A Potpourri of Traditions

First, the perennial favourite topic - the weather. I have come to think that the weather this time of year in Salisbury is very similar to that of San Francisco, my former home, in that the days are either the ugliest, dreariest days of the year, or the brightest and most beautiful days; there are none in-between. Last week we had several days of rain and drizzle when nothing looked nice, and lights were needed in the house all day long. Then we had four or five days of cold temps, but bright sunshine, with either clear blue skies, or a few puffy white clouds, when everything looked dazzling. Now, with the heavy frosts and a sprinkling of snow, the towns and countryside really look like a Christmas card. Evenings have also been spectacular, with the bright holiday lights in the city centre (I especially like the blue and white lights on the trees in the Market Square), and the gorgeous crescent moon rising over the hills that encircle the city.

On Friday night we went to see Cinderella, the pantomime here in Salisbury. "Panto" is something hard to explain to friends back in the US. It is a pantomime, but with singing and lots of dialogue, not silent. It is a Christmas show for children and families, but most of the main character appear in drag. It is performed by actors, but audience "call outs" are expected and encouraged. And although there are a number of different stories performed each year, they all seem to share a certain amount of dialogue and jokes. It is really something that has to be seen and experienced live, rather than explained. On Friday night the sound system seemed a bit off, with the music masking the words to a number of songs, but it was a fun night, with some good jokes and colourful costumes.

We went from Friday night Panto to the sublime beauty of carol services on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's was at St Giles' in Imber, the "lost village" on Salisbury Plain that was taken over by the military during WWII to prepare for D-Day, but was never returned to civilian use. Although all traces of the former village houses seem to be gone, St. Giles' has been maintained and partially restored, and it looked beautiful inside. With no electricity, the only light came from hundreds of candles lining each window ledge or hanging from light fixtures. With holly and other greens decorating the church, it was a beautiful atmosphere, and one that really recreated a more simple Christmas time. Sunday's carol service was at St. Andrews' in South Newton, west of the city, and the lessons and carols service there was also very moving.

December also brings changes in the garden. This year was the first year I have grown roses, and we really did enjoy the blooms right through the Fall. I was a little confused, though, about the best time to prune them. My gardening books all said to prune in March, but it looked like all the roses that we admired around the town were trimmed at the first of the month. So, last weekend I trimmed all the roses, and will keep my fingers crossed that we get good growth in the spring. The other big development in the garden is the growth of the brussells sprouts. I planted them in the summer, and they hadn't done much except provide food for various insects. Then, as the weather has gotten colder, they have really started to grow, and I can now see some pea-sized sprouts growing on the sides of the stems. I am still not sure if we will be able to harvet any of them, but it is interesting to see how the plants seem to flourish in the cold.

If Panto is an English Christmas tradition that has not made it across the pond, one American holiday tradition that has not made its way over here is eggnog. Eggnog is a beverage made from milk, cream, sugar, eggs and nutmeg, which can either be drunk "plain" or with "nog" - whiskey or brandy being the usual extra ingredient. It's a wonderful drink to have after supper, on a cold night after a busy day. Although several store clerks said they "had heard of it", no store in Salsibury carries it, and so I was forced to go to my American cookbooks and mix up a batch of homemade eggnog last weekend. It was very nice and brought back memories of Christmases in America, but with its calorie count, I don't think I will be making another batch this year.

Continuing with theme of traditions, we are going to follow another English tradition and attend a football match on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas for US readers). Southampton Saints are hosting Exeter, and a huge crowd is expected at St. Mary's. Saints' last home match, a cup game against Norwich last Tuesday night, was one of the most exciting I have ever seen, with the Saints scoring an eqauliser late in injury time, and then winning a penalty shootout. All Saints fans are getting hopeful that the team can reach the playoffs after erasing their 10 point penalty at the beginning of the season, and a win on Saturday would be really great.

Whatever traditions you enjoy, I do wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and all the best in 2010!