Angel Kiss had planned on traveling to the
United Kingdom for Christmas to visit all
of our dear friends, but the unusual series
of events in Gabon and a crashing economy made the trip impossible. I sat alone in my bedroom at the Roaring Fork Ranch as the largest full moon I have ever seen
rose in the East. As I looked out over the
peaks and valleys, I was glad I had installed
the huge picture window in my bedroom. It
made things not so drab and dreary. The moonlight
filled the room.
I sat in my
Moove bedroom a teenie bit sad
I looked down at my Angel Kiss uniform and
knew that I would probably never wear it
again. I was not really sad, but more melancholy
as I remembered all the wonderful times I
had enjoyed while Mela, Twisted and Craftie
and I rocked the world. I thought back on
the death (?) of our first drummer Tina Marie and I refused to cry. I dressed in a holiday inspired velvet full
length skirt with matching red off-the-rack
blouse and went to the main room known as
the Cabin in the Snow. I lit a fire in the fireplace, filling
the room with the wonderful smell of pinyon
wood. I then lit the candles on the mantle. It was then I saw the small hand-made pottery
given to me in Utah during our trip through the Navajo Nation. I opened it and found a small "button" of peyote that I had saved from the teepee on the
night we ventured into the cosmos. There
was a note inside as well. "Do not be
sad. Embrace the wisdom. You can go and do
anything...Love forever, Mela".
Fashionable
Father Christmas
I replaced the note and ate the "button".
I thought about getting tiny, but decided
I had outgrown that silliness. I nibbled on some Frumenty, which is a kind
of porridge made from corn. Over the years
the recipe changed. Eggs, fruit, spice, lumps
of meat and dried plums were added. The whole
mixture was wrapped in a cloth and boiled.
This is how plum pudding began and it made
sense to me since I really wanted my mind
to visit my dear friends across the pond. I ate my Frumently and drifted off as the
soft voice of Joni Mitchell played in my head. I dreamt of Father Christmas.
The English Santa is called Father Christmas.
He wears a long red or green robe (very fashionable),
and leaves presents in stockings on Christmas
Eve.
Father Christmas delivers the gifts during
the night before Christmas. The Children
leave an empty stocking or pillowcase (the
bigger the better, I always say) hanging
at the end of the bed. In the morning they
hope it will be full of presents.
Christmas in England began in AD 596, when
St. Augustine landed on her glorious shores
with monks who wanted to bring Christianity
to the Anglo Saxons.
Merry Christmas to our dear friends in the
United Kingdom
One of England's customs is mummering (not
mumbling). In the Middle Ages, people called
mummers (not mumblers) put on masks and acted
out Christmas plays. These plays are still
performed in towns and villages all over
the island.
In England the day after Christmas is called
Boxing Day because boys used to go round
collecting money in clay boxes. When the
boxes were full, they broke them open. In England, Christmas dinner was usually
eaten at Midday on December 25th during daylight
with the traditional Christmas dinner of roast
turkey with vegetables and sauces. For dessert
it is rich, fruity Christmas pudding with
brandy (hiccup) sauce. I also had visions
of Mince pies, and pastry cases filled with
a mixture of chopped dried fruit and other
yummy sweets. My mind let me taste them.
Christmas has always been a spiritual event
for me and many people
in England still
attend
midnight mass on
Christmas eve which
is usually
seen as the start
of festivities. That
is
one of the reasons
that presents are
not
opened until the
afternoon after morning
service or morning
mass. Traditions Christmas is Britain's most popular holiday
and is characterized by traditions which
date back hundreds of years. Many Christmas
customs which originated in Britain have
been adopted in the United States.
The first ever Christmas card was posted
in England in the 1840s, and the practice
soon became an established part of the build-up
to Christmas. Over a billion Christmas cards
are now sent every year in the United Kingdom,
many of them sold in aid of charities. Christmas decorations in general have even
earlier origins.
Holly, ivy and mistletoe
are associated with
rituals going back
beyond
the Dark Ages. (The
custom of kissing
beneath
a sprig of mistletoe
is derived from an
ancient
pagan tradition.)
The Christmas tree
was
popularized by Prince
Albert, husband of
Queen Victoria, who
introduced one to
the
Royal Household in
1840. Since 1947,
the
country of Norway
has presented Britain
annually
with a large Christmas
tree which stands
in Trafalgar Square
in commemoration
of Anglo-Norwegian
cooperation during
the Second World
War.
To trace the history of ornaments, of course,
you have to start with the trees they hang
upon. Evergreen trees have been a symbol
of eternal life for thousands of years, seeing
as how they stay green even in the dead of
winter. And various evergreens figure prominently
in winter celebrations across many ancient
cultures. But the idea of decorating an evergreen
seems to have originated in
Crackers -
a fun British tradition
Germany, around the 16th century. At that time, this was more of a community
practice — you might
find a trimmed tree
in a local church,
or in a village square.
These earliest Christmas
trees were often
decorated with natural
things, like apples,
which were a symbol
of the biblical Garden
of Eden story. And
also, nuts and winter
berries, pretzels,
and sometimes, paper flowers.
These decorations
would sometimes be gobbled
up by the local children
on Christmas Day,
or sometimes, they
were saved and left out
for the birds and
squirrels. Christmas trees moved indoors around the
18th century, and
gradually became a widespread
custom in German
homes. These indoor trees
were still decorated
with apples and nuts,
but now there were
also pears, and gingerbread
cookies, and hard
candy. And it was still
a tradition that
the household children would
feast on these goodies
on Christmas morning. Now, in the 1800’s, things really started
happening for the
Christmas tree. As people
migrated from Germany
to other countries,
they brought their
tradition with them, and
Christmas trees began
to spread across Europe
and America. Around
this time, small gifts
would be tucked into
the branches of the family Christmas tree as
well - sometimes
wrapped, and sometimes nestled
into little baskets. Queen Victoria created huge popularity for
the Christmas tree
in England and America
in 1840, when she
put up a decorated tree
in the royal residence
as a gift to her German
husband, Prince Albert. The 1800’s were also when the very first
glass Christmas Ornaments
were made. And
these come from Germany,
too. A glass-blower
there, named Hans
Greiner, found himself
unable to afford
the traditional apples and
nuts to decorate
his Christmas tree, so he
blew some glass replicas
instead. Now, the
town that Hans lived
in, Lauscha, was populated
with glass-blowers.
And Hans’s glass ornaments
proved to be so popular,
the glass-blowers
of Lauscha were soon
busy producing ornaments
for a worldwide market.
The earliest ones
were natural shapes,
but soon the glass ball
took over in popularity. FW Woolworth — the founder of the Woolwoorth’s
five and dime stores
in America — first imported
these German ornaments
for his stores in
the 1880’s. He had
his doubts as to whether
they’d sell in the
U.S., but within ten years,
he was selling $25
million dollars a year
worth of them. And
that’s in 1800’s dollars,
my friends. Now, Victorian England was into handmade
Christmas ornaments.
Those crafty Victorians
- they come up again
and again in craft history,
don’t they? Well,
they would use bits of
colorful paper and
ribbon and foil, and “diamond
dust” - a precursor
to glitter. Popular magazines
of the day, like
the Godey’s Ladies Book,
would include ornament-making instructions. The household children were encouraged to
participate in the
ornament-making, too.
They’d turn out paper
chains, and cut out
stars and flowers.
The traditional nuts and
pinecones also appeared
on the Victorian
christmas tree, but
now, they were painted
gold and silver. There’s just one more interesting bit of
ornament history
to share with you. Almost
all glass Christmas
ornaments were made in
Germany up until
World War I. At that time,
there was a fair
amount of anti-German sentiment
in America, and so
people stopped purchasing
German-made ornaments.
And as World War II
was looming on the
horizon, FW Woolworth
— the man with $25
million dollars of business
at stake, you may
recall - was instrumental
in convincing the
American glass company,
Corning, to start
manufacturing ornaments.
They converted a
machine they’d been using
to make lightbulbs. Popular among children at Christmas time
are pantomimes: song and dance dramatizations
of well-known fairy tales which encourage
audience participation.
The pulling of Christmas
crackers often accompanies
food on Christmas
Day. Invented by
a London
baker in 1846, a
cracker is a brightly
coloured
paper tube, twisted
at both ends, which
contains
a party hat, riddle
and toy or other
trinket.
When it is pulled
by two people it
gives
out a crack as its
contents are dispersed.
Another traditional
feature of Christmas
afternoon is the
Queen's Christmas
Message
to the nation, broadcast
on radio and television.
Of Special Note...
MISTLETOE, considered
sacred by the British
Druids, was believed
to have many miraculous
powers. Among the
Romans, it was symbol
of
peace, and, it was
said that when enemies
met under it, they
discarded their arms
and
declared a truce.
From this comes our
custom
of kissing under
the mistletoe. England
was
the first country
to use it during
the Christmas
season.
Traditional Recipes From ENGLAND
Trifle: The Great British Pudding
(Olde English Trifle)
Serves 6
1 pint milk
1/2 vanilla pod
2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
2 tbsp. caster (fine) sugar
1 Victoria sandwich cake (see recipe)
6 oz. raspberry or strawberry jam
4 oz. medium sherry
10 oz. Devonshire Cream
1 1/2 oz. flaked almonds, toasted and
2 oz. glaze cherries to decorate.
Scald the milk with the vanilla pod. Cover
the pan and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
Beat together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar
and strain on the milk. Cook over a gentle
heat, without boiling, stirring all the time
until the custard thickens slightly. Pour
into a bowl; lightly sprinkle the surface
with sugar and cool.
Spread the sponge cake with jam, cut up and
place in a 3 1/2 pint shallow serving dish
with the macaroons. Spoon over the sherry
and leave for 2 hours. Pour over the cold
custard.
Whip the cream until softly stiff. Top the
custard with half the fresh cream. Pour the
remaining cream on top and decorate with
the almonds and cherries.
Christmas Pudding
This dates back to the late 19th century.
Although Christmas puddings should be made
well in advance, it is possible to make this
pudding on Christmas Eve with very successful
results.
8 oz currants
8 oz. sultanas
8 oz. stoned raisins
8 oz. Barbados sugar
4 oz. grated beef suet
4 oz. fresh breadcrumbs
4 oz. ground almonds
4 oz. blanched almonds, chopped
4 oz. mixed candied peel
6 oz. cooking apple, peeled and finely chopped
8 oz. plain flour
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
Finely grated rind of 1 orange
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3 fl. oz. stout
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 oz. ground mixed spice
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
5 tbsp. brandy
Mix all the ingredients together in a large
bowl with 2 tbsp. of the brandy. Pour the
mixture into a greased 3 1/2 pint pudding
basin and cover with a double layer of greased,
greaseproof paper or aluminum foil--pleated
in the middle to allow for expansion. Tie
string under the rim and across the top to
make a handle. Place a trivet in the base
of a large saucepan. Lower the pudding into
the saucepan and fill with enough boiling
water to come two-thirds of the way up the
sides of the basin. Pour in more boiling
water if necessary.
When the Pudding is cooked, pour the remaining
brandy over the surface and re-cover. To
reheat, boil gently for 3-4 hours.
To serve, decorate with a sprig of holly
and flambé at the table with warmed brandy,
if desired. Can also be served with Brandy
Butter or delicious Devonshire Cream. Victoria Sandwich Cake
6 oz butter
6 oz. caster (fine) sugar
3 eggs beaten
6 oz. self-raising flour
2 tbsp. jam
Caster (fine) sugar to dredge
Butter two 7-inch sandwich tins and line
the base of each with a round of buttered
greaseproof paper.
Beat the butter and sugar together until
pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at
a time, beating well after each addition.
Fold in half the flour, using a metal spoon,
then fold in the rest
Place half the mixture in each tin and level
with a knife. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees
for about 20 minutes, until they are well
risen, firm to the touch, and beginning to
shrink away from the sides of the tins. Turn
out and cool on a wire rack.
Preparing for the big day Throughout the month of December, people
busy themselves preparing for the Christmas
festivities. There are the mince pies and
Christmas cakes to bake and decorate as well
as the all-important Christmas pudding. In England over the years many superstitions
have surrounded this popular festive dessert.
It is said puddings should be made by the
25th Sunday after Trinity, prepared with
13 ingredients to represent Christ and His
Disciples, and that every member of the family
take turns to stir the pudding with a wooden
spoon from east to west, in honour of the
Three Kings. A silver coin is always dropped
into the pudding mixture before it is cooked.
This is said to bring wealth, health and
happiness to whomever is lucky enough to
find it when the pudding is cut.
People decorate their
homes and a tree,
with
baubles, tinsel and
fairy lights, placing
a star or an angel
in pride of place,
on
the top of the tree.
The decorating of
Christmas
trees, though primarily
a German custom,
has been widely popular
in England since
1841 when Prince
Albert had a Christmas
tree
decorated with candles,
set up in Windsor
Castle for his wife
Queen Victoria and
their
children. Children hang stockings on the fireplace
or at the end of their beds so when Father
Christmas pays a visit, they are stuffed
full of goodies, but only if they have been
good! Children also send letters to Father Christmas,
which legend has it, if they are tossed in
the fireplace, the smoke from them burning
gets carried up the chimney directly to the
man in the red suit! Advent Calendars help us count down to Christmas
Day and people give Poinsetta plants as gifts
because the general shape of the plant and
the arrangement of leaves are seen as a symbol
of the Star of Bethlehem, which led the wise
men to the baby Jesus. The red coloured leaves
symbolize the blood of Christ. The white
leaves represent his purity.
In primary schools,
the younger children
re-enact the nativity
story, dressed as
Mary
and Joseph, angels,
wise men and the
occasional
sheep, watched by
proud parents and
relatives.
The English have much to thank Charles Dickens
for because the English will always be linked
with the tale of "A Christmas Carol".
A truly wonderful story about the old miser
suddenly realizing the true spirit of Christmas,
thanks to a few ghostly visions. This is a truly remarkable story and each
and every Christmastime you'll find people
glued to their television screens when it
is on because it is a Christmas story that
still has a lot of emphasis, especially today
when Christmas has become so commercialized.
Another very English tradition at Christmas
is the family visit to see a Pantomime. The
English 'panto' is based on traditional stories
like Cinderella, Peter Pan and Puss in Boots
and developed into the form we know today
during the reign of Queen Victoria. It is
a play of a fairy tale where the hero is
played by a young woman, the comic characters
are men dressed in outrageous drag, the bad
guy is really, really bad and the cow is
obviously two people dressed as a cow. The
humour is topical (and FULL of double-entendres)
and the play involves audience participation,
(Oh No it Doesn't! Oh Yes it Does!!). Strange,
I know, but Christmas wouldn't be Christmas
without the pantos.
In the days leading
up to Christmas,
groups
of carol singers
holding candle lanterns,
dressed in their
hats and scarves
to fight
off the cold, go
from door to door
performing
traditional Christmas
songs for a small
charitable
donation to their
cause. On Christmas
Eve
night, children leave
out a glass of brandy
and a mince pie for
Santa, and a carrot
and
bowl of water for
the reindeer. Christmas Day On Christmas morning the first task of the
day is to dive under the tree and open the
huge pile of gifts that Father Christmas
has left, making as much mess as you possibly
can with all the wrapping paper! Then for many people it's off to church
for the morning service to give thanks. Back
home, Christmas dinner is usually had between
2 and 4 in the afternoon. The Christmas table
is decorated with festive candles and crackers,
and we always use the best dinner service
at Christmas! Christmas is very much a time
for families to be together, so everyone
gathers for the Christmas meal. A traditional
english Christmas dinner is roast turkey
with all the trimmings, like stuffing and
cranberry sauce, washed down with a little
mulled wine. For dessert there's mince pies,
Christmas cake, Christmas pudding served
with brandy sauce and cream and even sherry
trifle!
At 3pm on Christmas
Day it is time to
watch
the Queen's speech
to the Nation and
Commonwealth.
This is probably
the only truly modern
tradition
that we have.
In 1922, Lord Reith,
General Manager of
the
BBC, felt that the
King, George V should
use the powerful
new medium of radio
to speak
to the nation as
one family. Initially
the
King refused as he
felt that radio was
still
too experimental
to be used for a
royal message.
Lord Reith did not
give up though, and
asked
the King again in
1932. By this time
the
BBC has begun its
overseas service,
and the
King had the opportunity
to talk to his subjects
around the world.
At 3:00pm on 25th
December
1932, the King made
the first broadcast
live
from Sandringham.
Since then King George
VI and Queen Elizabeth
II have continued
the tradition and
in 1957 the broadcast
moved
to television.
Over the years the
format has changed
from
a formal speech delivered
live, to a pre-recorded
Christmas message,
to the current more
relaxed
broadcasts.
However, Christmas
in England wouldn't
be
the same without
the anticipation
of opening
the curtains on Christmas
morning, in the
hope of seeing a
beautiful blanket
of white
snow covering everything
in sight. We can
but dream of our
perfect white Christmas,
until then "Merry
Christmas to One
and
All!"
****Information from Suzanna Austin, About.com: Doll Collecting, MissMary.com,
and Christmas Files.com****
Angel Kiss had planned on traveling to the
United Kingdom for Christmas to visit all
of our dear friends, but the unusual series
of events in 
branches of the family Christmas tree as
well - sometimes
wrapped, and sometimes nestled
into little baskets.
include ornament-making instructions. 
