AN OLD FASHION CHRISTMAS

Christmas, the birth of the Christ Child.

As a child growing up in a Polish neighborhood in the coal mining area of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., I remember all of the love and preparation for the wonderful day of Christmas.

There was little money to rush to the mall to purchase presents. Actually, we did not think of that. Christmas and Advent were special. We prepared for the birth of the Christ Child. The good Sisters who taught us at Marymount, helped us to make simple gifts to share with family. We made Christmas ornaments to decorate the tree.

This particular Christmas, there was no money for a tree. Actually, Dad had $1.00. We joked that maybe someone would sell us a tree for a dollar. Mom simply said that we would have a Christmas tree.

Both Mom and Dad had such a total simple FAITH THAT GOD WOULD PROVIDE.........AND HE ALWAYS DID.

The tree was secondary to the NATIVITY SCENE. Most of the people in the neighborhood spent time building an elaborate NATIVITY SCENE in their homes in preparation for Christmas. Many of these scenes took up a good portion of ones living room.

The week after Christmas was spent visiting one an others homes to view the various NATIVITY SCENES and THE CHRIST CHILD LAYING IN THE MANGER. Everyone would have a beautiful Christmas tree.

Dad could build anything. He would turn scraps of wood into something useful. Mom showed us how to create so much from very little. We created a beautiful NATIVITY SCENE.

We fasted, we went to Church. We visited hospitals and old folks homes. We sang Christmas carols. There was little commercialism. The TRUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS was everywhere. We were happy and joyful. The fact that there was no money that year was not a concern. GOD WOULD PROVIDE.......all that we needed.

We waited until Christmas Eve morning to look for a tree in the hopes that they were on sale and one could be found for $1.00. We knew that we would find something. I simply did not expect what transpired.

Every decent looking tree was gone. Dad was determined to bring something home and not disappoint Mom. I watched him turning a few trees around. They all had a partial good side. I thought that Dad would purchase one and put the bad side against the wall. I was amazed at what he did. He negotiated to purchase two trees with bad sides for less than $1.00. Before he showed the trees to Mom, he took them to his workshop and cut the bad sides off. He then wired the two trees together and made one beautiful tree.

We had a beautiful tree to put along side our Nativity scene, just in time for Christmas Eve Supper.

This festive meal is a very important meal in Polish tradition. It contains an odd number of meatless dishes. Many dishes simply shared just on this special day. Hay is placed under the tablecloth and an extra place is always set at the table. Mom whispered to me that she hoped that Christ in disguise of a needy person would knock on our door and share this meal with us.

This meal would begin after the first star was sighted in the sky. At such time, we would share the oplatek, which is a thin wafer provided by our Church.

After this festive meal, gifts were shared and we usually went to midnight Mass. I did not expect any special Christmas gift that year because of the financial situation in our home. What a surprise when Mom and Dad brought out children's furniture that Dad made from small pieces of wood. A cupboard for some small dishes and a buffet.

That was over 50 years ago and that furniture has been passed down to many children to enjoy.

After Midnight Mass, we would socialize with friends and neighbors and then head home for another snack of those wonderful foods that we could not touch until Christmas Day.

This was such a wonderful Spiritual time. A time for reflection, a time for prayer, a time to rejoice the BIRTH OF CHRIST.

I would like to wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A JOYOUS, HEALTHY NEW YEAR.