Tag Archives: christmas

Irish Christmas in America at the Grand

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“Irish Christmas in America” celebrates the holidays in the spirit of Ireland with music, dance, and stories. An all-star cast from across the pond takes the stage at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $26-31, available through the Box Office at 302.652.5577 or online at www.thegrandwilmington.org.
image-2Now in its 13th year, the show features lively Irish tunes, thrilling step dance, evocative carols in both English and Irish, and an abundance of humor.

“Christmas is a massive holiday in Ireland,” says fiddle player and show producer Oisin Mac Diarmada. “People travel home to see families and share great food and lots of music. The country shuts down, apart from the bars!”
Niamh Farrell is a rising young singer with a crystal-clear voice who hails from Sligo on Ireland’s West Coast. Farrell brings contemporary songs to the show including Norah Jones’ “December” and Tom Waits’ “Take Me Home.”

“Growing up, the idea of a ‘party piece’ was always a big thing in Irish homes,” Farrell says. “People would gather around the fire or maybe the table at Christmas dinner, and everyone would be coaxed to sing a song or tell a story or do a dance. You had to make some sort of show of yourself!”
From County Kerry, Séamus Begley, named Ireland’s “Traditional Singer of the Year,” sings, tells jokes and plays the accordion.
“Seamus was like the Johnny Cash of my childhood,” says Farrell. “I absolutely adored his singing.”
Champion step dancer Samantha Harvey lights up the stage with her footwork, and joins in on piano with Grainne Hambley on the harp and Seán Gavin on the uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes).
The show touches a chord with Americans, even those not of Irish descent, as many families can identify with being far from home.

“One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration,”  says Mac Diarmada.  “Music was a way that people stayed close to home.”

Want to conjure memories after the show? An accompanying CD “An Irish Christmas Soundscape” will be available at the performance.

Tarting up the Christmas tree, with help from Fairfax Hardware

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You wouldn’t know it to look at it but my Christmas tree is old and fake.

It was passed along to me years ago by my good friend Brenda, who was upgrading to a fancy shmancy pre-lit tree and was looking for a new home for her perfectly fine, impeccably maintained artificial tree.

img_1714-copyFor years, I had stuck by real trees, like pine sap on your best sweater. But I experienced a gradual awakening. Fake trees don’t shed much. No worries about recycling them after the holiday. And if you put lots and lots of blingy objects on the tree who will know the difference?

Thus began my new tradition: tarting up the Christmas tree.

I load my tannenbaum with decorations I have been collecting for years, through the stages of my life.

There’s Baby’s First Christmas ball–and Rebecca’s Christmas mouse, made by the baby herself six years later. Many are handmade, traded years ago at the annual neighborhood ornament exchange on Garfield Avenue in Palmyra, N.J., my home town. There are official White House ornaments, including one I brought back from my stint at USA Today. (I predict the official Trump ornament will be a 14k gold wall–and Mexico will pay for it.)

img_1715My current fave is a miniature replica of an old-fashioned typewriter, a gift from my friend Ellen, with whom I have shared many fond conversations on the merits of Chicago Style versus AP Style.

For the first time I can remember, my tree is illuminated by big, colorful bulbs harkening back to the days of my childhood. (You can buy them at BJs.) I’ve also added vintage garlands reminiscent of a feather boa from my glamorous grandmother’s tree, which I found when my sister Roni and I were cleaning out closets after our mother died.

img_1716Mom was fond of tinsel, arranging it strand by strand on our tree. I take my own approach,  tossing sparkling clusters of silvery icicles with great expectations. When the tinsel gets to the state of the cobwebs on Miss Havisham’s wedding cake, I know I’ve got it right.

After the holiday, as I dismantle the tree, I follow Mom’s example, removing the tinsel to use next year. But each season yields less glitter as time and kittens take their toll.

This year, I did not have enough tinsel to tart up the tree! I also was out of ornament hooks!

I squandered precious time scouring Walgreen’s before heading to Fairfax Hardware, my go-to destination for whatever ails my house. As always, the people who work there were courteous, helpful and gosh-darn nice.

Do you have tinsel? And ornament hooks?

Of course, here you are. Happy holidays!

At Christmas, and always, a great hardware store is truly a gift.