Yukon Chatter Bug

Just the other day, Dave and I were talking about the differences in traditions in our respective families while growing up. I grew up in a French Canadian family in Northern Ontario, while he’s an Ottawa boy, whose parents originate from the U.S. Last year, we spent the Christmas holidays with family and couldn’t help but to notice the differences in tradition.

In my French Canadian household, the place becomes Union Station on Christmas Eve. No one’s invited and everyone is welcome, and as a result, the house bursts at the seams. When I was a kid, we were put to bed, then awoken just after 11pm to get ready for Midnight Mass. Santa always managed to come just before we got home, so we always missed him. He left gifts under the tree, but we never had stockings to fill; it just wasn’t part of our family’s tradition. After gift opening, we played for as long as we could stay awake, while my mother served a feast and my dad played music. The songs were what French Canadians call chansons à répondre; one person sings the song, and many verses are meant to be repeated by the rest of the crowd. Because of this, I always tell people that I learned how to play the spoons before I learned to eat with one. This was the “Réveillon” with gifts, food, and music.

Christmas Day, we played with our new toys for a while, then got dressed and did the rounds, visiting friends and family; we almost always ended up at my aunt’s house (who had half a dozen kids of her own) where it started all over again… at least the feast and music part.

Dave tells me that growing up, Christmas Eve was quiet. Around 11pm the family gathered to watch the Alistair Sim version of A Christmas Carol, a movie I had never watched until spending Christmas Eve with his mom last year. Christmas morn kids could open the gifts in their stockings, but had to wait until after a big family breakfast before opening other gifts. I’ll bet the kids gobbled up their breakfast in record time. Dinner was served for the family, and the day was fairly quiet. It was time dedicated to family. Dave’s relatives lived thousands of miles away.

In addition to never having seen A Christmas Carol, I also had never heard of Christmas Crackers. I was introduced to them by Dave’s mom last year, and had to buy some again this year. A couple of nights ago, we hosted a dessert and wine for friends. Their kids taught me how the crackers are to be opened, with everyone in a circle, arms crossed over, each hand holding one end of the cracker. It was fun! As for Christmas stockings, Dave saved my butt the first year together by not only buying stocking stuffers for me, but for himself too (and his mom who was visiting). Last year, it was pretty much half and half, and this year, I finally went out and got a bunch of little things that could fit in his stocking.

So, Dave introduced me to A Christmas Carol, Christmas crackers, and stocking stuffers, while I introduced him to my family, and, of course, his very own “Christmas Carole.”