Collection of Christmases
At uni, I’ve completed my post-colonial theory course, and the Acting Shakespeare module. I really had a lot of fun with the drama one, not only for the obvious reason that I really enjoy performing, especially Shakespeare, but I find drama classes give you much better chances to get to know people. Since everyone has to do the weird exercises and games, you do ridiculous things together and can have some fun. There also aren’t a lot of classes where you can mattress surf across the floor. For our final project, my partner and I did the last scene in Othello, so I got to be murdered, always fun. The only problem with befriending fellow exchange students is that they leave after one semester, but it was nice having allies from the colonies for a bit.
My celebrations of Christmas with friends and family were spread out over the entire month of December, so I’m sticking them all together here.
As the perfect celebration to my freedom, since classes had ended, Tom picked me up and we met Katya out at Wychurst. Most people were coming out on Saturday for our Yule training event with some Regia groups, but there were a few of us who came up early to spend the night. We didn’t bother setting up a fire in the hall, the forge had plenty of room and was easier to heat. Katya was very pleased with her fires, which were very toasty and kept us nice and warm despite it being the middle of December. We cooked our dinner over the fire and chatted with Aaron. Katya and I had both had very frustrating weeks at work, so we had a very nice scream into the void, yelling our frustrations to the night sky. Nathan and Konrad showed up a bit later, since Konrad had to bake his carrot cake for the next day.
The next day, I awoke to the sound of cars pulling up. The day rained off-and-on, so we’d fight for a while and then take shelter for the more soggy bits. Tony had lit the forge, so he, Demedts, Elliot, and Katya all worked on various projects. Inside the hall, people were around the fire and working on various crafts; weaving, sewing and woodcarving. In the evening, we had a massive potluck feast. I had made my mom’s spinach, pomegranate, and feta salad since that’s always been a staple food around Christmas, and it’s one of my favourites.
While that was our Christmas at Wychurst, ØC also had a Christmas party at a restaurant. Instead of having training the Tuesday before Christmas, we met up for a night of good food, paper crowns, and terrible pun jokes.
Work has also been very Christmasy. I working at the shed in the Christmas market, where I got to hear the non-stop Christmas music. Also, at the Canterbury Tales, we had a special Christmas weekend where the kids have to go back in time to the fourteenth century to save Santa. I was the ‘sad-elf,’ who had lost all my elf confidence when I lost Santa, but the kids tell me terrible jokes until I laugh and tell them which way to go. I have to say, the costume was rather fun. It was also fun to see the set decorated in fairy lights and Christmas trees.
I’ve started buying peppermints more, because they remind me so much of my Grandmother’s house in Abbotsford. I also attempted to make Oma’s sugar cookies. When I went shopping for a cookie cutter, all of the normal Christmas shapes were all ready sold out, so I decided to make Christmas dragons. They were mainly successful, although they spread out more than I expected and so were rather rotund dragons. The rest of the dough will be eaten raw since cookie dough is amazing by itself. I am now the Daenerys Targaryen of sugar cookies.
In the last run up to Christmas, I was invited to spend time with Steve’s girlfriend’s family. Since my siblings all seem to start dating when I’m out of the country (purely coincidental, I’m sure), I was really excited to actually be able to meet Catherine. It was a lovely, laid-back weekend where we went on walks, played piano, played board games, and lazed around in front of a roaring fire and a brightly lit Christmas tree. Catherine’s family, Maggie, Doug, Beth, and their dog Mia, were wonderfully inviting and it felt great to have a home atmosphere before Christmas. I also got a bunch of stuff delivered from home, mainly Oma’s pfeffernussen and the very Canadian hat that mom bought me for advent, as well as another bottle of Canadian maple whiskey.
I started my way back to Canterbury on the 24th, and during the whole train ride Skyped with mom and dad, Oma and Opa, and Grandma. For Christmas Day, we went over to the Harris’s and had an amazing Christmas dinner. Their many small dogs were very excited and yappy. I tried to learn their names, but since they mostly respond to ‘oi!’ I just called them that. Katya and I had exchanged gifts previously, and we discovered that both Tom and I had given Katya plastic coelacanths, so next year I think we’re planning a pre-arranged gift registry. Katya got me a very snazzy pennanular brooch, after doing the appropriate research of course, since giving re-enactor’s gifts is never a simple process. She also Skyped her family to see them open their presents and so they could witness her getting her present, a new sword! Well, technically it was Tom’s rusty old sword, but attached to it was a mocked up gift certificate for a new one from Heron Armoury.
We didn’t technically have a white Christmas, but there was frost on the ground for a bit in the morning so that counts. Overall, the entire month has been a wonderful Christmas with friends and family, even if most of that family is far away.