treeve
Major Contributor
Does Santa visit your house still? Ignoring the pure commercialism of the urban myth that Coke invented/devised the image in 1930, as it has come down through the ages from the ancient world; the image we know now is that created by Thomas Nast, himself from Landau, which would have been well versed in the Odin tradition and the skies of the North, folded with a tradition already based on a person that provided gifts for the good and poor... St Nicholas ... Santa Nicholaus .... Santa Claus...., with collections of traditions all along the way.
Is it a magical time? Is it all from Santa? Or does some of it come from Santa and others from family and friends, as it did when I was a child. Part of the magic came from year after year having coal fires and logs in the grate, but since the advent of the electric jobby 20 years ago, that has been missing anyway.
Is there a tree? My father knew a nurseryman and so managed to get his own cutting from the 'field'. It was set in a wooden barrel always on the floor, in the corner of the room, the tip just below the 8 foot ceiling, topped with a gilt glass angel. The decorations were all Edwardian glass and windings, with coloured angels. Intertwined around the tree was the streams of lametta and fronds, of silver and red gold. Lights were of candles in metal holders, tiny reflectors to keep flames away from the branches. I can't help wondering what Elf Nsafety would make of that. Later we had lengths of electrical lighting, giant coloured globes (rather larger than the present day miniatures). Father had a timer once, but it drove us nuts, so that was the end of that. Around the tree were hung little parcels for decoration. The base of the tree was mounded with gifts for all. Father delighted in running cotton wool as snow on the branches. He always set a 'snow scene' on the top of the sideboard with bits and pieces nicked from the box of cake icing decorations not used that year. A cloth and a mirror at first, topped with mountains and little buildings... I continued the idea with our children, I had little fairy lights set in the 'snow' to cause reflections on the ceiling, and to illuminate the cottages in the 'mountains'. Purchased each year some new animal, it did not matter that Antarctic met Arctic. I used to make metal sheet Angels, stylised scenes of Santa and his Sleigh crossing the bookshelves with a trail of silver paper to give that magic trail effect.
Is it a magical time? Is it all from Santa? Or does some of it come from Santa and others from family and friends, as it did when I was a child. Part of the magic came from year after year having coal fires and logs in the grate, but since the advent of the electric jobby 20 years ago, that has been missing anyway.
Is there a tree? My father knew a nurseryman and so managed to get his own cutting from the 'field'. It was set in a wooden barrel always on the floor, in the corner of the room, the tip just below the 8 foot ceiling, topped with a gilt glass angel. The decorations were all Edwardian glass and windings, with coloured angels. Intertwined around the tree was the streams of lametta and fronds, of silver and red gold. Lights were of candles in metal holders, tiny reflectors to keep flames away from the branches. I can't help wondering what Elf Nsafety would make of that. Later we had lengths of electrical lighting, giant coloured globes (rather larger than the present day miniatures). Father had a timer once, but it drove us nuts, so that was the end of that. Around the tree were hung little parcels for decoration. The base of the tree was mounded with gifts for all. Father delighted in running cotton wool as snow on the branches. He always set a 'snow scene' on the top of the sideboard with bits and pieces nicked from the box of cake icing decorations not used that year. A cloth and a mirror at first, topped with mountains and little buildings... I continued the idea with our children, I had little fairy lights set in the 'snow' to cause reflections on the ceiling, and to illuminate the cottages in the 'mountains'. Purchased each year some new animal, it did not matter that Antarctic met Arctic. I used to make metal sheet Angels, stylised scenes of Santa and his Sleigh crossing the bookshelves with a trail of silver paper to give that magic trail effect.
