For those who have migrated abroad, it seems to be the time when they miss home the most. I have read through forums, and engaged in phone calls with people who have the unanimous opinion that Christmas will never be the same while they are so far away from what they still consider 'home'. Nobody seems capable of replacing the smells and sounds that were present in their childhood homes: whether it is British mince pies with Christmas crackers, the Australian beach, or sugar cookies.
I did not miss home at Christmas at all last year. I did not wish for a family gathering, nor did I wish for a Christmas dinner. I had just left my beloved homeland under the worst of circumstances, so there were too many open wounds for me to face Christmas. In fact, I felt so embattled that I really did not wish to hear from anyone in England. I did not wish to be reminded of what I had been through. On the 25th of December 2006, it was my first Christmas, in a very long time, that I was not afraid, alone, or distraught. Most of you cannot know how such a transition feels. Let me tell you; it feels great. Of course, as time moved on; so did I. The dread of my family, and certain old colleagues seems to have slowly drifted into mere memories. Now I have begun to join others in longing for home. I never enjoyed Christmas in England, except for my early years with my mother and brothers, so my homesickness seems unjustified. Yet there will always be some things that I cannot help but desire.
Mince pies are one of those things. These are so common in Britain that no Briton would ever consider having a Christmas celebration without them. Over the last few weeks, I have come to realize that these are not something one can buy in a regular North Carolina grocery store. I realized that I would have to make my own, and this is something that I have never heard of anyone doing. Mince pies contain mincemeat, which is not to be confused with minced-meat. The so-called mincemeat is a culmination of different fruits and spices encased in pastry pie shells. They actually contain no meat at all. I have been considering adding a recipe page for them to this blog, which would contain some of the other all-natural recipes which we enjoy. I have no idea yet if this family will enjoy them. In fact, due to the challenging nature of this endeavor; I have no idea if even I will like them.
Christmas crackers are something that I cannot make alone. They are called crackers because of the noise that they produce, and do not actually contain edible crackers. They are so difficult for me to describe that I have included a photo to the right of this, to ensure that you understand what I am referring to.
In case you really have no clue of the purpose of Christmas crackers, I shall explain the process. It is usually just before dinner when one person and a partner each grabs opposite ends, and then they both pull. The cracker makes a noisy bang as it separates. Whoever gets the larger end of the cracker keeps the small toy included inside its middle section. There is also usually a Christmas hat, and a joke enclosed. We will have them this year. I think that I am, on several psychological levels, just trying to bring a little bit of a British Christmas to America. I do not think that there is anything wrong with that.
I hope that all the readers of this blog enjoy a Merry Christmas.
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