Scotland and Aye by Sophia Wasiak Butler

Author:Sophia Wasiak Butler [Sophia Wasiak Butler]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912562084
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
Published: 2019-05-14T16:00:00+00:00

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

Winter wonderland

When I think of Christmas, I am transported to being pulled along in a sledge by fourteen huskies, all foaming at the mouth whilst swaddled in furs and getting whisked off from Kiruna airport. The only thing I knew was that my dad and my stepmother were nearby and I could see some lights dancing in the sky – the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights took my breath away. The Ice Hotel suddenly appeared; sculpted entirely from ice complete with bar, glasses, chandeliers, staircases and bed slabs. It is re-carved each winter. Winter wonderland

Parallel to this recollection, I can hear my Wujek41 Boguś causing uproar; staggering around with a bottle of Wyborowa42 under one arm and a saw in the other, singing. William is not spared this tradition; in our town, the men marked out a tree for chopping under the cover of darkness. They would often have a few stiff drinks for encouragement, being at serious minus numbers outside. This would get them to the tree, perhaps even to chopping it down. They would however rarely make it back to the house. The women found themselves sitting at home with the decorations ready and waiting with no man and no tree for the night. The morning would find half-frozen husbands and brothers stumbling around for their loot. William enlisted a friend for the job as I, according to tradition, sat waiting at home.

Around 10 pm, there are some scraping noises at the door. I rush out to see William and his friend stumbling under the weight of an enormous tree, branches waving everywhere – “Darling, this is a lot bigger than the one we picked isn’t it?” I ask, wondering how on earth we are going to get it through the door, never mind into a room. “Aye, I’ve brought you the most beautiful tree in Scotland! As the two of them stagger around I retreat into the warm. Typical men I think to myself, bigger is not always better! We are still trying to cut back one end of the tree to get it standing in the hallway.

This year, I shall be host for the first time. I have experienced three different Christmas traditions thanks to my English father, Polish mother and Swedish stepmother (in Sweden they are called bonus-mothers and bonus-children, terms we both prefer). It is a wonderful way of skipping the negativity of the ‘evil stepmother’ and bringing some joy to the idea of winning another person to love in your life. I shall have the pleasure of experiencing all the traditions this year. A Polish Wigilia43 and introduction to our traditions for William will begin the festivities; the reins will be handed to Iona, William’s mum for Christmas Day lunch and Boxing day will see us driving to my Dad’s for a Swedish lunch. It is truly the best of three worlds.

The Swedes like us Poles love herrings, smoked fish and a stiff drink. Christmas Eve finds them sipping

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