I'll cut to the chase: I don't like Christmas. It is an in-joke with those who know me. At this time of year, I respond equally to my own name, Scrooge or Grinch and even my students have joked that Scrooge, that epitome of anti-Christmas cheer is my `pin-up boy'!
It's not the idea of Christmas - that's fine: peace, goodwill, generosity to our neighbour. All of these are good things which lie behind the religious and humanitarian reasons for this holiday.
But the reality of modern Christmas is that it is an ugly commercial animal, filled with ugly commercial objects and an ugly glut of food and waste. Every year I find myself succumbing to the pressures of too much food and too much stuff. All in a bid to make this `the best Christmas ever!'
And every year I emerge grumpier and more cynical about the whole process. I am deeply embarrassed by the waste we produce. Mortified by the overkill. Completely devoid of that famed Christmas Spirit.
And while this would all be perfectly fitting were I, like Scrooge, a grumpy old recluse, it is not the best attitude when there are children about. And I have some of those. My big girls are well inured to my grumping, but my youngest offspring is still trying manfully (woman-fully?) to summon up some Christmas cheer. So I have tried to remember what it is I have ever liked about Christmas.
Hmmmm. Growing up in South Africa, I liked to swim over the Christmas period. We typically had barbecues (or braais as they are called down South) and sometimes the Ledger famed prawn-parties. We, the children, would spend all day in the pool if allowed. But swimming and barbecues are not really an option in December in darkest Essex, so I have had to think further.
What makes Christmas good? My long-suffering better half says that it is the chance to get family together. To cook together. To enjoy each other's company.
So this will be a starting point in my efforts to de-Grinch Christmas. I will try to be nice. I will not moan (at least not incessantly) about wrapping paper, packaging and all the unnecessary calories. I will let people drink too much without being disapproving. I won't calculate the real world value of one day's worth of groceries (at least not so that anyone hears).
And I will try to re-engage the Christmas spirit by getting rid of some of the stuff that irks me and also by trying to include some more of the stuff that makes this a cheery time.
1.) I have chatted to family and asked that we limit presents to children (less pressure to buy and less chance of getting yet more obligatory gift sets). So far, so good.
2.)Baking. I'm not a whizz in the kitchen, but I like the odd bit of baking. We began making gingerbread cookies to hang on our tree when we lived in Mozambique. We have continued this as a new tradition and (if not all the dough is eaten) bake enough to decorate together and give some to our neighbours.
Today, in the lead-up to the Big Day, I decided to try my hand at making a milktart (Melktert in Afrikaans). It is sort of Christmassy, in an egg-noggy cinnamony way and it reminds me of being a child, so a bit atmospheric. Its a concrete attempt at cheerful...
The recipe comes from one of my granny's books `More South African Deep Freezing' by Alice Theron. Published in 1971 it is full of nuggets of wisdom such as `Fat pimply children grow up to be fat, sallow people' which is part of the introduction to her desserts section. It is also full of the sort of no-nonsense recipes one would expect from a 1970's domestic goddess. (She adds, further in her introduction to the desserts section: `I consider my own figure and it's up to them to look after theirs'.)
The milktart recipe goes as follows (credit to More South African Deep Freezing; Alice Theron; Howard Timmins; 1971)
You will need to have a ready baked pie crust. I am rubbish at pastry, so won't offer advice here. Essentially: flour, butter, sugar and a bit of salt.
For the filling you will need (makes one pie)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup of milk
1 3/4 cups milk (the reason for this separation will become clear)
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
several drops of vanilla
15 grams butter
Cinnamon for dusting
Method:
Beat the eggs. Add flour and cornflour and mix well until all the lumps are gone. Add 1/4 cup milk. Mix well. Put aside.
In a pot, heat the 1 3/4 cups of milk with the sugar and salt. Bring to the boil while stirring.
Remove from the heat and stir in the egg mixture. Place back on the heat, while stirring. Reduce heat and keep stirring. This is the scary bit, since it gets quite lumpy. KEEP STIRRING. Remove from the heat and keep stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth custardy mix (my words - not Alice's!)Add the butter and the vanilla. Stir rapidly.
Allow to cool a bit, then pour into the pie crust. Dust with cinnamon.
Bake in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.
Tarrrrraaa!
Mine looks a little sallow, but the consistency in right - and it tastes very good!
3.) Wrapping paper. I have been going on about this for years! This year, I have dumped traditional wrapping paper. I have bought brown paper and cloth ribbon. While I don't know the environmental credentials of ribbon I reckon it is reusable, so far better than much of the wrapping from previous years. And, I must admit, I have quite enjoyed wrapping presents and I think they look quite delightful!
So far, so good - I'm beginning to think I will manage cheerful.
My tactic for the actual day is to hand it all over to my family, who understand my foibles and, I hope, love me all the same. If it all becomes too much, I intend to go for a very long walk.
Wishing everyone, Grinch and Consumer-god/dess alike, happiness and love, not only over the next few days, but into the New Year too!
