Mission Accomplished!

This time last year I made a New Year resolution to take and post at least one image to this Blog every day throughout 2010. Like all New Year resolutions I didn't expect it to last and pondered how long I would be able to keep it up. I have to admit that it's been quite a challenge and caused many an extra mile to be walked simply because I HAD to go out to get a photo. But now the year is at an end and I've made another resolution for 2011 - I'm not going to do it again! Today's photo was easy though as four "living" statues stood on Bath Street this morning. They remained motionless until someone dropped an offering into the bowls in front of them when they would bow or curtsey to acknowledge the donation. Well that's it for 2010 - I'll be back in 2011 but not every day. Happy New Year.

Siege Mentality

Tesco's will be open tomorrow until 7pm and as the sign outside shows, also on New Year's Day but the car park was full and there were queues both to get into the store and to get away from it. The population seems to have adopted a siege mentality and appears to be stocking up for a long time. Maybe the impending VAT rise could be having an impact too but when the trading figures are released stores will have made ONLY umpteen millions and profits will be down. A profit is a profit so why all the talk of doom and gloom? David Cameron complains of the opposition talking the country down but that is precisely what he did when on the other side of the house. Pot? Kettle? Black?

Fog

Yesterday the danger was black ice but although it had disappeared today, the problem was that if any did remain we may not have seen it through the fog. It wasn't too bad on Bath Street but in other parts of town it was quite dense. More shops were open today even though it is traditionally half day closing on Wednesday and most of them had "Sale" signs plastered all over their windows. I suspect the picture being carried by this lady was a sale acquisition but the sunshine in her picture was the only brightness we saw all day.

Black Ice

A partial thaw and sleet and rain removed most of the snow that was still lying but in the town centre this caused streams of water to run from the Market Place and Lower Market Place towards Bath Street resulting in large swathes of black ice. One unfortunate lady whilst visiting the public conveniences became a victim and necessitated the calling of a paramedic closely followed by an ambulance to take her to hospital.

Boxing Day

Today is Boxing Day. Yesterday couldn't be as Boxing Day falls on the first WORKING day after Christmas Day and is NEVER on a Sunday so the Boxing Day sales that started yesterday were jumping the gun. In Ilkeston today the sales were in full swing although you'd hardly know it as the charity shops, banks, mobile phone shops and banks were all closed and with all the empty premises on Bath Street there was not a great deal to turn out for. The usual suspects however turned the pedestrian area into a cross between car park and a race track and there was no one about to do a thing about it. It may be the season of good will to all men but inconsiderate drivers who ignore the traffic laws really test my patience.

White Christmas

So after all the speculation we did have a white Christmas even though it did not actually snow here on Christmas Day. There was still snow lying on the ground all around but we always have a white Christmas anyway courtesy of our grandsons and the village scene they create on a shelf in our wall unit. Using cake decorations, small model buildings and vehicles, the village is never the same from one year to the next but it is always on a cotton wool (or similar) base to resemble snow and creates a white Christmas scene every time.

Merry Christmas

Through the progress of Advent we've been watching the Wreath in St Mary's Church each Sunday as another candle gets lit. Even though today is Saturday, it felt very much like a Sunday with little traffic and the shops closed and an informal service in church this morning saw the final candle representing the birth of Christ lit. The flame on the candle reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world. Merry Christmas everyone and may you always remain in the light.

The Nativity

This is the night when gifts are delivered and there's no greater gift than Jesus Christ. There's no need for many words from me today as Advent ends and the Christmas season starts except these taken from Luke's Gospel:

Do nor be afraid I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord This will be a sign to you: You wilt find a baby wrapped in strips of cloths and lying in a manger.

Christingle

Many people name the annual Christingle service in church as their favourite of the year and it does have a magical quality when the lights are dimmed for a carol to be sung in the candlelight. St Mary's service took place this afternoon and Christingles were lit by passing the light from candle to candle. The name Christingle is from an old Saxon word "ingle" meaning "fire" or "light" hence "Christingle" equals "Christ's light" shining in the world for all to see.

Turkeys

The snow returned to Ilkeston today but there was only a relatively light covering although the vertical snow topped "Turkeys" sign in this butcher's shop in South Street didn't look out of place. Turkeys have become the meat of choice of many people for Christmas Day but this has not always been the case. In medieval times the gentry enjoyed whole carcasses of meat cooked on spits and boar and deer were on the menu. Later the pig became popular but it was James 1 who originally introduced turkey. Peacock and swan also found favour in Royal households but the meat was quite tough.

More recently turkey has come to the fore but I think refrigeration has had a lot to do with this. When I was a boy, our Sunday dinner usually consisted of beef, lamb or pork but at Christmas it was time for a treat and chicken was served. I remember chickens being delivered to the back door just before Christmas Day and I was often entrusted with the job of plucking it before mother removed the guts and prepared the bird for cooking. It didn't take many years before frozen chickens became more readily available and turkeys became accessible for working class people. Nowadays of course frozen turkeys are readily available in our supermarkets but traditional butchers like the one shown in the picture are still proud to supply fresh turkeys.

Legends

In many displays at this time of year in shop windows, private houses of organised events, there is likely to be a jolly figure dressed in red. We probably all know that the colour scheme came about due to an advertising campaign for a soft drink in the 1930s but there are many legends about the givers of gifts at Christmas that pre-date Coca-Cola and each one has a different name for the giver. Whether it be Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Sinter Klaas, Old Man Frost, Baboushka, Kriss Kringle, Christkindle or one of several more, they all have one thing in common.They are magical beings who all add to the mystery and tradition of a modern day Christmas. We should not forget however the Wise Men who brought their gifts of gold frankincense and myrhh to what has proved to be the greatest gift of all - Jesus Christ.

Mistletoe

Every day this year I have managed to take a photo that I have uploaded to this blog. During Advent I've been on the lookout for mistletoe to add to the series of images in December but it has proved extremely scarce this year. I did see some on Saturday and took a photo and the thought crossed my mind that I may have to cheat and upload a photo not actually taken on the day but fortunately there was a market today and the same stall was here again so I was able to get another photo:

It's a strange plant really being an evergreen semi-parasite and relying on the Mistle Thrush to sow its seed. The Druids believed it belonged to the sun god and their name for it meant "all healing" which was interpreted as bringing enemies together. In turn a kiss under the mistletoe became a kiss of peace. It is seldom used in church decorations but a Christian story relates that the mistletoe was once a tree from which the Cross on which Jesus was crucified was made. In shame it shrank and only continued to live as a parasite.

Joy

Following the candles of hope, peace and love lit on the previous three Sundays in Advent, the Candle of Joy became the fourth on this final Advent Sunday before Christmas. The candle also represents Mary the mother of Jesus. Since last week, the pulpit has been decorated ready for the Christmas services and a nativity scene erected which can be seen in the background of today's picture.

Candle Power

Although candles are now a feature of many different Christmas decorations including the Advent Ring or Wreath and of course the Christingle, they are another pagan symbol that has been adopted by the Christian religion. They were used in pre-Christian days to represent the light of the sun but after Simeon's words to Mary, the candle came to symbolize Christ's presence and have found a place in Christianity all through the year and not just at Christmas.

Holly

When we first moved into our house over forty years ago, there was an old wooden shed at the top of the garden that looked as though it had been built from disused orange boxes. Eventually we decided to buy a new shed thinking that we would only have to lean on the old one and it would fall down. How wrong we were but we did manage to dismantle and dispose of the old one. At the back of the shed we found a small holly sapling no bigger than a twig really but it had a good root system so we transplanted it to the other end of the garden. It thrived! Here is is now dwarfing another shed still going and growing strong. No wonder the carol "The Holly and the Ivy" says of all the trees in the wood the holly bears the crown.

In Christmas and Christianity terms, the white flowers, thorny leaves, red berries and bitter bark symbolise the life of Christ but before Christianity, bunches of holly were fastened to front doors to guard and keep out witches and evil spirits. Today holly wreathes on front doors are regarded more as  a sign of welcome to visitors than a deterrent.

The Christmas Box

Yesterday I wrote about pantomimes traditionally starting on Boxing Day but the origin of the name "Boxing" comes from an old church custom of opening the Alms box to share amongst the poor in the Parish. Later the Victorians treated their tradesmen to tips at Christmas and these became known as their Christmas Box. The practice of giving and receiving presents at Christmas is still an important part of the season and in the commercialism of Christmas it is sometimes forgotten the gift mankind was given 200 years ago with the birth of Jesus. Perhaps these shop window displays that both feature boxes of varying shapes and sizes will act as a reminder.

It's Behind You!

Traditionally pantomimes open on Boxing Day but many productions have already broken with tradition and opened already. Aladdin for example, the professional show, opened in Nottingham at the beginning of December and continues until mid-January as the poster (one of many in the town) in a shop on Bath Street shows.

One of the features of pantomimes is the audience participation with cries of "Oh no it isn't - Oh yes it is!" and "He's behind you" shouted raucously by hordes of children. A variation of that second cry could well be applied to the second poster in the shop window advertising another pantomime "Beauty and the Beast" for this amateur production by the Ilkeston Theatre Group took place in November. Truly it can be said of this pantomime "It's behind you."

All pantomimes though whether amateur or professional have their origins in Mummers' plays which date back about a thousand years and show the fight between good and evil. In every pantomime there's always the happy ending with good always triumphing over its adversary.

Mexican Red Weeds

A Mexican legend tells of a boy who couldn't go to church on Christmas Eve as he didn't have a present for the Madonna. As stranger told him to pick some weeds and take those which he did with reluctance. The persuasive stranger encouraged him into the church whereupon the weeds turned red.As he turned to thank the stranger he heard a voice saying "Call them Flowers of the Holy Night" which is another name for the poinsettia. On a more scientific note, the plant is actually named after Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the first United States Minister to Mexico and who introduced the plant to the USA in 1828. The may be the truth but it's the legend that explains the plant's connection to Christmas.

Shooting Stars

If you look out of your window tonight or tomorrow and the sky is clear, there's a good chance you'll see a shooting star as the earth's orbit will take it through the Geminid meteors, an event that happens every December. The shooting stars are set to light up the winter sky.

The brightest of these stars however pales into insignificance when compared to the Star of Bethlehem that heralded the birth of Jesus and led the Wise Men to the stable 2000 years ago. The star is still an important feature of our 21st century Christmas celebrations and can be seen in many decorative displays like this one at the end of East Street which even features the tail(s) of a shooting star.

And this little video tells the story of a magic Christmas Star.

Three For Love

On the third Sunday in Advent, another candle was lit on St Mary's Advent Wreath this morning. Following on from the candles of Hope and Peace, this was the Candle of Love to celebrate the love we have in Jesus Christ. It is also traditionally known as the candle for John the Baptist.

Christmas Festival

A Christmas Festival took place all around the town centre this morning and into the afternoon where a variety of events and entertainment was put on for the shoppers. Ilkeston Brass were playing carols on Bath Street, a fairground organ was on South Street, a Helter Skelter stood outside the library and a number of choirs were also scheduled to appear at various times. On the Market Place I caught the South East Derbyshire Music Society also playing carols.

The enjoyment of carols has not always been an acceptable  part of Christmas though as they became a victim of Cromwell's rule in the 1600s when they were banned. They had also been banned from churches in the Middle Ages as they were thought far too frivolous, rowdy and jolly. Thank goodness they've survived until today - Christmas wouldn't be the same without them.

The Christmas Tree

The aftermath of the market traders' efforts yesterday to clear walkways through the snow were apparent today with piles scattered all over the town centre but I took this picture mainly to show the town's Christmas tree.

It's a well-known fact that the Christmas tree was introduced to England by Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert but the Noway Spruce's connection to Christmas can be traced back to St Boniface and the eighth century. Boniface was a monk from a Devon monastery who travelled to Germany as a missionary and the story goes that he rescued a boy being offered as a human sacrifice beneath an oak tree. He chopped the tree down but a Spruce sapling in the roots grew. According to the legend Boniface declared that it would be known as the Tree of the Christ Child as it pointed towards heaven. And that is why Christmas trees are still part of our Christmas tradition.

Bananas

There was a market in Ilkeston today but it was left to the traders to clear walkways through the snow so that it could take place. When we were in Nottingham earlier this week it was hard to tell that snow had fallen at all so it's a shame our councils whether county or borough didn't see fit to make Ilkeston's town centre a safer place for the population. It's well over a week since the first snowfall and although the main roads are clear the Market Place was still snow and ice covered which is a disgrace for the town centre. I bet a council worker was there today collecting the fees for the market stalls yet we are told that the local council are working hard with the traders to improve the markets. Maybe they studied at the University of Nick Clegg's Pledges! rake in the money but don't provide the service. Bananas!

One of the traders who was on site today was actually selling bananas which had been imported from Costa Rica. In the U.K. bananas aren't usually associated with Christmas but in another banana producing country, Uganda, it's a different story. In Uganda the birth of Jesus Christ or Sekukkulu is celebrated with a feast of chicken cooked in smoked banana leaves and serves with matoke which are steamed green bananas. Different countries, different traditions but all celebrating the same thing.

Crackers

When I made a resolution at the beginning of this year to take at least one photo every day and upload to a blog, I didn't know how long I would be able to keep it up. So far I've not yet missed a day but I have to admit that it has often been a challenge and at times a burden. Not wishing my life away but I'm looking forward to December 31st as I don't anticipate carrying it on every day for another year. I guess some people must have thought I was a little bit crackers anyway when I started which is a contrived way of leading into today's blog spot.

A gentleman by the name of Thomas Smith is credited with inventing the Christmas cracker after a visit to France in 1846 although it took a number of years to develop into the item we know today. initially it was simply a sweet wrapped in tissue paper twisted at each end but Thomas added a motto in the 1850s and the noise (or cracker) about 1860. Further modifications later meant small toys or games, paper hats and jokes were included and today crackers of all sizes, colours and prices are seen on shelves in supermarkets and other shops all around Christmas. No doubt people in the 1850s must have thought Thomas Smith was a little bit crackers too so I'm in good company although I don't think anything I do in my lifetime will have the same lasting effect as his humble invention.

Twinkling

It is Martin Luther that is credited with the tradition of adding twinkling lights to trees at Christmas although in his day it was candles and not electric lights. It is told that he was so struck by the stars twinkling through the evergreen trees as he walked home one night that he attached lighted candles to a tree erected in his home to show his family. I dread to think what the Health and Safety Executive would have made of that if they had been around then.

This tree outside St Mary's is bedecked with small blue lights that have been twinkling all day long among the frosted and snowy branches but thay really come into their own when darkness falls.

 

Victorian Market?

Much of what we hold so dear today about the traditions of Christmas are actually down to the Victorians and writers like Charles Dickens. For example before the reign of Victoria Santa Claus and Christmas Crackers were unheard of in Britain. Today though when we think of a traditional Christmas it is the image of a Victorian celebration that often springs to mind.

In Nottingham at the moment, there is a Victorian themed market but it looks very similar to the Bavarian and Continental Markets held in the same spot in previous years. Quite what makes this one and different and deserving of the label "Victorian" has been lost in transit from the advertising man's description to the reality of stalls and the goods on sale. It takes little imagination to think what Ricky Tomlinson in the guise of Jim Royle would say about the so called Victorian Market!

Number Two

Another week closer to Christmas Day and it was time to light the second candle on the Advent Wreath in St Mary's this morning. Following on from last week's Candle of Hope this is the Candle of Peace to celebrate the peace to be found in Jesus Christ.It is also the candle for the Old testament Prophets.

Mince Pies

The market today was somewhat depleted due in no small part to the snowy weather but Chapman's Bakers were there although our Saturday treat of their wonderful fruit filed Eccles Cakes were missing from the stall. Instead between the apple pies and baps they had packs of mince pies on display. Mince pies of course are just one of the food stuffs associated with Christmas. The origin of mince pies can be traced back a long way in history and at one time they were oval in shape and contained meat rather that the fruit and spices we associate with them today. In Oliver Cromwell's time when Christmas was banned they often included a an upright almond in the crust to represent Christ in the oval crib and there is still a superstition that it is lucky to eat one on each of the twelve days of Christmas. I'm not waiting that long - I intend having one with my supper drink tonight!

Trimmings

The decorations that we hang in our homes today I have always called "garlands" but I now find that they are more properly referred to as "trimmings". "Garlands" are more associated with wreathes and date back to Roman times but "trimmings" are from the Victorian era when ladies trimmed up their hats and the Christmas tree. Brightly coloured foil decorations like these pictured are commonplace in the 21st century but I remember from the post war years, hand made paper chains being made to string between the beams in the cottage where I lived. I'm getting that feeling of nostalgia again that seems to sweep over me as we near the end of the year.

Reindeer

Reindeer have become inextricably connected with Christmas thanks mainly to the old poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" but also with a passing nod to "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" which dates from 1939. Now they are often the centrepiece of festive displays like this one in a shop window on Bath Street. Apparently the word "flew" in the poem means to travel quickly but has now been taken to mean that Santa's reindeer actually have the power of flight. The drivers of the lorry and car in the second picture that had both skidded and blocked the road on nearby Wilmot Street may well have been wishing for flying reindeer to help extricate them from their predicament.

Robin

Several species of our feathered friends have associations with Christmas, the robin being one of the most well known and this is one I saw this afternoon.

I've known for a long time about the legend that tells of how the robin acquired its red breast after fanning the flames of the fire in the stable to keep Joseph, Mary and Jesus warm but I recently found out another tale about the robin. In Victorian times when the Royal Mail was founded, the postmen's uniforms were red as were the pillar boxes, bicycles and hand carts to make them easily identifiable. The postmen became very self conscious, were often the target of robbers and were nicknamed "Robins". They soon changed there uniforms to navy with red piping a colour scheme still in use today. So when you are posting your Christmas cards this year, remember the link to the Victorian Robins.