Now that the Christmas haze has cleared, I hope everybody had a fabulous time.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned, I love Christmas. The whole over priced, overblown, overcheery shebang. I even love Christmas carols.
I went to my local Carols by Candlelight on 23 December. Well, it used to be my local when I lived there, and I still consider it my local even though I’ve moved away. And it’s the best Carols by Candlelight going.
When the kids were younger I used to pack a picnic and we all went as a family. Then they’d wander off and hang out with their friends looking far too cool to be there, while I picnicked with friends and sang Christmas carols with all the kids too young to get out of it.
Now I go down with a girlfriend whose kids are also too old to be forced into going.
In the few days before Christmas I was engaging in a twitter conversation about Christmas carols and I said that my favourite carol is The Golden Kangaroo by John Williamson. And I do love it – the Australianness, the irreverence, and the FUN of it. “And he sang this little song as he hopped the billabong. Boing, boing, boing, boing.”
But now I’ve decided that’s only my second favourite carol. My very favourite is “Maroubra Stomp” by Little Pattie.
I know this isn’t one that’s played much in shopping malls, but every year, at my local Carols by Candlelight, Little Pattie sings Maroubra Stomp – I told you it was a great Carols by Candlelight – and we all sing along.
And I do the Maroubra Stomp. So enthusiastically that one year I stomped so hard I tore the ligaments in my ankle and spent the rest of the night in the emergency department at Prince of Wales hospital. Not good when I have to do Christmas dinner for around 25 people on Christmas eve.
That may be why my children refuse to come with me now.
Apart from Little Pattie, who is a local, they have a special guest every year. One year it was Monica Trappaga, Mental as Anything were there a couple of years in a row, and this year it was Sponge Bob Squarepants. Oh, and Daryl Braithwaite.
The special guest is always on at the end of the event, when the mums and dads (or even grandmas and grandpas) have had a couple of glasses of wine so they really get into it. So there we were, singing and dancing along to Howzat and As the Days go by, when it all came to an end.
“He’ll be back” said the woman dancing along next to me “He hasn’t done the horse song yet.” And she was right. He came back on with his band and did the horses song.
But then it was over. Unfortunately the only photos I have were taken on my iphone so aren’t very good quality. I don’t take my real camera to Carols in case I lose it.
You might wonder how I could possibly lose a camera at Carols by Candlelight, but almost every year I lose something. Some of the things I’ve lost over the years are:
- Champagne glass (easy to do)
- 2 cardigans (in 2 separate years)
- Picnic blanket
- Dress (don’t ask)
Some would suggest that I lose my dignity every year, but then I probably don’t have much of that to start with. But who cares? I have fun.
So I hope you all had a very merry Christmas, and are right now having a break and relaxing. If you’re still at work – thank you for keeping the country going. Somebody has to do it!
