Author name: Ruth Blair

Our Christmas tree ornaments were the usual lights and colourful balls.

The special ones were those my parents bought for their first tree. Over the years most of the glass ornaments have broken but I have the precious few that are still left.

There were the Santa heads with the cotton beards and the small chocolates and candy canes that were hung on the tree. It was the mission of my brother and me to sneak the odd chocolate off the tree and see if my mother would notice. She always did.
©2010 – Blair Archival Research

When we were in Dublin Ireland for Christmas the main event was the Limerick ham that was sent to my Grandparents from my Grandpa’s Aunt Girlie. There is nothing like a Limerick ham.

Another Irish tradition was the spiced beef. This was a particular favourite of my Grandpa’s and I enjoyed it as well. I found a recipe so that I could make it here and eventually found one shop in the area that made it for the holidays.

Our Christmas dinner was the usual roast turkey and ham. We had mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and turnips and sometimes carrots. My mother made the best sage, onion and sausage stuffing.

Dessert was a plum pudding with the coins wrapped in foil and stuck inside for us to find. Around the base of the pudding holly branches were put on for decoration. The pudding was set aflame and the lights turned out as it was presented to the table. Pouring custard was served on the side.

Over the years things have changed. Now our Christmas dinner consists of roast beef with brussel sprouts, turnip and roast potatoes. Dessert is always something different.

The dinner table was always dressed with Christmas napkins, crackers and candles. Just before dessert is served the crackers are pulled and everyone puts on those silly paper hats. How many of you have a Christmas photograph with people wearing those colourful paper hats?

©2010 – Blair Archival Research

When I was a small child our Christmas trees were always real. The smell in the house was wonderfully warming.

In the 1970s when the artificial Christmas trees really became the rage we got one.

Whether the tree was real or artificial the ornaments were the same. We had some lovely ones that my parents had bought for their first tree in 1959. I have the few surviving ones for my own tree.

Putting up the tree each year was a ritual. It went up the second weekend of December and my father would put on the lights. Then it was our turn to put on the decorations. The final items on the tree were the candy canes and small hollow chocolates in the shape of Santa, pine cones, angels and Christmas trees. The presents were not put under the tree until Christmas Eve.

The tree was always taken down by the 6th of January.
©2010 – Blair Archival Research