The contents of this post appeared in the January 2nd issue of the Courtland Journal newspaper published in Courtland, Kansas.
I was born and raised in the middle of a corn field in Illinois and there is part of me that will call that place “home”. Since graduating high school in 1985, eight years is the longest I’ve lived in any one place. Home is now wherever I put up my Christmas tree. Life has taken me to many U.S. states and several countries, and I now proudly claim to be a citizen of the world. Our family traditions are a mixture of all the places and people who have touched my life.
Our current home is Dales of North Yorkshire in the village of Dacre Banks. Our tiny village is set at the bottom of a valley on the banks of the River Nidd. It’s a four-hour train ride and a world away from London. Dacre Banks is about as different to London as Courtland, KS is to New York City. The village Facebook page filled with attempts track down randomly delivered Amazon packages and wayward sheep.
Christmas here takes me back to my roots. Christmas trees come from one of two local tree
farms. There’s a giant tree with lights on the village green (American equivalent of a town square). The week before Christmas, dozens of locals gather on the green for caroling with the local brass band. Warm mulled wine and mince pies will be served. People of all ages turn up to sing and band members ranged in age from early teens to early 80’s. Here, much like Courtland, community is important and people turn up for our village events. After the caroling is done, the band usually adjourns to the village pub and continues to play carols with the occasional show tune thrown in and everyone sings along. It’s fair to say, “A good time is had by all.”
There are a few significant differences in some of the carols. Sometimes the music is the same as the American version, but the lyrics are entirely different and on a few they sing lyrics we know my heart, but the tune is completely different. There are multiple English carols dedicated to the donkey that Mary rode upon and multiple references to her womb. We found it best to stand in the back and sing softly to ourselves.
As I’ve moved around the planet, I’ve taken along some traditions that I cherish but always look for new customs I can embrace. While living in Denver, Colorado, we were invited to join a family in their annual gingerbread house making. We’ve since taken that on as our tradition and have invited our neighbors in the England to be part of our tradition. British ovens are quite small, so I must use the commercial sized oven in the village hall to bake the gingerbread in a half-sheet pan. This year, two other families joined us for gingerbread house decorating.
In America, many people drive around at night to see the Christmas lights. Big light displays aren’t common here in England, but many of the big historic homes install elaborate Christmas displays in a portion of the house. Every year, we venture over to Castle Howard, where the ground floor rooms of are decorated in a different theme each year and the magnificent display must be seen to fully appreciate. This year’s theme is Little Red Riding Hood. We were there on Christmas Eve and had afternoon tea before touring the Castle.
There are several British Christmas foods that have become part of our family Christmas. Mince pies are tiny double crust pies, filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices. They’re served warm and are absolutely delicious! Christmas pudding is another staple of the season in this country. It’s a boiled cake that consists of flour, fruits, suet, sugar and spices, goes back to Victorian times when it was sometimes called a plum pudding, (the early term for raisins was plums). Instead of baking, the batter is wrapped in linen or put in a sealed pan and steamed or even placed in a pressure cooker. It is rich dense deliciousness that is perfect at the end of a big meal with a splash of cream or brandy sauce. A wee glass of whiskey is also an excellent accompaniment.
Americans have Thanksgiving but our British cousins have Boxing Day, which is an extra holiday during the Christmas season. It’s celebrated on December 26th, it was once a day to donate gifts to those in need or those in service positions, but it has evolved to become a part of Christmas festivities, with many people choosing to shop for deals on Boxing Day. We usually just take the day to relax and recover from the hubbub of Christmas and eat leftovers.
No matter where I find myself at Christmas, I remember to be grateful for the wonderful people in my life, the adventures we have had and those yet to come. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2025.
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