four (happier) days of christmas

As promised, a more cheerful holiday segment after my “Ghosts of Christmas Past” blog which turned out a bit darker than expected. These are still based on the “Twelve Days of Christmas” writing prompt, which is quite interesting! If you try to recall past holidays, not just from videos or photos, what comes to mind? You might be surprised.
 
1) I’m at the mall, working at a gift wrap station as a fundraiser for our figure skating team. I’m about sixteen. After a couple of hours wrapping gift boxes and toys, a man walks over with a brand-new, full-sized floor lamp to be wrapped.

There are looks of horror all around.
“I’ve got this,” I say confidently, always up for a challenge. Thirty minutes later, needless to say, the final product looks like…a badly gift-wrapped lamp. Why not just a well-placed ribbon? I think, belatedly. The man, however, is delighted, and pays far more than we charge. High fives for everyone!

2) The family has come to Timmins for Christmas—a rare event—and all are pleased with our very typical, substantial snowfall. We go outside for some hide-and-seek in the yard with the kids and their cousins. After huge accolades for my sister-in-law, who wedged herself on the underside of the canoe up on its rack, our nephew remains hidden. Four adults and the four other kids are completely unable to find him. He’s not inside. The dog is apparently useless at tracking. We finally do the universal “Olly olly in-come-free!” and my nephew appears; he had buried himself completely in the snow, except for his face. A brilliant disguise, and who knows when it might come in handy?
 
3) Christmas dinner: what year? It could be anywhere from 1995 to 2015. We have, as usual, opened Christmas crackers and donned paper crowns. My (adult) brother has a tiny plastic ring toss game in his cracker, which he sets up on the table even though we have not eaten yet. Throughout supper, he intermittently plays his little ring toss, shouting “YES!” and throwing his arms in the air every time he hits the target. We may or may not have had to fish a few rings out of the gravy.
 
4) We start a tradition of playing road hockey at the family get togethers. There are experienced hockey players, who have clear advantages over the rest of us. Due to limited hockey sticks one year, we give the good players brooms, rakes, or plastic shovels, significantly limiting their stick handling abilities and equalizing the game somewhat. There are many quibbles about goals, since the goalposts are boots or mitts. There is the oh-so-Canadian shout of “Car!” where we all move to the side and move the “goalposts” out of the way. Many people end up in snowbanks as sibling rivalry emerges.
On one side of the family, my aunt does an admirable job in net, in her seventies. On the other side, my mother-in-law and I play arm-in-arm, as if in a three-legged race, since she just had a hip replacement. Back inside, we are mussed and sweaty but very ready for a feast.
 
I’m so fortunate to have varied memories of Christmas joy, family and abundance. My thoughts go to the many folks who lack these things.
Peace and hope for 2025.