And You Thought Your Christmas was Bad?

[Paolo]

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/tag/christmas/

Awkward family photos

[Dave (imported)]

And we wonder why the youth of America is so screwed up...

[considering (imported)]

Listen, get a grip. You didn't grow up with a mother who was a compulsive "Festival/Holiday Celebrator". My sister is still traumatized by being dressed as a bunny for six years running and, later in the year, in "United Nations" day, wearing Dutch wooden shoes for several hours. One flag day she engaged the band from the local Air Force Base for a flag raising ceremony, forgetting that we lacked a flag pole, an oversight rectified. The green swimming pool (take that Chicago Riverr), Boxing day, Hanukah tho we were casually Epsicopalians. One Fourth of July she was cited by the Fire Department for a display that alarmed guys in B-52s going into the Air Force Base and on and on and on. One Christmas we had seven trees-not in the same room-that caused my sister to have an acute asthmatic attack (she really did get in the neck often now that I think of it. Of course she didn't have to learn Morris Dancing for, as I recall, May Day. Although she opposed the regime, the May Day Parade in Red Square gave her goals....) Her endless skein of things to celebrate was helped enormously by the Catholic lists of Saint's days. We endured the Day of the Dead as well as Cinco de Mayo-I hated, just hated the Mariachi band under the porte cochere. Although they did make the Christmas Carolers seem good. My father tried-and failed-to learn the bagpipes and she unearthed an Irish connexion that well, see above. Christmas wasn't the worst for, comparatively, we at least somewhat blended in with other hyperdecorated homes.

I'm lucky, actually, that I was castrated after her death; I've little doubt we would celebrate that day each year ever after and I'd rather not think just how.....A prairie oyster feed? I'm shuddering.