Hello, this is our series finale, number 13 on the day that Kertasníkir arrived at the Icelandic homes. Thanks to all of you who read this series, it has helped us a lot to develop more things, to reach more people, and to continue to expand this tiny little project into a more consistent work. Now, let’s go back into our final topic: The Christmas Eve Day.
Let’s begin our journey.
You wake up around ten if you are one of the lucky ones that get to stay at home this day, but if not, you might be working until lunchtime (around 12). If you are young and boogery you might be this day at home (no school time, for sure) watching cartoons on the TV. For example today at 3:00 they will show The Lion King on national television. If you are a grown up, less boogery and more hairy, you might be preparing to make dinner around lunchtime (depending of course on cooking procedures). People might show up around the day, delivering you gifts, if they hadn’t previously done so. All this preparation goes up to six o’clock the time that, ritualistically, people say it is Christmas. Before six, you must be ready, in fancy garments, will all the food cooked, and all the glam up for feast.
If you have guests, they will be arriving a bit before six, although it is coronavirus time, we should assume you are eating only with your household this year. Now, this one was a weird one for me. Traditionally, people wait patiently until six, turn the radio on, and it is not until it broadcasts the sounds of the church bells, that they can start the feast and declare the celebrations beginning. “Radio Reikiavik, Merry Christmas!” the lady says. If you are very religious, you might as well keep it on, to listen to the mass that is broadcasted as well, or even delay your Christmas to attend one. But let’s continue to the banquet. People generally eat smoked lamb or ham, Malt og Appelsín, laufabrauð, as side dishes there are sugar coated potatoes, pickled cabbage and cucumber, peas, or Waldorf salad. Some fancy fellas eat a bird that is called rock ptarmigan. Beef wellington is also gaining popularity, at least on the shelves.
After the food the old and hairy might clean up, while the young and boogery might be desperately waiting for the next part of the evening. Sometimes, they even get a premature opening present to keep them waiting a bit more, until everyone is ready in the living room where normally people have their christmas tree. The opening presents game starts then. And it might take as long as the amount of presents is being gifted. Another weird thing I have found is that, not only there is a kid in charge of giving the gifts (even those that aren’t theirs), but the fact that they even read at loud the cards they get. Allow me to explain why this is weird for me. When giving a gift around my family (and pretty much all the people that I know in Mexico) you give a gift, you thank, you hug or kiss and there is somewhat a connection of the physical aspect of delivering the gift. Here is much more of a nod and a thank you. At some point there is a break for the opening presents, and you will have a dessert, most likely ice cream (as you might know by now). By the end of the gift giving, according to A., people sit down and talk, according to my few experiences, it is time to leave because the gif opening took too much goddamn time. Regardless of that, this is basically the end, people leave, and hugs and stuff. After that people chat and open their presents outside of their packages, is the recount of the damages, and so on.
By this point it is time to sleep
And that’s all friends. I have to mention, when I first spent Christmas here, I thought that this was the most Hollywood style Christmas I have ever experienced. We had hats, snow, and everything. It was wild! At least for what I know in Mexico, this is by far not a way of celebrating it. I don’t know how it is in the English spoken world, but for me, this is missing two key elements: music and drinking. And yes, as I have purposely omitted, apparently people don’t drink at Christmas (tragic!). Which is a very funny thing since, as you might know, there are so many beers targeted for this very mission. And even if they do, it is not very common (allegedly) to party and get drunk. So not time to see your drunk uncle, or anything. No, no. That is reserved for New Year’s and even then, many people don’t spend this holiday with family, but with friends. And then the second tragedy is the lack of music. And you know, where there is music, there is dancing. Or in the case of my family, singing. A LOT OF SINGING. And I am quite sure we aren’t the only ones, given that the neighbours had shown their talents specially that Christmas that they bought a microphone and a speaker. Yikes. I still remember, with zero nostalgia and more annoyance, trying to be able to sleep, while you could hear the ongoing parties far in the distance, plus the fireworks, plus the dogs barking, plus the fan on for surviving the Christmas heat.
All and all, I am aware, through these 13 Chapters that I am not so much into the traditionally Christmas spirit, not here, not in Mexico, and most likely not on Mars. However, what I’ve learned of living abroad in two different countries besides mine is that the fun of having traditions is making your own. On that note, I will salute you, wish you happy holidays, whatever that might be, and I will continue my special marathon of 9 hours of LOTR. Toodaloo.
