Happy Women's Little Christmas
I have been in two minds about taking the decorations down. One it is January and it's a new year, new start so spring clean time (due to having children the decorations have been up since 1st December so I am itching!) Then there is the little voice at the back of my head saying "Christmas isn't over til the wise men come". The twelfth day of Christmas, the twelfth night of old where all our ancestors let loose after 12 days of hibernation and rich food. Okay so I watched The Bake Off Christmas Special but good to finally know what Shakespeare meant even though I was in the play! Once as Soldier Number 2. A tradition we have lost. Yet Christmas traditions are made up all the time.
I have been following a posting on www.nappyvalley.net on whether all presents come from Santa or if you can give presents yourself. Seems to have brought out the dictator in many. Growing up we only got presents from Santa - mainly because we had hundreds of cousins so a truce had been agreed to not gift each other. We had stockings - mainly Dad's as Santa could fit more mandrins and sweets into those! We always had Christmas at home - no relatives other than a once every five years our grandparents. A typical Irish Christmas of the 20th century. Now my own little family fly to Ireland or to the other side of the world for Christmas, perpetual guests, no traditions of our own. Seems to be the way of the world. Sainsbury's on 23rd December, aisles full of women talking about cooking for hordes of houseguests or getting ready to go to someone. I felt a little smug that finally this year I was staying home having a quiet family time, playing games and only eating what we liked. No turkey, no ham, no trifle, no pudding! Goose and bliss! Maybe in future years, we can have drinks on Christmas Eve, quiet Christmas and St Stephen's day and go somewhere for New Year.
One tradition that should definitely spread beyond Cork is today, Women's little Christmas. Time to quit the kitchen, get your hair done, new outfit in the sales and have a night out with the girls. One day a year is all we're asking, a thank you for all we do.