Christmas traditions so pure
EILÍS UÍ BHRIAIN
There is something special about the glow, sparkle and warmth of Christmas time that it's nearness gladdens the heart and dismisses the darkness that gradually creeps up on us as Winter approaches.
The shop shelves are neatly displaying a store of luscious fruity ingredients of cherries, citrus peel, raisins, almonds ready at the housekeepers' fingertips to make an early start on the rich, brandy-enriched Christmas cake and puddings, early baking of these traditional palate-pleasers brings out the true essence and flavour all the more. Don't we all relish that fruitfilled December delicacy, even further enriched with dollops of Kerrygold, bronze-shelled free range eggs, cinnamon-flavoured, freshly milled Odlums and mounds of fruit-variety soaked in a rather scintillating golden beverage.
We must salute the seasoned personnel of cautious cake-tin liners, with dripping, dipping wooden spoons and muscle-building elbow mix who bring these delicious beauties to table. Their reward is total exhilaration, having truly experienced that overpowering feeling when, having weathered the sudden gush of spice-embellished heat from a fruitfully hot oven, a well-risen fruit-mix emerges, smooth and beautifully browned all over! There it lies in all its shining, aromatic glory, fruity excellence raising its steaming head and bathing, basking, bubbling in the circular deep sea of raisin-relish, sultana softies, red-cherry chips and precious orange peel - all bound together smugly and a shining tribute to the TLC of its maker supreme.
I'm sure you are all aware of the painstaking efforts that go into that other age-old traditional dessert, the Christmas pudding. This delicacy comes triumphant to fruition in different stages of mixing, steaming, reheating, before serving with a choice of clotted cream topping, Birds Custard or indeed a smooth smeádar of Hennessy’s best brandy for ultimate Yuletide indulgence.
THAT CHRISTMAS GLOW
The little red robin traditional image portrayed on greetings, adverts and shop windows is another cheery reminder of the festive season along with shiny prickly holly sprigs adorned with the beautiful rosy red berries. These hardy plants of holly and ivy decorate the Holy Crib, being very much the centrepiece of Christmas decór in years gone by, alongside the multi-coloured paper-chains adorning the fourpaned candlelit windows.
I suppose the advances in technology, multi-coloured lighting displays, electric mail genius, has replaced a lot of the older traditions, but we still love to see the images of the glowing red candle, casting a golden sheen on the shiny green holly, creamy plum pudding and the same lovable old Santy smiling happily from the smokey chimney top!
Christmas comes but once a year and with it comes such happy cheer. Nollaig shona…