Only 10 days until Christmas? Panic, panic! Actually... skip the panicking. We had a very successful shopping trip today and I managed to find all of the hard-to-locate ingredients for Christmas dinner. I was holding an armful of parsnips in Kingsalmarkt and probably looking slightly crazed when the greengrocer asked me if I wanted more. I now have about 6 parsnips which I am really pleased about because they are harder to get hold of than hens' teeth! I've decided to cook turkey breasts rather than a whole bird because it is just too much meat and hassle for 2 adults and a toddler. It is just going to be us for Christmas this year because Phil's mum is spending Christmas with her other grandchildren. I'm making ginger spiced pudding for dessert. It is served with slices of mango and toffee sauce. I somehow doubt that the toffee sauce will make it to the dinner table unmolested. I decided to skip the traditional Christmas pudding because it is so rich and filling after a full Christmas dinner.
I'm probably going to prepare and freeze some of the food in advance because I don't know if will end up getting morning sickness. As any woman who has had morning sickness over the Christmas period will know, cooking a Christmas dinner is absolutely the last thing you want to do. I don't have morning sickness at the moment which is both worrying and a relief. I'm worried that there might be something wrong with the pregnancy but of course hoping that everything is fine and that I have just been lucky so far.
Now that I have got all the presents wrapped and sorted and the food organised I am starting to feel quite festive. I have a bit of a dilemma, though. I am an atheist but was raised in a Christian household. As a consequence, I am used to the tradition of going to a carol concert at the local church at this time of the year. I like the sense of community and the festive feel it brings. How hypocritical would it be for me, a non-believer, to go to a carol concert? I guess since I haven't stopped celebrating Christmas then it doesn't make me any more hypocritical than I am already being. I should probably be celebrating the winter solstice without reference to Christianity. Doesn't sound quite as much fun.
1 comment:
I don't see Christmas as a Christian holiday, more as an international public holiday. What does a pine tree and a fat man in red trousers have to do with Christianity anyway?
I'm sure nobody would mind if you visited the church. When I was young we used to go to Christmas celebrations in church sometimes, though I can't remember if I liked it or not. Either way, I don't think it's hypocritical.
I realized halfway through writing that it's a bit late now, but maybe it'll help you decide for next year.
Another reason to go is to give your children some experience of other people's beliefs. It will help build understanding and can only be good.
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