght w.th brandy, tea w.th Christmas cake and long walka on the heath are what remind łan Emalie of Christmas

Emshe. of Kingswood. a town near l«onóon. remimsced about Christmas as a chiid in England.

‘‘I used to get up at 6 in the morrung. because I was always so errited.” Emshe said. B«*t he said hm family couldn'1 open presents until his grandparenls ca me at around 9 a.m.

First they started on the ltockmgs. which were filled with oranges. mits and smali toys. The stockings were hung on the couch. because his falher was always afraid they would catch on ftre tf hung on the fireplace. Emslie said.

“My dad would then hand out the presents from under the-tree. one at a time. Emslie said in a slight English accent 'Our tree is different Uian yours. We use Norfolk pmes. wf yh are "Metry Christmas." Aunts. uncles. cousins and fnends aII crowded in the uny basement toexchange gifts and sing sorgs.

The highlight of the day was seeing my grandfather portray Santa Claus He never did fooł me; I always knew w ho it was even though he occasionally tried to trick me into believing he was the real thing Somehow it was hard for me to believe that Santa Claus was tali. skinny and wore hlack-rimmed glasses His bulging. feathered-stuffed stxnach and skinny legs always gave his sec ret away

He alwa:*s »nlered >ngling a stnng of bny silver nr-ILs and chanting. what eW. but the fan.«xxs words ""Ho. Ho. Ho.”

A- soon he was dooe pass mg out the guts h* would quickly cnange into his *.treet clothes and make some excuse to iOinfain why he wasn"t there w hen 1 opened my gifts His usual reply was I had to lakę the dog for a walk ’* He would always smeker and wink his dark brown eyes as he tried to conceal his whereabcuts for tht last hour. thinking that I didn t know ar.y better

Then. suddeniy. be.ore I realized it. things slarted to rlianee Kor one 1 started to get older and mstead of the im media te family. my brołher would brmg his sirlfriend and I would hring an nccasmnał boyfriend Then my aunt. uncle and their tfcree sons moved to Anzona They were ro longiT a part of our Christmas dinner. or for that nirtter. they were no longer a part of our Chnslmas

tcon»io₀«d on nei! oope>

smali with ahout one-half mch needles " Emslie said his family replanted their tree in the garden each year *"l can always rememher my dad trying to get us to save the wrapptng paper.” said the 21 year-ołd junior in product design "It was theScoich m hts ołood.” he said.

Emslie described the family Chnstmas feast by saying turkey was an ••exclusive” at the f-ast which started around 2 p m The res! ot the food was similar to that serveo in the United States except one of his famntes. plum puddmg. The pudding whieb ts no long<r madę from piums. ts steamed and fuli of sugar and fruit. he said " It ts morę bke a hot thick cake." he said A tenspoon fuli of Brandy was ht by holding the spoon over a eandle and was theo poured over the puóding

The meal Lasted for several hours. as people tust sat around the tubie and talked. he said

(confinued    n#*t pog«)

ARIEL

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