THIS CHRISTMAS ASK FOR LESS

click to enlarge

THIS CHRISTMAS ASK FOR LESS…(2004?)

The other day, two casual dressed women walked into the coffee shop where I was sipping my morning dose. It was early and they caught my attention as looking very tired already. Hmm, whatever they were doing at night, it wasn’t making them look attractive. Soon they reveled the reason “We just came back from shopping!” one said to Brenda, the waitress, and the other one quickly added, “We were at Wal-Mart, all night!”

And then they went on and on about the aisles full of items, all at great unbeatable prices, all “must haves”, and crazy customers maneuvering among them. Ladies seemed to act as if they took pride in such a task making me feel as if I was some kind of loser, you know, shopping the old fashion way during regular stores hours, if at all.
It’s a “Pet pictures with Santa” season and nothing shocks anymore. Even my husband’s co-worker Trish, strongheaded mother of two almost fell into it. She and her husband Phil went at 6am to purchase portable dvd at great price but the sight of a line of some 200 plus potential buyers made them think twice so they turned around.

I MISS THE TIMES from my childhood when simplicity was the theme all through the year and Christmas, although more festive than any other holiday, was still about baby Jesus and our big family getting together.

I remember how one winter I was learning to crochet and I pretty much crocheted everything around me. There was no Guinness Book of record yet; but if there was, I would probably made it for making the longest chain out of blue yarn. It was when my babcia got this multicolored cosmetic case from me for Christmas. See, the idea was to pay as little as possible since nobody seemed to be loaded with money, and for the children it was required to present their loved ones with homemade gifts. At school you learned how to make a birdfeeder or an apron. Those priceless gifts, who would want anything else ?

Well, the exemption was my mom, who would sneak to the store “drogeria”(cosmetics and perfume shop) and purchased a “puderniczka”(loose powder case) exactly the one she wanted. Later when nobody looked, she would wrap it and act surprised when opened it on Christmas Eve.

In 1975, my grandmother gave me a copy of “Anne of Green Gables” by L. M. Montgomery, which I still have, here with me. It says “Mojej kochanej Isi na Gwiazdke – BABA”. Miraculously this book is one of few that survived intact my daughter’s experiencing with crayons when she at age two discovered her drawing talent. Thank God she lost interest later on.

Back then, there were few gifts but plenty of love and the atmosphere was sublime.

It was a time when decorating the tree or trip to the local carp pond run by PGR (state operated farm) was on our minds, NOT shopping.

As the oldest (and most careful!) I was allowed to play with nativity figures, all chipped but still recognizable. We brought multicolored paper chains that we made at school.

Prior Wigilia, kids were excused from fasting

The large table in “stolowy” (dinning) room, had a huge carriage wheel above decorated with colorful embroired sashes and was reserved for grownups; we, kids had a primer seat by a round table in a “hall” by the fireplace where the walls were decorated with antlers.
The setting itself was splendid , the tree set in the corner of “pianinowy” (piano) room, in the opposite site of the house that opened to “stolowy” which opened to “hall”.

In such scenery each Christmas was played. The kitchen was off that path and I do not recall much of what’s was going on in there since we kids were kept away by watching the sky for the first star, the Bethlehem Star that was.

And after the oplatek ceremony, on a whitest tablecloth, carp was served along with potatoes, herring and red barszcz with uszka, cabbage and mushroom pierogi toasted by plum or sour cherry compote. On the long kitchen counter, cakes and cookies awaited their round. Exotic citrus was also a must, Delicatessen were always stuffed with goods, right before Christmas. The 70s were good, the government borrowed a lot of money, we drank Dodoni citrus juices and stuffed our mouth with Wedel’s hazelnut chocolate bars.

It was perfectly ok, on Christmas, to let our appetite get lose and we did not even try to resist those ginger breads or babkas, mazurek, poppy seed strudel, cheesecake or delicious Polish keks (fruit cake which has more cake but less fruit than traditional American).
And if it wasn’t enough, we had “bigos” (the hunter’s stew) or a hare pate, for a Christmas Day.

We never knew, except grandma perhaps, all lyrics to every “koleda”, after all, we only practiced it once a year.

Under the Communism, Soviets tried to introduce Dziadek Mroz or, in translation, “Grandpa Frost”. Dressed in gold, he distributed bags filled with sweets, oranges and walnuts for all the coworkers’ children at my mom’s office. I guess the idea of Grandpa Freeze, as my daughter named him, did not work and the position of Swiety Mikolaj a.k.a. Santa Claus was secured.

Shopping malls lure people with attractive goods now.

These days, Poles may only sporadically keep their carp fish in their tubs, changes are visible, as people trot to stores, but most of traditions stay the same. Fish come in tens of styles, more ingridiants are added, the tradition to cherish baby Jesus in beautiful Christmas carols, continues. And millions of Poles as always will attend midnight mass “pasterka.”

TRYING TO REVIVE the old Christmas spirit, we pay less attention to what stores have to offer and more to each other and the traditions. A couple of years ago, when the fashion show of Christmas trees begin among my friends, I said, it is crazy, and asked a single mother of one who lives in a trailer, if she has a tree and where she gets it. She directed us to a hardware store in Monson, and promised we won’t pay more than $10. And we didn’t.

The idea was to pick the “ugliest” tree, the one that nobody wants. So we started a new tradition, nothing makes us happier than Charlie Brown tree. Why shooting a turkey if there are plenty of frozen turkeys in a supermarket. They already dead, cleaned and have no bullets.
And this year is no different. We purchased the tree that would probably not find a family to go home with right away but in our eyes is the most beautiful.

We also promised ourselves that we will learn lyrics to one more Polish Christmas carol each year.

And when it comes to gifts, we ask for less this year. Let others trip over their rushing bodies at malls. Deflate your oversize snowman in front of your house, concentrate on your home & family. Donate to your favorite charity, support those who are less fortunate. Simplify your life and you’ll see how rewarding it may become. Start a new tradition by donating a book to local library, “In Desert and the Wilderness” by Henryk Sienkiewicz would be a great choice. Let children enjoy it as many children around the world already are!
Warning, that kind of state of mind is addictive. Once you start it, it will be difficult to go back to spending spree Wal-Mart style. But so be it.