ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS
– THE MAC’S WENT TO CAROLS IN THE JAPANESE GARDENS.
When I was younger my nan’s Christmas treat for us was to pick my sister and I up and take us to the local park where the Churches would hold a combined carol service. We would sit with Nan on our picnic blanket with these little styrofoam cups which we would punch a hole through and a white tapered candle stuck in it to glow as we sang.
These days the carols in town are held in our towns Japanese Gardens. A beautiful spot that, is a perfect sanctuary in these dry and dusty times. (I am looking forward to sinking my bare feet into the lushly manicured grass!)
Every year we arrive early to grab the best position – just to the side where the sun will be shaded by the huge old gum trees very soon, with our picnic basket full of treats and our esky full of cold beverages.
The kids leave us for their friends as soon as we’ve slathered them in sun screen and sprayed them in bug repellant and finally gone over the ground rules again, ( ‘You will NOT go near the Koi pond and you will NOT under any circumstance go into the gift shop and you will check in every 20 minutes or so.
Gone are the days for the big girls where they used to hang out in the stage area and dance, we are much too old for that now! Wee Beastie still loves dancing around and exhausting herself!
And for the next two hours we listen to some very talented local singers and dancers perform, catch up with our friends and family, we watch the kids go mental when a jolly big man in a very hot red suit arrives on his golf buggy driven by a very tall elf, and breath a sigh of relief when the sun finally sets.
And then when it is finally dark, and the last carol is sung, we pack up all out stuff (which has yet again been spread out everywhere) using our battery operated candles for light, have a last minute “Where are your shoes?” search and a final “Wee Beastie, off the stage” hop in the car and head home – exhausted but with a sense of rightness – it is starting to feel a little bit like Christmas!
And after each carol night I ask the question:
“WHY ARE THEY ALL SUNG IN A SUPER HIGH KEY???”
I think my favourite Christmassy song is ‘Happy Xmas (the war is over)’ by John Lennon, which obviously isn’t sung at a multi-denomination service, but why not let me know which ones are your favourite. Hit reply to let me know!
Tomorrow I want to share some little gift tags that may get you out of a jam!
P.S The 12 days of Christmas is a collection of stories and traditions and fun things that we do in Casa da Mac in the lead up to Christmas. Pop back tomorrow for another post!!
