In 1990 I decided to write something for others to read. I was in my forties and had written diary and journal entries since I was eleven and many letters. I had taught high school English and was working as a lawyer so wordsmithing appealed to me. My first effort, directed at my eight nieces and nephews and their three spouses, was Christie Christmases: A Letter from Aunt Clare, December 1990.
Here is the first instalment, slightly edited:
“Goodies and Christmas Eve”
This letter is my attempt to collect at least some of the stories, memories and traditions of Christie Family Christmases in Alice and Hal Christie’s home from 1935, the year they were married, to 1963, the first Christmas my brothers, all older than I, were all away.
When Timmy (Fred) and Toby (Innis) were little, they went to bed on Christmas Eve with our house at 60 Albion Street, Amherst, looking the same as ever. When they woke up Christmas morning, the house would be transformed and a huge Christmas tree would be standing in the corner of the front room to the left of the front door.
The only remnant of this practice to which I was subjected was no Christmas baking until Christmas Eve supper, but even that went out the window when Fred went off to college in 1954 - Mom couldn’t bear to welcome us home without goodies.
There were three Christmas goodies that were traditional and two of them were totally wonderful and only appeared at Christmas.
cakes are squares of white cake rolled in frosting and then rolled in peanut bits. They were a tradition that went back in both the Christie and (Mom’s) Atherton families to a period when the peanuts had to be shelled by hand, their brown covering removed and the peanuts ground or otherwise broken up. I believe Fred can remember helping in the shelling operation.
Coconut patties are pastry shells baked with a delicious yellow filling that includes shredded coconut. They too were a Christie tradition that dated back to shredding the coconut by hand. Mom had to do that her first Christmas or two and then shredded coconut was available to buy.
The third sweet was Scotch cakes: no skimping on the butter. They were cut out in various shapes. I remember best the serrated circles with a dob of white icing and bits of red or green Maraschino cherries on top. One of my earliest jobs was to put the coloured bit in place and eventually to cut the cherries.
Mom and Dad’s childless friends, especially Dad’s single men friends, came by on Christmas Eve after Timmy and Toby were in bed. I’m not sure how much help they were but they had a ball playing with all the toys. Some of the new presents under the tree looked a little battered to Mom’s eyes the next morning!
One of Mom’s favourite stories was the Christmas Eve that this kind of revelry had got quite carried away - but finally all had been completed, the last guest had left and they had just closed their bedroom door when they heard the rapid patter of two pairs of excited feet. They both jumped into bed, fully clothed, just as Timmy and Toby came tearing in, announcing they were sure they’d heard Santa Claus! They were sent out to look, long enough for Mom and Dad to put on their night clothes. When they arrived back, moments later, to announce the transformation of the house, Christmas Day had started.
It must have been experiences like this that resulted in my growing up with a time being set for getting up Christmas morning. I’d listen a little wistfully to my cousins, David and Paul Christie, telling stories about opening gifts in the middle of the night. The earliest I remember negotiating was 7:30 and that got pushed up to 9:00 when my brothers were college students.
I hope all my readers are enjoying Christmas and the season.
To buy my eight publications, go to the Amherst Artisan Gallery, Amherst Centre Mall and Maritime Mosaic, Dayle’s Grand Market, Victoria Street, Amherst. Maritime Mosaic also carries my publication, The Christie Book. Coles carries My dear Alice. For six of my self-published books and booklets, go to the Cumberland County Museum and Archives; Flying Colours, Maccan; and Main and Station, Parrsboro.
Clare Christie is a member of the Amherst News Community Editorial Panel. She can be reached at [email protected].
