Page 36 - North Haven Magazine Issue 31 Holiday 2023

by Nick Giordano

hristmas means different things to different people. Some view Christmas in a purely religious fashion, where the birth of Christ is seen as
Cthe most important day of the Christian calendar. Others view Christmas as strictly a commercial venture, where retail outlets and on-line
companies take advantage of consumers to sell them overpriced products that no one really wants. Many look at it as just another day. But for
many, Christmas is a time for tradition. It’s a time to gather together to celebrate both a holiday and the relationships people have forged over
the years with both friends and relatives. But as the world revolves and seems to become a bit smaller every day, the time we have with those
friends and relatives also seems to become less and less, and the things we all used to do that made Christmas special disappeared. At times like
this we should all try to look back and think of the things that made us truly happy during the Holiday season. Hopefully this little Christmas
story will resonate with some of you, and help you see that tradition is important and should not be lost in the difficulties of life.
It was the night before Christmas and…no would fit. Finally, when everything was up it
wait. That line sounds very familiar. I better was time for the star. We had an angel for a
not use it. It was actually the day before. One star and she lit up. It was a beautiful ending to
of the traditions we had come to know as a the decorating ceremony and made it perfect
family was that we put up our Christmas tree for all of us. After dinner we were allowed to
and decorated it on Christmas Eve and no open one present from the ones that weren’t
sooner. We didn’t have real trees back then coming when Santa arrived of course, and
so the artificial one which collected dust all my brother and I knew their pre wrapped
year in the attic with bags of decorations was hiding place so somehow we always picked a
the one we used. It came in lots of pieces with really good one to open every year. Our par-
colored ends on the branches so we knew ents probably knew that we found the secret
where to put it on the 6 foot base. Somehow spot so they never said anything. It was just
it never came out right the first time and our another fun tradition that we looked forward
mother would yell at our father for doing it to all year. We did exactly the same thing
wrong which was yet.another standing tradi- each year for as long as I can remember un-
tion. We couldn’t do anything until our father til our parents passed away. It was a tradition
came home from a half day of work so while he was an expert by now and it was done in that was special to us and to our little family,
our mother, who of course did not work, was short order. Now the fun stuff would begin. and no matter what was going on in our lives
cooking the fish sauce for Christmas Eve We had a lot of standard ornaments but we or our parent’s lives, the night before Christ-
dinner, my brother and I waited patiently started with the lights, then the garland, then mas always gave us that special time together
for Dad to get home. We had taken the tree the tinsel. There was a strategy to it as you where no one had a care in the world except
and decorations down from their year-long couldn’t just throw everything on the tree. being with each other.
hibernation and put everything in the living The lights had to fill each area, the garland
room so as soon as Dad got home we could couldn’t cover the lights and the tinsel…oh With the hustle and bustle of life seeming to
start. that tinsel…had to be put on one strand at get in the way of a lot of things, we all need
a time. It took forever but we didn’t care. All to take time to reflect, and find a way to do
Our father got home around 3:00 and after of this was done under the watchful eye of some of the things that made us happy grow-
getting settled, the four of us got to work. our mother, who was a pretty harsh critic. ing up, especially if those things are no longer
Dad put the base in the stand and started Put a piece of tinsel in the wrong place and done. It’s never too late to revisit traditions,
with the branches, all the while complaining you heard about it. After we received Mom’s and even if you can’t recreate them exactly as
that the colors were wearing off the ends so approval we went to the popcorn balls and you remember, you can just make new ones.
if it came out wrong it wasn’t his fault. Of candy canes which had to be placed on sep-
course, when he finished it was wrong and arate branches and once those were up we Merry Christmas everyone!
he had to move some branches around but put the rest of the decorations wherever they

36 North Haven Magazine - Holiday Issue 2023