Well Christmas time is just about here again! Ever since my childhood Christmas was always such an anticipated time of the year. We always had Christmas concerts while in school and Santa would come in at the end and we were always so excited to hear him ringing his bell and saying the familiar phase “ho ho ho”. I didn’t found out until much later in life that it was my Dad that was playing the role of Santa. My Dad made Christmas what it was to us. He always told us stories of how on old Christmas night all the animals would bow their knee and praise the Savior that was born in Bethlehem. He would always tell us that we had to go to bed early and go asleep because Santa would not come until we were sleep. I remember the year I got a guitar for Christmas and I was old at the time like maybe 12 and not being asleep I heard my guitar being tuned and I swear I thought Santa had come and he was tuning my guitar. That is how real Santa and the excitement of Christmas was bestowed upon us by our Dad.
He would also tell us old tales about Christmas about the animals all kneeling on Christmas Eve but that was the old Christmas Eve which originated in England’s adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752, which dropped 12 days from the old calendar and resulted in Christmas being celebrated December 25, rather than January 6. I have so many superstitions and tales swirling around in my head its hard to know what part of what tale belongs where.
Then we had mummering! Possibly the best-known Newfoundland Christmas tradition, mummering happens from (December 26) through the 12 days of the Christmas season. Also called jannies, , mummers disguise themselves with masks, humps, costumes, and false voices, then travel from house to house, singing songs and dancing when invited in. Occupants of the house must try and guess the mummers’ identities, after which food and drinks are shared, and the mummers move on to the next house. Mummering is based on ancient traditions of disguising and visiting during the Christmas season, while traditional mummers’ plays and characters are about 200 years old, traveling from Britain to Newfoundland.
Tibb’s Eve was another tradition that happens on the night of December 23, and is widely interpreted to be the time when one can start indulging in Christmas cheer of the alcoholic variety. St. Tibb was an excuse to drink before the season of Advent was officially over on Christmas Day.
So many things to remember but one thing is for sure that although my father claimed he hated Christmas, it was from him that we all learned the fun and wonderment of Christmas.
My Dad is passed away now but its hard not to put up a tree or celebrate Christmas without remembering him. I miss you Dad.
