Scenes from Christmas Day

Awesome musical tie from Anna

Watching The Queen's Speech at 3pm

Wearing Christmas cracker crowns for dinner at grandma's

Bad Gingerbread Houses

For the past several years, the Chang/Couplands make a gingerbread house at Christmas time.  One year, the roof caved in, but my sister-in-law caught it from collapsing.  Another year, my nephew  commented that it looked like the house was bombed and Santa was bleeding to death.  (He was right.)  The year with the Christmas Village was uneventful but unattractive.  This year was pathetic.

Grandma and Grandpa Coupland bought us a beautiful, gourmet German gingerbread house kit from a boutique near Blenheim Castle.  When we opened the box, the smell of gingerbread was gorgeous.  The gingerbread was soft and thick, not the hard cardboard stuff you get from Target.  The candies were bright, beautiful and very tasty.  

Unfortunately, we had some issues with the icing.  Apparently, "Whisk until stiff peaks foam" is important.  At least we had fun watching the gummy bears slide down the A-frame.  It all tasted good too.

Anna's face says it all

Mince Pies and the Spirit of Christmas

Mince pie and sherry for Santa. We thought he'd like the napkin.

In the US, the holiday season is shared among different religions and occasions.  You might see a Christmas tree and menorah in downtown State College, a Kwanzaa flag or candles on display, festive holiday lights strung across the streets, people ringing bells for the Salvation Army.  There might be a nod to the holiday season in the public schools.

Here, it is all Christmas all the time.  Images of Santa (or more iconically called Father Christmas), mince pies, Christmas crackers, Rudolph ears, Christmas trees all along the road, kids in nativity costumes, Christmas ties, flambed Christmas pudding... very spirited and festive. I've learned to say "Happy Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays".  I have had nice conversations with shopkeepers about Christmas traditions.  Most people have turkey at dinner.  A lady at the Village Shop told me that Father Christmas' reindeer used to leave magical glitter footprints in their living room.

Not being familiar with mince pies in the US, I did a little reading up on the tradition.  Apparently, they traditionally represent Jesus' cradle and started out large, oval shaped and filled with different types of minced meat in addition to fruit, sugar and peel.  They became popular in the 1400's and then modified and reshaped and resized over time with the introduction of new spices brought back from the Medieval Crusades.  A star on top represents Christ, though there can be other decorations.  Mince pies used to be quite a status symbol and have now completely infiltrated the masses.

Uncle Malcolm's family dinner

As part of the Christmas spirit, going out for a Christmas lunch with a group in December seems quite common.  Our art group organized a Christmas lunch at a nice pub.  The Year 1 mums at school invited me for Christmas lunch at Thornton Hall--very beautiful old oak room, all the mums were looking fabulous and donned crowns from our Christmas crackers, some had cocktails or wine, and enjoyed a traditional roast.  Uncle Malcolm invited our extended family for dinner at Pollard's.  There are always Christmas crackers.  It is good fun to wear a crown, exchange riddles and check out the prizes.  We struck gold at Uncle Malcolm's dinner where we got little brushes in our crackers, perfect for cleaning school uniforms!

Mince pies and nibbles at our Christmas Eve gathering

It is also quite common to be invited for mince pies and sherry at a friend or neighbor's house.  Just a quick drink and a chat, meet a few people,, catch up.  We had family and our neighbors over on Christmas Eve for such an occasion.  Our neighbor across the road invited us around on another day for drinks and to celebrate her grandson's 1st birthday.  We had never met (though the kids know her through Sally)--it was a nice gesture, and we enjoyed meeting her family and neighbors over a celebratory drink.

Dressing up--whether a little bit fabulous or festive--also seems the thing to do.  Shopkeepers often wear holiday pins, ties, hats.  Michael and Anna got some pretty cool Christmas accessories at the Village Shop and in their comics.

Aren't you a little skinny for a stormtrooper?

Christmas breakfast

Christmas is the New Valentine's Day

I love this card; from one of our favorite Heswall families

I walked Anna into school the other day to help her change into her nativity costume.  One of her Year 2 classmates was standing there handing out little cards in envelopes.  When Anna received hers, we opened it to find a sweet Christmas card inscribed with "Dear Anna: I hope you have a nice Christmas. Love, Jemima."  Anna was delighted but not surprised.  Apparently, she has built up quite a store of Christmas cards in her backpack.  So has Michael.  The cards are all small and part of multi-packs of about 30, as if someone has thought about this as a business proposition.  Sometimes, there's a chocolate attached to the envelope.  Some children deposit their Christmas cards in the Christmas postbox in the hallway at school and the teacher hands them out at afternoon registration.

My immediate thought was, "Christmas is just like Valentine's Day", followed by, "Oh no, am I going to have to persuade Anna and Michael to write 60 Christmas cards?"  (The answer I came up with was no.)  Michael in fact got two Moshi Monster cards from one of his classmates--the one who was very keen on him going to the school disco.  Accident or not, I thought it helped make my point about it being like American Valentine's Day.  (Incidentally, I found out later on that UK Valentine's Day is reserved for sweethearts.  Whereas in the US, kids are encouraged to give a valentine to all classmates, here it tends to be much more selective.)

Like Valentine's Day in the US, chocolates seem to be a big deal here at Christmas.  They were handed out at the carols celebration, and we have received a number of packages of chocolate as presents for the children.  It is wall-to-wall chocolate down the seasonal aisle of Tesco--lots of attactive tins and boxes dressed in Christmas theme.  Red of course plays a dominant role but without the hearts.

Going back to the Christmas cards, they are in some ways a much bigger deal here.  They tend to be handwritten and sent as a "hello" to neighbors, teachers, etc.  We've received several nice cards from neighbors we've never met.  Americans tend to send photo cards or Christmas letters, especially if one has children.  People are more modest here because I imagine the card is meant to give attention to the recipient as opposed to the giver.  Like Valentine's Day.

Christmas Preparations

Some Christmas preparations...

"It's perfect!"  Our Charlie Brown tree from Church Farm.

Present for sister

Anna removes the ornaments from Grandma and Grandpa's tree (only occasionally)

Christmas Gift Afternoon (and My Failure at Marketing)

Michael at Christmas Gift Afternoon

Christmas Gift Afternoon is probably my favorite event so far.  It is a December fundraiser for the school in which pupils can come in at a set time to buy Christmas presents.  The school hall is set up with tables of presents on display and multiple wrapped versions behind them.  Every present is £2, and pupils may buy two gifts total.  They can then label the gifts and take them home.

I helped out with this event and really enjoyed the festive atmosphere.  You are surrounded by presents and lots of mums who've come to help sell or wrap presents.  We were each given Rudolph ears to wear.  The organizer even wore a run light up Rudolph nose and offered mince pies and shortbread tree shaped biscuits to us, and the head teacher (principal) even came around in his holiday tie with cups of tea.  A nice way to feel the holiday spirit.  I chatted with some really nice mums.

My favorite moment was seeing Michael and Anna walk in together, smiling.  They headed straight for my table to say hello.  They were so sweet, looking very tidy in their uniforms.  I pointed Michael to the waterproof camera/phone pouch that I'd quite like as a Christmas present.  He tried to buy it for me on the sly.  I saw him also take Anna over to another musical tie table.  (John would later be the recipient of said tie, his favorite gift.)

I manned a table with (in order of popularity): water bottles in blue or pink (most popular), Maltesers, a musical Santa tie, gloves, an ice scraper, and a shoe shine kit (very unpopular).  I enjoyed studying the children's purchase behavior.  The color and height of the water bottles were very attention getting so they got a lot of "play"--eyeing, touching, talking to a friend about it.  The Maltesers may have caused salivation in more than one buyer.  I was asked a number of times about the shoe shine kit.  Typical interaction:

Pupil:  Excuse me, but what is this, please?
Me:  Oh, it's a shoe shine kit.
Pupil:  What is a shoe shine kit?
Me:  It's for making your mum or dad's shoes nice and clean and shiny.  There's some polish, a mitt...
(Pupil starts looking around in disinterest.)
Pupil:  Thank you.
(Walks off)

After the fourth incident, it occurred to me that I was being too product focused and not consumer focused.  Why would a kid be interested in clean shoes?  I should know that.  I teach marketing, but clearly am not in the mindset leveraging my skillset.  My helper neighbor was brilliant.  Trying to peddle the last of our wares, she'd ask the kids if their mummy or daddy like to keep their shoes looking nice.  A better angle, a better sale.

Another interesting thing.  A boy and his younger brother accidentally walked off with gloves without paying.  I asked my neighbor if they paid her, and she said she didn't think so.  A few minutes later, the two boys came back and apologized realizing their mistake.  They were so polite, forking over the money.  I would like to tell their mother that she's raised some nice kids.

The Pantomime: A Christmas Tradition

John suggested that we take the kids to see a pantomime, a Christmas tradition in England.  I was imagining a white faced man pretending to palm-walk a wall.  It turns out this pantomime is way better.

From the start, the excitement was contagious.  Families poured into the Liverpool Empire theatre.  Little girls were dressed in sparkly princess dresses, some had tiaras and matching slippers.  There were flashing, colorful light wands for sale.  There was an old-fashioned candy kiosk with large jars of candy scooped into cups.  When we got to our seats, we looked around at the rainbow of wands flickering around us.  The stage curtain was shimmering.  Anna noticed a disco ball just below our balcony.  This was going to be fun.

When the show began, the music was hopping.  The cast was made up of semi-celebs who could really sing, wearing colorful costumes.  There was a man in drag.  The whole show was very camp.  There were lots of corny jokes, an audience sing along, and lots of shouting out to and from the audience (e.g., "He's behind you!", "No, he isn't!", "Yes, he is!")  I loved seeing Anna hop up from her seat to dance.  We all really enjoyed it.  I hope we go every year.

Grandpa read that pantos are being introduced in the US.  Will this format and humor work as well with a US audience?  I hope so.

Looking smart for the panto

A Star and Shepherd are Born

Having heard of nativity plays all my life, I was excited that Anna and Michael were going to have a chance to be in their own.  It is a really nice English/Christian school tradition, a recognition of the season, a sense of community and bringing together of everyone before the end of winter term.

John, Grandma, Grandpa and I went to both kids' plays.  They were both very well done, and I was so proud of both children.  Anna's was first--the story of the star that couldn't shine over the manger.  All the Year 1's were little stars who sang 7 different songs to help tell the story of the nativity and the star that finally lit on Christmas day.  I was so delighted to see Anna walk onto the stage with her class, and stand right in the middle among her classmates.  She clearly poured her heart and soul into each song complete with hand gestures, sitting, standing, walking.  After the play, she actually waved to us in the audience.  Such a sweet moment.  We also got to see Michael who came in and left with his class.

Anna's nativity play: Our little star is in the middle

Michael's nativity play was a Christingle service--about the nativity (Michael's role as a shepherd) and Christ as the light of the world.  The latter showed how different countries celebrate Christmas so a lot of children were dressed in international costumes.  Each child held an orange to symbolize the world, containing a candle (Christ as the light), fruits (to represent fruits of the earth and seasons), and a red ribbon (Christ's blood).

In the service, Michael led the shepherds out at one point during a song.  He was so poised and even earned a code of conduct for helping his friend, a fellow shepherd, get into position.  Michael sang every song very clearly and seriously, and he gracefully balanced a crook, lamb and Christingle orange while standing, sitting, and walking.  I was incredibly proud.

Where Christmas Starts in October

In the US, Target (the store) is a good example of how holiday and special occasions are marketed and consumed over the course of any given year.  In August and September, the summer items are pulled and dorm essentials are in.  In October, the endless supplies of notebooks and backpacks are displaced by Halloween costumes, candy, and decor.  November sees the likes of turkey shaped placements,  autumnal wreaths, basters and pie plates, cranberry sauce cans.  Finally, December hits and out come the holiday range-- Ornaments and Christmas decor, stocking stuffers, Hanukkah serving platters, Tupperware in snowman prints.  As an American, this is all anticipated and predictable.  I've seen this my entire life as has nearly every other American consumer.

Christmas wishlist, check!

In the UK, the holiday season (Christmas mostly) starts much earlier.  While Americans are otherwise occupied in October and November, the British have the anticipation of Christmas.  (There are Bonfire Night and Remembrance Day but they are far more contained in scale and consumerism.)  Stores and restaurants put out what I like to think of as wave 1 of holiday decor--more wintery looking window signage with a nod to Christmas in color or words, snowflakes on windows, slightly denominational visions of winter.  Last month, department stores and garden centers set up large "winter wonderland" areas jammed with holiday decor, gifts for him or her, stocking stuffers.  Stacks of Christmas gift guides appeared in stores.  Every restaurant in Heswall started advertising Christmas dinner specials. I think some of them may have even started in September.

The kids made Christmas cards at school in October on a day that I happened to be volunteering in Anna's classroom.  This was done early for practical reasons of ordering and printing, but with every squeeze of the glitter glue, a little bit of Christmas magic was in the air.

Now that we are well into November, the school nativity play is the hot topic.  Anna and the Year 1 pupils will be stars.  Michael's role has not yet been assigned but he hopes to be a Christmas cow.  I can hardly wait.

Cupcakes and the (Near) Absence of Tupperware

Anna was beaming this morning as she brought in her little cakes for the school fundraiser for Children in Need.  (Remember the sticker she got the other day?)  We made chocolate Rice Krispie cakes, and all of the ingredients came from the shop in the village, which somehow made them even more homey.  Anna picked the yellow and polka dot cake cases so they would fit the theme colors of the event.

There were quite a few kids with cakes/biscuits this morning which made it all feel more special.  I noticed the containers that people brought their treats in.  Given that paper/disposable products are not as common here, I saw the process of wasteless culture first hand.  There was repurposed packaging-- a Quality Street candy tin, a biscuit tin, a cereal box with the side cut off (clever!)-- as well as carefully marked kitchenware from home--an actual round cake box with lid, roasting tin, and I did see one large plastic Tupperware-like box.

I was going to craft a cakes holder out of an Amazon.com box and foil, but I then remembered that John had brought me back Chinet paper plates and Glad Press 'N' Seal on his trip to DC last week.  (You wouldn't believe my excitement!)  So the 12 little cakes went neatly on a paper plate, covered in wrap.  Sometimes I can be so American.

I Don't Know How She Does It

I was greatly entertained by the fact that Anna and her friend marched out of school last week, each wearing one of these stickers on their uniforms.  Anna was proud to have volunteered and I thought it was rather sweet, and also somewhat hilarious as an idea.

John and I were talking about how this approach probably wouldn't work in American schools.  Allergies and food safety are a big concern, and I think there would be a few complaints about the marketing tactics.  But this approach works here, and I am excited to help Anna with her baking tomorrow after she returns from Tesco with the ingredients.

Remembrance Day

Photo of Remembrance Day by John

Today, 11/11, is Remembrance Day in the UK.  It is a day in tribute to those who have fought and died in war since World War I.  The war officially ended on 11/11 at 11am.

Since the start of November, people have been wearing poppies on their lapel as a symbol of remembrance.  As Michael tells me:

"Soldiers in the war destroyed the fields and kicked the seeds around.  And then poppies started growing after the war."

The poppies are usually made of paper and are quite visible in the distance.  Most people wear them from what I've observed. John got one for me at Tesco, and Anna was really keen on having a poppy too, so Grandma and Grandpa got some for the kids too.  They were also selling poppies at the school so it is common for children to also take part in Remembrance Day.

The War Memorial - photo taken by Michael in Sept.

This morning, John and I walked up to the War Memorial just behind the kids' school, directly across from the Dee View Inn.  It was a crisp morning but the sun shone brightly and the River Dee was picturesque off in the distance.  We stood just behind a crowd of families and a few men in berets.  The older man in front of us held a poppy wreath with a yin yang and something about the Korean War.  At 11am, a firework went off in the distance, traffic stopped and everyone stood still for the two minute moment of silence.  The couple veterans I could see were standing still yet to attention.  It was simple yet very moving.  Two minutes later, another distant firework went off and traffic started again.  It appeared that a wreath laying procession was about to start, but we headed back down the hill, reflecting upon what we saw.

It is amazing to think that people have been gathering in that spot on 11/11 since the end of World War I.  The continuity is very comforting to not only veterans and their families but to the general public.  Veterans Day in America is also celebrated today with a focus on the war veterans.  Perhaps Memorial Day is more similar to Remembrance Day.  I enjoyed seeing a few friends' Facebook posts about Veterans Day in America and couldn't help but think of how Remembrance Day is more widely integrated into the British culture.  The historical lineage, the tangibility, the poppy as a symbol dedicated to remembrance probably play are role.

Anna's prayer she made up this evening (this child loves her Church of England education):

"Hands together, eyes closed.  Dear God: Thank you for the soldiers who served in war and died.  And thank you for delivering us from dying on the cross and delivering us from evil.  Amen."

(I continue to be amazed by how much the kids have grown and been shaped by our experiences here.)

Bonfire Night

Our friends from Harrogate (we met on our last sabbatical!) to visit us this past weekend.  We went to Bonfire Night at St. Peter's Primary, and enjoyed Chester Zoo earlier in the day.  Bonfire Night celebrates the foiled plans to blow up Parliament that were led by Guy Fawkes.  There was even an effigy on the bonfire to represent him!

The school playground was converted into a celebratory carnival atmosphere.  The grass area was set up with the bonfire and rows of fireworks.  The whole thing was spectacular as we stood there watching the massive fire and the fireworks set off by men in hard hats on the school playing fields.  Every once in a while, you could feel the dust and shrapnel, occasionally needing to blink to clear your eyes.  I couldn't help but think this wouldn't pass muster in America.  I was glad we could experience such revelry here in England.

The Bonfire

Looking festive

Amazing fireworks display

Chester Zoo

Halloween in England

Happy Halloween!  I've been asking mums at the school about whether Halloween is a "thing" here.  Stores do have small sections of costumes, candy, etc but nowhere near the grand scale in the US.  If you ever walk through Target in October, it's a huge section of the store.  Halloween is considered an American occasion and quite a "new" thing to do.  Trick or treating is pretty minimal and might be coordinated among a neighborhood.  

I didn't buy any candy this year, anticipating no knocks on the door.  However, while in the kitchen, I looked over to see a painted face peering through the panes of our front door, presumably to see if they could knock.  I nearly jumped out of my skin.  John and Anna went to answer the door; a group of maybe 12 year old girls stood there in white faces and pajamas, very politely saying "trick or treat".  I rummaged around and materialized a big multi-pack of Quavers.  Thank goodness for buying in bulk.