Nollaig Shona duit!

Christmas in Carrick
by Seamus McGrath (a slightly more cheery song than the last I posted)

On the road the frost is glistening
People stream from midnight Mass
Friendly candles glow in windows
Strangers greet you as you pass
Home then to the laden table
Ham and goose and pints of beer
Whiskey handed round in tumblers
Christmas comes but once a year.

Puddings made with eggs and treacle
Seeded raisins, brown suet
Sifted breadcrumbs and mized spices
Grated rind and plenty fruit
Cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg
Porter, brandy and old ale
Don't forget the wine and whiskey
Christmas comes but once a year.

Women fussing in the kitchen
Lay the food on every plate
Men there patient in the hallway
Gulping porter as they wait
Who cares if we're poor tomorrow
Now's the time to spread good cheer
Pass the punch around the table
Christmas comes but once a year.

This is a nice vision of Christmas at home. Ok, so Mass wasn't at midnight (9:30pm), there will be no goose, puddings, or suet on our table, nobody drinking beer and whiskey, and there are only five of us here. But, ham will be served, plenty of wine, port, and brandy will be drunk, and probably champagne, and there will be plenty of fruit and spices in the form of the fruitcake Mom bought from the bakery (we do not belong to the Great Fruitcake Conspiracy, which tries to convince you that you do not like fruitcake even though you may never have had it, or never had a good one). And, the five of us (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and Jane) will have a wonderful time until the partying ends at Epiphany.

On a liturgical note, I was the only one who genuflected during the Creed at Mass this morning, as my missal told me to. Did anyone else notice a lack of genuflecting?