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| Christmas just wouldn't be the same without pots of paperwhites about the house |
There are a number of Christmas traditions that we observe at Darlington that I brought with me from my birth family, and there are ones of a more recent vintage that we have made our own.
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| FD, Camilla, and MD Christmas 1947 |
As I have written before, one tradition that I observe at Christmas is to adorn the grill of our Rover with a wreath. My mother, MD, decorated her cars with a wreath when I was a boy. I loved it then, and I love it still. This year we ordered our Rover's wreath from the good ladies of Cedar Farm. I think they did a lovely job of it (they also made the wreath shown in the background, hanging on a door of one of our barns).
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| This year's Rover Wreath |
Another Christmas tradition I observe is to set out a crèche. MD was mad for crèches, and collected more than a dozen of them over the years. The one we have at Darlington is a dime store crèche made in Italy in the 1950s that I bought at a Groupe Shoppe years ago. I've been adding figures to it ever since. If you look closely at the photograph you'll see that there is a little pug, given to me by my sister Camilla, among the adoring throng.
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| Our not entirely tasteful Christmas crèche |
I also have a collection of Black Forest bears that I put out at Christmas. I inherited the nucleus of the collection from my mother, who inherited it from her father. I've added to it over the years, and I put the bears on the mantel in our Snuggery, along with half a dozen or so little Steiff toy animals that I played with as a child. I've had some of them for almost fifty years.
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| The mantel in our Snuggery, decorated for Christmas |
When it comes to food and drink we have a number of traditions at Darlington. I always make sure to have a box of Darling clementines on hand at Christmas.
Every Christmas Eve, before attending the evening festival service at the Episcopal church in the nearby town (assuming I can stay awake—and sober enough—to attend it), I make a simple oyster stew, a dish that my sister Hermione introduced me to as a Christmas Eve tradition many years ago.
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| I think I may try Alex Hitz's recipe for oyster stew this year Image courtesy of House Beautiful |
On Christmas day we tuck into an old-fashioned English dinner of prime rib roast and Yorkshire pudding (recipes courtesy of my dear friend Lindaraxa), followed by Stilton cheese and Christmas pudding with hard sauce. MD adored hard sauce.
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| Lindaraxa's English roast beef and Yorkshire pudding Image courtesy of same |
In years past, when Fauchon still had an outpost in Manhattan, we used to put in a store of their sublime pâtes de fruit and marron glacé to eat over the Christmas break. Now we console ourselves with chocolates and other treats, including blinis heaped with caviar or salmon roe and crème fraîche. Champagne is usually within easy reach.
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| A Darlington tradition of Christmases past Image courtesy of Fauchon |
Another tradition of ours during the Christmas break is to drive to Albany, New York State's capitol, and have a festive lunch at the city's venerable Jack's Oyster House. It's been an Albany institution for one hundred years now. Jack's is usually packed this time of year with tables of happy revelers out for a holiday lunch. We heading there for ours today, in fact.
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| Jack's Oyster House's card |
A more recent Christmas tradition that we've added to our repertoire at Darlington is dipping into the most delicious egg nog imaginable, made by our friend Ted Greenwood. Ted makes a large batch of it from an old family recipe every year and distributes it on Christmas Eve to his lucky friends in Ball jars. He calls it Ted Nog. It is beyond yummy, particularly when adorned with a bourbon or rum floater on top. Needless to say, Ted is very popular with his fortunate friends this time of year!
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| Our friend Ted "Nog" Greenwood at a Darlington dinner party several years ago |
Another tradition I look forward to every Christmas is listening to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols sung by the choir of King's College Cambridge, and broadcast on our local public radio station on Christmas Eve.
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| The choir of King's College Cambridge Image courtesy of Zimbio |
Of course we hang garlands and wreaths and put up a tree at Darlington, and we decorate the house festively for Christmas. But, then, that's the subject of another post, soon to follow. . .
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| I found these little German wooden candles in a hospital thrift store ten years ago. I've put them out at Christmastime ever since |
Tell me, Dear Reader, what are some of your Christmas traditions?
All photographs, unless noted, by Boy Fenwick or Reggie Darling
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As children we used to decorate what we called a "snow scene", with animals and cotton wool as the snow, and a mirror as a frozen lake. Rather like your creche. I'm sure there was some creche element, although it does not feature highly on my memory bank. I think my mother was trying to teach us the association of snow with Christmas, as we were, (as now) living in a tropical country. I think I might revive that idea, as I've now found a delightful source of objets that would fit fittingly Mr Fitt. Happy Christmas to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteHelo Columnist,
DeleteIn years past I've decorated the mantel in our dining room with such a cotton-snowy scene, with little elfin musicians and bottle brush trees. It is so cute that I can only bear to do it every five years or so! My best wishes of Christmas to you and yours. Reggie
My mother always made wreaths, not just for the home, but for loved one's graves, and I continue to do that (see my FB wall.) My mother always put a tangerine in the toe of the stocking, because that was part of her childhood, and I still do that. I have ornaments that go back, and I put up three trees. There is a story behind each ornament (for the most part,) and that story is told when it is hung. There is much more. I like to go to Folger's Shakespeare Library at Christmas and listen to Tudor music played on original instruments. As for paperwhites, my mother ended Christmas on New Year's Day, and that's when I dismantled. She would reclean the house and polish to a fine shine, then put white flowers, including paperwhites throughout the house. That is how I continue to start my new year.
ReplyDeleteHello WC:
DeleteIn years past Boy has made a wreath for our front door at Darlington. This year we opted for wreaths made by others for expediency's sake. I am in awe that you have three trees! I love the visual image of your house filled with paperwhites. Thanks! Reggie
Yes I always take a wreath to my father's grave, one that I have hung at home all month.
DeleteOn Christmas Eve our local fire company has Santa on the truck and roams about to designated spots where he stops and distributes candy canes and fruit to the kids. This has become a tradition with our kids since they were toddlers. A edible tradition is Christmas Stollen on Christmas morning as a nod to my German roots as well as pork roll and scrapple. Christmas dinner last year was beef Wellington and this year Rib Roast….it could also be ham or filet mignon. Christmas eve services at the local Episcopalian Church…Thanks for this glimpse into Darlington Yuletide!
ReplyDeleteHello MLS,
DeleteYour Christmas Eve fire truck ride sounds like a wonderful one, indeed. I am looking forward to opening our Stollen this year, too, another tradition of ours (even better toasted and slathered with butter!). I shall think of you at service, belting out hymns and carols! Reggie
Mine are associations of music. I'm afraid I am unable to decorate the tree without the Christmas album of Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters in the background... a personal tradition ever since I bought it on a tape when I was 16 or so. After that it is time for Bach's Christmas Oratorio. The opening alone never fails to get me in the right spirit !
ReplyDeleteAs far as decoration is concerned I am very pleased my mother arrived for her Christmas stay yesterday with the old silver glass spike that we used to put on top of the tree. It's about a foot tall and is a Dutch custom in preference to a star or an angel.
Hello David,
DeleteAh yes, music. I did a post of my favorite Christmas music three years ago, which ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. How wonderful that your mother appeared with your family's silver tree topper, a lovely gift indeed. We alternate between such a spike and stars on our tree. Thanks, Reggie
You have lovely traditions, some that I share, others that I may take up. I do love those clementines! Thank you for that lovely photo of your parents.
ReplyDeleteThank you, MD (!) I am fond of the photo of my young parents and sister as well, and am glad you like it. RD
DeleteReggie,
ReplyDeleteThank-you for sharing your lovely traditions.
This year, our daughter is singing in The Select Chorus and to me - music and the caroling sounds start off the season each year and encourage enthusiastic heartfelt traditions. Garland and lights out front, wreath on the door, tree up, garland on the mantel, annual card, ribbons, wrapping, holiday scents filling the air, red, tartan, gloves, festive socks, pearls, silver and gold and always sending a box to someone that I have never met and not putting any return address. Just sharing the spirit of Noel and the birth of Christ.
pve
With all family dead, I am starting new sets of Christmas traditions, underneath palms at the beach. Yours all sound super, however.
ReplyDeleteJT - palms have been a motif of mine from an early age, here's to palm finery at any time of year. My family is just 92 year old mum, it is hard to be just one or two at this time of year, I envy all of those with 12 or so packing into the dining room for Christmas.
DeleteDear Tabitha, one of the joys of a large family gathering (at any time of year) is the crowd and the hubub. The drawback is all the dishes and pots and pans to be dealt with afterwards! We, too, shall be celebrating Christmas quietly this year, just the two of us. I wish that you were closer to us, instead of on the other side of the Pond, as I would certainly invite you and your Mum to join us. I ordered a prime rib that is large enough to feed six, as it turns out! Reggie
DeleteDear JT -- I wish you a wonderful Christmas at the beach, and the start of new traditions in your life. I once spent a Christmas on Captiva Island, off the coast of Florida, many years ago, and loved it. It was a house party organized by MD, who rented a house for the holiday right on the beach, and invited her adult children and their "significant others" to join her. We put up a small tree and decorated it with sea shells collected on the beach and fairy lights. It was magical, and a memory that I shall always treasure. Reggie
DeleteHello Reggie, You have a lot of great traditions merging there--I was charmed by Camilla's picture, and I love the idea of spicing up the Xmas display with a few Black Forest bears. I also like collecting these bears; I consider the American versions equally good, but the very phrase 'Black Forest bear' makes you feel like you're in the middle of an enchanted fairy tale, and that Hansel and Gretel (or possibly the wicked witch) will be along any minute.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and Boy a marvelous holiday, and a super 2014.
--Jim
Hello Parnassas/Jim: I am not aware of the American version of Black Forest Bears. I've seen them from Germany (or course), France, and Russia (one of my favorites in my collecction is a large one from Russia). I would like to go to Germany or Austria (or Switzerland for that matter) for Christmas one year, as I understand "they" do it particularly well. The German and Austrian city Christmas markets look wonderful. Reggie
DeleteOh Reggie, you two do live well, one day I may beg to be adopted by you! The wreathed Landy has made my Christmas, what a wonderful idea, I put wreaths on our gates which no one else does. I really, really hope it catches on but so far, nop.
ReplyDeleteDea Tabitha -- I do so look forward to meeting you one day, and hope that it is sooner than later! I adore the idea of putting wreaths up on your gates. I shall be sure to do so in your honor next Christmas! Reggie
DeleteBeautiful to see your traditions. You're epitomize a Ralph Lauren Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandra!
DeleteI love your traditions, Reggie. I especially love your crèche (complete with a pug!).
ReplyDeleteMy family has a few traditions I look forward to every year:
The Irish side of my family enjoys drinking Tom and Jerry's every Christmas while the Finnish side enjoys having Pannukakku for breakfast on Christmas morning (delicious!). One of my personal traditions is decorating my piano with a different theme each year. In the past it has been nutcrackers, snow men, and santas. This year it's angels.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, Boy, and Basil!
Hello Ashley -- I was not familiar with Pannukakku until I looked it up on the Internet. MD used to make a version of it from a recipe that appeared many decades ago in the New York Times. She sprinkled the puffed up pancake with freshly squeazed lemon and a liberal dose of powdered sugar. It was Heaven! I understand it remains one of the most popular recipes the NYT ever published. Thank you for jogging my happy memory of it. Best, Reggie
DeleteLost tradition: Glasswax stencils! On window panes and mirrors. Trees, wreaths, Santa sleighs, etc. Christianists claim moral rot set in when they took "God out of the schools;" I think is started when they stopped making Glasswax.
ReplyDeleteDear Anon,
DeleteThanks for reminding me of glasswax stencils. Now that takes me back to happier times! I belive you can still find glasswax on the Vermont Country Store's website. Not sure about the stencils though. Perhaps eBay? Merry Christmas! Reggie
Love the photos and the collections. Great post. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you, N! Merry Christmas to you and yours, too. Reggie
DeleteI love how you have decorated those paperwhites. I planted mine too early this year and they already bloomed! Luckily one of my guests today brought me another pot full of them and I am going to copy your arrangement,
ReplyDeleteI would love to make Alex Hirst;s oyster stew but I have a bunch of squeamish silly willies in the family who won't eat oysters. Can you believe! Instead, I make a cream of chestnut soup, my brother;s favorite and now a tradition. A rather expensive tradition...
Many years ago I saw the most beautiful Christmas tree on a window at Bergdorfs. When I went to inquire about the price of the balls I almost fainted so I decided to make them myself. I spent a whole year making Christmas balls. They were satin, full of pearls and ribbons and gold and silver. At the end, I had to anchor them on top of my nine month belly. Madame Mere said the baby was going to be born with a pin in his mouth instead of a silver spoon. Those balls have been hanging on my tree for the last 40 years. Now it's my daughter who decorates the tree and she gets as bitchy as I used to. No one is allowed near it until the last garland and butterfly is on.
One of these days we will have to share that rib roast and Yorkshire pudding WITH the oyster stew for starters. I am flattered that you have made my recipe a Darlington tradition. Merry Christmas, dear friend.
Dearest Roxie,
DeleteIf you haven't bought Mr. Hitz's cookbook yet, I highly encourage you to do so. Knowing you, you'll love it! I recall the gorgeous ornaments you made following the BG example, from your marvelous blog (Dear Readers take note!). Thank you for providing us with our Christmas tradition of roasted prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. Believe me, Boy and I toast you whenever we tuck into it. This year, I am sure that Basil will too, as this is his first Christmas with us, and his first opportunity to savor the deliciousness of your recipes! Fondly, Reggie
Because our anniversary is December 6th -- a date that will almost live in infamy! -- we add a heart-shaped ornament to our tree each year. We have also continued the tradition of placing a pack of Juicy Fruit chewing gum in the toe of each stocking, a tribute to my beloved grandmother, who always had Juicy Fruit in her steamer-trunk sized purse. No one consumes the gum, but the smell of Juicy Fruit summons wonderful memories of childhood Christmases. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteDear ddu,
DeleteJuicy Fruit gum! I haven't thought of that in many decades. I loved it as a boy, and couldn't cram enough sticks of it into my mouth, happily chewing away! Merry Christmas!
Darlington House is especially magical this time of year. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you GSL
DeleteDear Reggie,
ReplyDeleteMy mother grew up in Switzerland, and for her, Martzipan was always a special holiday treat. It became one of my yearly gifts to her. The martzipan came in the shape of various fruits that were each about the size of a quarter. Imagine my surprise when I was in Italy and saw martzipan in the shape of life-sized fruit, stacked as though in a fruit market!
Like martzipan, plum pudding is harder to find at Christmas (at least here in Florida) and this year we had to order on-line. Like you, I relish hard sauce!
Dear Mark,
DeleteMarzipan was also a Christams tradition in my house growing up. MD used to put little packages of it (cellophane wrapped plastic baskets containing the same fruit-shaped marzipan you describe) in our Christmas stockings. It was hard as a rock and practicaly inedible (although as a child sometimes I was desperate enough to eat it). Imagine my surprise when I first tasted freshly made marzipan as an adult. It was a revelation! Thanks, Reggie
Here a small white birch Yule log is always decorated with mistletoe and ivy and pinecones in time for the Winter Solstice ... a tradition from many years ago when a gorgeous white birch tree was cut down in the backyard of our family home. My father carefully crafted one of the long elegant logs to sit on the mantel -- festooned with seasonal greenery and tall white candles. Also -- Dh and I drive around the neighborhood late on Christmas Eve to ring a selection of very old sleigh bells -- to help "non-believers" hear the arrival of Santa's sleigh! And home to hot toddies -- of course! And finally -- as long as I can remember -- Santa was left a snifter of brandy and a plate of shortbread -- because Mum (a fine Scots lass) would say that he needed a "warm-up" by that time of Christmas Eve!
ReplyDeleteMany best and brightest wishes to your wonderful hearts, hearth and home -- with extra cuddles to darling Basil! Cheers! Jan
Dear Jan,
DeleteI love the idea of your Solstice birch log, and the memories it evokes of your father. Also the sleigh bells, and your tradition of ringing them for your neighbors to hear! Many thanks, and Merry Christmas to you and yours. Reggie
Merry Christmas to You and Boy and Basil. Alas all our traditions are out the window this year, but we look forward to creating new traditions in the years to come. All the best for the year to come, David, Peter, and Willoughby.
ReplyDeleteDear Lord Cowell,
DeleteI look forward to learning of your new Christmas traditions in the Manor House, when you move into it upon its completion. I loved the photos of it on your splendid blog the other day. Wishing you and yours the Merriest! Reggie
Dear Reggie: Best Wishes for a Truly Merry Christmas for you, Boy & Basil from the wilds of the Niagara Frontier. Do you remember the original style of Droste chocolate apples that MD used to jam into our Christmas stockings each year? I always thought the chocolatety stem left behind when all the segments had been pried off was the best part. My Christmas music fix comes in the form of many carols sung by Nowell Sing We Clear, an old-timey (but never twee) quartet from nearby in the Hudson Valley plus recordings of Christmas Revels past (may Jack Langstaff rest in blissful peace). Unfortunately, I have never found a recording of the NYC Revels we performed in together during the early 1980s. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from your brother Frecky.
ReplyDeleteDear brother Frecky,
DeleteThe Droste chocolate apples are a Darling family Christmas tradition that I remember fondly! I now buy ones every year made by Terry's (available at a nearby Hannaford's of all places), and have one to give Boy tomorrow morning. You and I are blessed to have learned the joy of singing from Mr. Langstaff as boys, for which I will always be grateful. And thank you for introducing me to the Christmas music of the Blenders, a great favorite of mine. Merry Christmas to you, too, dear brother. Fondly, Reggie
I would love to have oyster stew but alas, in my family, I would be dining alone. We all do love homemade Christmas egg nog, which I spike with blackstrap rum. Merry Christmas to all at Darlington House.
ReplyDeleteDear WWL,
DeleteThank you for the suggestion of spiking egg nog with blackstap rum, I must buy some today to have on hand. I am sure it will enhance the Ronnybrook egg nog I am keeping to serve as a backup for the Ted Nog the delivery of which I feversihly await (once consumed one wants MORE!). Merry Christmas to all of the WWL families from those of us at Darlington. Reggie
Each year I attempt to rotate several dishes from my standard Christmas Day menu of Beef Tenderloin plus sides. This year I am having a potato and fennel gratin, a new recipe for corn pudding with goat cheese and fresh basil, roasted root vegetables and baked oyster casserole. There will be the usual horseradish cream sauce or cranberry relish topped off with blueberry bread pudding with white chocolate and bourbon cream sauce.
ReplyDeleteDear Anon, may I please be invited to your house for Christmas Day? Your menu sounds marvelous. Reggie adores gratins (of any kind!) and has a great fondness for corn pudding, which was the signature dish of one of my father's cooks many years ago. I was never able to wangle the recipoe out of her, despite begging for it. Rgds, Reggie
DeleteBy the way dear Reggie, my box of Agraria's Bitter Orange Potpourri arrived yesterday. It is all you described and so much more. You are indeed a man who lives well. Thanks for sharing your favorite things with us.
DeleteI'm still waiting for my Bitter Orange. I suspect it will be here in time for New Year's eve. Wishing you, Boy and sweet Basil a wonderful holiday season.
DeleteRegards,
Bonnie
Listening to WKCR's Bachfest! They've cut it down to only December 21-31, but it's heaven. And Chinese bbq ribs on Christmas Eve. It will be the first Christmas Eve without my dad, but we will be eating ribs in his honor.
ReplyDeleteHello Anon, I LOVE the idea of Chinese bbq ribs as a Chrstmas Eve tradiiton! And what a lovely way to honor your father's memory. Rgds, Reggie
DeleteHaving a small Christmas this year. Your spread at Darlington house looks perfect, love all your traditions and sacred objects that come out... some beautiful, some sweet and silly... just as it should be.
ReplyDeleteHave a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Thank you, Deana -- I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas. Your blog is a gift to all of us, your fortunate readers. Reggie
DeleteAs to creche sets, ours is a bit odd as well. My father-in-law, in his travels, picked up several olive wood sets in Israel and each family received one. Over the years, we have ended up with a couple of sets, having lost some pieces, and what we have left doesn't always go together perfectly. Baby Jesus, for some reason, has a head that looks like that of an adult man, and Mary is larger than anyone else, including the camels. I suppose everyone who has kept a creche set over the course of years ends up with something like that! Sadly, we do not have a pug in our set (or, for us, tortoise shell and marmalade cats).
ReplyDeletePanettone with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast on Christmas morning. Best, Herts
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and a splendid 2014, Reggie! I love all of your traditions, and particularly enjoyed the creche, because my husband and I have a circa 1930 (I think) stable that belonged to his parents. We purchased our own white ceramic figures and bring out the set every year. It's on our living room mantel.
ReplyDeleteMy order of Bitter Orange potpourri arrived two days ago and the fragrance is wonderful. I've ordered a bottle of the refresher to keep the experience going as long as possible. We're having Christmas dinner at a friend's house, but will do our traditional filet of beef with Bearnaise sauce for ten people on New Year's day.