Know how any dinner gathering can sometimes get a little hostile? Someone badmouths something and someone else retaliates. Like if nephew Timmy loves rap music and aunt Dora dotes on Pavorotti and both vehemently believe their choice of music is best and the other sucks.
Want to avoid that kind of situation and keep Great Uncle Charlie from dominating the conversation with stories of his bees like he did last year and the year before that and..? Then you need to dominate the conversation. Speak up and make everyone think you are the smartest dudette or dude at the table. Don’t use jargon from your high tech startup. That puts you in the same realm as Great Uncle Charlie. Don’t discuss those perennial no-nos - politics, religion, sex and maybe music. Maybe sports. Talk about something they are all interested in - Christmas!
For example, when that argument over music ensues, break in. What’s your fav Christmas song? Then keep it rolling with your favorite - Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer. Some Christmas carols have been around for centuries but Rudolph is fairly new. Did you know the song came from a story published by the retailer Montgomery Wards in the 1930’s? In 1939 the song was written by Johnny Marks. It really became famous in 1949 when it was recorded by the Singing Cowboy, Gene Autry. It was number 1 the week of Christmas and sold WAY over a million copies. That was a lot back then and we are not talking digital downloads. It was 45 rpm pressed vinyl in paper sleeves.
Next fav song? Must be Frosty the Snowman. That came out in 1950, again by Gene Autry first but a more popular version was by comedian Jimmy Durante on MGM records.
I’m not sure where the idea of a tree came from (if you know everything, you will come across as a “know-it-all”) but I read the traditional colors derived from what they called the Paradise Tree in Europe in the 11th century. White is for innocence, red is for the apple of knowledge and green for the fir tree. The tradition of a Christmas tree came to thee US in the 1880’s with German immigrants. It really took off when The Ladies Home Journal had a cover showing Queen Victoria with a tree.
Decorating with glass ornaments seems to have come to the US from Germany, also. The earliest account of ornaments on a tree in a home was in Germany in 1605. In the early 1900’s, F. W. Woolworth began importing them to sell in his Five and Dime Stores. That tradition ha grown but for decades people decorated the “old-fashioned” way. Different things were strung together to create garlands for the tress - like popcorn, nuts, fruit, cowbells and tin can lids. Cookies and cakes were set on the limbs. Presents were put on the tree, also. They didn’t get nor expect a laundry list of gifts back then. One gift of any kind was cause for celebration. One tradition that is still carried on and promoted in schools is paper ring garlands; colored paper (or any) is cut in small strips which are glued together in rings. Bet you did that!
Lighting trees with electric lights didn’t become popular in the U.S. Until after World War 2. In the 1920’s, when Vic Challenger novels take place, most people used candles or didn’t light the tree. Especially outside of cities, many people still didn’t have electricity. Early homes didn’t have wall sockets, either. There was a thing called the light fixture socket. It screwed in before the light bulb and the bulb screwed into it. It was equipped with a plug for electrical equipment. An associate of Thomas Edison is credited with the first electric lighted tree in 1882. The first electric lighted Christmas tree at the White House was in 1895 by President Grover Cleveland. In the early years of the 20th Century, many well-to-do people would have lighting parties. The cost for a lighted tree would run around $300. That was their money. Today it would translate to $2,000 plus. Part of the cost was purchase or rental of a generator and services of a wireman.
Many lighted the tree with candles like in Vic Challenger #8, but it wasn’t as dangerous as it sounds. Most often the tree was fresh and decorated a a family event on Christmas Eve and taken down the next day. Some people did it a little different. Adults would set up the tree behind closed doors. Then on Christmas Eve the children were allowed to see it and collect their gift.
Germany gifted us with great Christmas traditions but we have given, too. In 1917 because of import restrictions here in the US, related to The Great War (World War 1), an enterprising man named Louis Szel went to Japan to start the industry there and teach the technique to laborers. Great marketing gave Japan something else. Did you know a favorite Christmas meal in Japan is a bucket of chicken from Kentucky Fried Chicken?
Sounds odd but here is something more unusual. In Greenland, a traditional Christmas treat is Kiviak. First step - begin six months before Christmas. Step 2 - kill a bunch of auks (birds). Step three - Sew them into a seal skin, with feathers and all. Step 4 - Wait until Christmas. Step 5 - Open the skin and enjoy the fermented treat!
There is another custom less than cheery in Iceland. They have something like the Bogey Man. It’s the Yule Cat. At Christmas season he looks for boys and girls who haven’t worked hard enough and eats them.
Of course, there are more happy traditions than not. One I liked was from the Ukraine. They use fake spider webs to decorate trees for good luck. The tale goes, that once a very poor family went to bed Christmas Eve, very unhappy, crying and lamenting they were too poor to even decorate the tree. There just so happened to be some kindly spiders in their house who overheard the people. During the night the spiders decorated the tree with webs and in the morning the webs turned to gold and silver thread and the family lived happily - and rich - ever after.
There are many stories of things done by many people which contributed to Santa Clause today, Two of the larger events went like this. In 1822, an Episcopal minister, Clement Clarke Moore wrote a long Christmas poem for his three daughters entitled “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas.” His description was pretty much our description today. Santa is a magical, jolly and rotund elf who magically can get into any chimney. He rides a sleigh pulled by magical reindeer and leaves gifts for deserving children. In 1881, Thomas Nash, cartoonist, drew a cartoon based on Moore’s poem. It appeared in Harper’s Weekly and has stayed with us. By the way, the Montgomery Ward copywriter (ad writer) who wrote Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer used a rhythm pattern like the Reverend Moore (by then his poem was known as Twas the Night Before Christmas),
Now wouldn’t that make for a happier conversation than politics, religions, sex… or sports, even? Of course, the cherry on top will be wishing people merry Christmas in different languages. Below is a list of how to say Merry Christmas in languages of places visited by Vic Challenger in the first 8 novels or will visit soon. These were taken from several different websites and all sites did not agree. My apologies if something is wrong.
Vic: Time Doesn’t Matter Book 1
African Somali Kirismas Wacan Swahili Noeli Njema Uganda: Webale Krismasi
Yucatec Maya Ki'imak "navidad"
Spanish Feliz Navidad
Vic: Mongol Book 2
Chinese Mandarin Sheng Dan Kuai Le (圣诞快乐) Cantonese Seng Dan Fai Lok (聖誕快樂) Hawaiian Mele Kalikimaka Japanese Meri Kurisumasu (or 'Meri Kuri' for short!)Mongolian - Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye Зул сарын мэнд бас шинэ жилийн мэнд
Vic: Never Give Up Book 3
Scotland Scots Blithe Yule Gaelic Nollaig Chridheil
Arizona Dine’ or Navajo Nizhonigo Keshmish
Vic: Terror Incognita Book 4
Brazil Feliz Natal or Portuguese Boas Festas
Vic: Fast Book 5
Australia I couldn’t find Merry Christmas in any aboriginal languages. Know one?I did attach a video below about how one aboriginal tribe celebrates Christmas.
https://youtu.be/u6L06_THS2Q Just 4 minutes and well worth the time. Finland has similar celebrations.
Here’s the Oz English version: Happy Christmas, Mate!
Vic: Event Book 6
Russian Schastlivogo Rozhdestva! Or rozhdyestvom Hristovym!”, which means “Congratulations on the birth of Christ!”
Evenki sévden krɪsməs
Vic: Bloody Reprisal Book 7
Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri Merry Christmas, neighbor!
Vic: Mystery & Magic Book 8
Washington State, Vic first language, original language of uprights, aka Sasquatch speak
oo oo guth wah ( with eyes wide, and follow with nods and clacking teeth together)
Some Coming
Malagasy Tratra ny Noely or Arahaba tratry ny Krismasy
French Joyeux Noël
Icelandic Gleðileg Jól
Hindi Śubh krisamas & Bengali shubho bôṛodin
One more thing. Praise the cook and the meal. No matter what or who. Even that thing you don’t recognize, wrapped in something else you don’t recognize; eat one and if nothing else say with gusto, “Wow! I’ve never tasted anything quite like that!”
I have never known a mom, grandma or any woman who doesn’t enjoy preparing a special meal for Christmas. They wouldn’t want to do it every day or even every month, but that one very special time, they enjoy it and strive to make it special. Don’t insult them by suggesting instant mashed potatoes or a turkey from a restaurant or dressing made in a sauce pan. I know some who would kick you … where you don’t want to be kicked for even the suggestion.
Don’t downgrade Christmas by subjecting it to neat time management techniques. It isn’t about doing it faster but about savoring the occasion, reflecting, being thankful, sharing. If someone celebrates Christmas differently, don’t knock it. If you are an atheist or other non-Christian, but like Christmas, remember what it is meant to celebrate; when you see a manger scene at a local church don’t think something bad, just remember how much you like Christmas. And people of faith - if atheists or others say or do something you disagree with, ignore it, turn the other cheek and remember what Christmas means to you and live the spirit.
That’s it for this month. Merry Christmas and may you feel a Christmas-like joy every day!
PS: http://www.vicplanet.com has direct links to all Vic books all major retailers. You can also get them at Vic's Ann Darrow Co store http://bit.ly/2Kc8AZp
https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/a-pictorial-history-of-santa-claus/ Good place for Santa images or https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/stereoscopic-victorian-christmas-gifs-2/ for some neat gifs of old-time stereoscope images.