ORIGINALLY WRITTEN KEVIN HOWER
There are a lot of opinions these days about Christmas, but I think it should be as Scrooge’s nephew describes it in “The Christmas Carol”:
“… a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely….”
The 1984 TV version of this story, starring George C. Scott, is probably my favorite version of all. Each year after eating our homemade shrimp soup and opening presents, my family and I traditionally watch that show.
I have a lot of happy memories of Christmas time and I imagine most of you do, too. I remember getting up early Christmas morning for many years and sleeping in the car on the way to Newton, where Mom’s folks lived.
We would go to the Whites and have breakfast with the family and then open presents. There would be a log burning in the fireplace. Those of us who get cold easily would stand with our backs to the fire, warming up.
Maybe that’s why I’ve always loved the smell of wood burning.
Various relatives I rarely saw would be there, and we would catch up a bit. Puzzles were a popular pastime. These were the huge kind that take a while to put together, even with several people working on them.
There would be a good deal of chatting and munching.
The Christmas candies that my Grandma Hower made were unbeatable. Occasionally I’d be there when she was wrapping it and get to help.
For many years, Grandpa Hower would go around to various businesses and give their employees some fudge. Now that I’m older, I wish I had gone, but I think I was probably in school and wouldn’t have been able to do so.
Many times we had an early Christmas with Dad’s side of the family so that everyone could make it to other relatives’ houses for the actual day.
Christmas changes a bit for all of us as we get older I think. I no longer live at home, so holidays necessarily involve driving. Back when I still lived at home, the house was decorated right after Thanksgiving.
Soon after, there often was heard Christmas music playing. My personal favorite is “The Christmas Song” sung by Nat King Cole.
Off the top of my head I can’t really think of any carols I actually dislike, just some I prefer.
Mom also makes peppernuts, sugar cookies, and one of my favorites-Springerle. These flat rectangular cookies with a pattern pressed into them are flavored with anise, giving them the taste of black licorice.
Every year at this time, at least once, Mom makes a dessert called Apfel Kuchen. Though the name means “Little apple cakes,” they oddly enough don’t contain any apples, just raisins. This detail does not, however, dissuade me from eating them. Their taste is rather interesting as they contain a spice called cardamom.
The Apfel Kuchen are fried up in a unique pan that has several deep round depressions in it. To eat them, you tear the little fried round cakes apart to help them cool (they stay fiercely hot otherwise), and dip them in sugar to eat. Oh, and they’re good cold, too.
I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season, eat lots of food you probably shouldn’t and most of all, enjoy the time you have with your loved ones. We only live once.
Merry Christmas.
Kevin Hower, now living in Marion, has worked in the production department of the Free Press for a little over a year. This is his second Christmas with us.
