Yeah I was never big on birthdays or holidays either, but that’s what dysfunctional divorced parents did to ya back in the 70s and 80s 🤣

6 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

Yeah I was never big on birthdays or holidays either, but that’s what dysfunctional divorced parents did to ya back in the 70s and 80s 🤣

Yep.

My Mom was a party girl.  No holiday was too insignificant for her to celebrate.  On Saint Patrick’s day the livingroom would be decorated with green crepe paper streamers and Leon and I would drink green milk, colored with food coloring.

Likewise Halloween would be orange and black streamers and orange milk.  A life size cardboard skeleton hanging from the middle of the ceiling.  After dinner she made sure our trick or treat costumes were properly fitted and gave Leon and I each a kiss as we left for out trick-or-treat foray through the neighborhood.

The Fourth of July was also Leon’s birthday so it was special.  Red, white and blue streamers and red milk.  And a red, white, and blue birthday cake.  This was one of the holidays the whole family; Aunty Mit and Uncle Bob, Cousin Emile and his wife Elsie, and Grandma would be there.

Thanksgiving too.  Orange and brown streamers decorated the living room with a large cardboard turkey hanging from the middle of the ceiling.  And a turkey feast for the extended family.

People always feel sorry for me when I tell them my birthday is on Christmas Day.  “Oh, you only get one present.”  Not true.  I always got both a Christmas and birthday present and it was the one holiday Mom indulged herself.  My birthday cake was always her favorite.  A rum cake.
The Christmas tree was in the corner with all the presents under it and manger scene with statues in the other corner on a small table.

After dinner the family would sit around the Christmas Tree and Cousin Emile would be Santa Claus and hand out the presents among the voices saying, “Oh, just what I wanted” or “You shouldn’t have.”

Then after all the presents had been handed out and we had finished surveying all of our loot and Mom and Aunty Mit and Cousin Elsie had carefully folded the Christmas wrapping to save to use for next year (although it wouldn’t) Mom would come into the room wearing her coat and a hat.

She would take Leon and I to midnight mass at Saint Brigid Church.  The priest had on his very best robes and the choir sung Christmas songs in both English and Latin.  Mom was the only devout Catholic in the family and made sure Leon and I went to church too.

But one day we came home from school and the living room was decorated with red, white and blue streamers and an American Flag hung from the center of the living room and small American flags festooned the house.

We asked her what the occasion was and she said it was a surprise.  We would have wait until Dad got home from work.

As soon as Dad came in the front door she ran to him and threw her arms around home and said, “I’m a citizen!”
She had been studying for weeks and this day she went downtown and took the test and was sworn in as a naturalized citizen.  

The hug became a group hug and Mom had a tear in her eye.  

Desert was a red, white and blue cake.

So yes, celebrating birthdays and Christmas was big in my family.  And I carried it on in my own family and even to here in the old folks home where birthdays and holidays are celebrated...at least by the ladies.  For some reason the old men just sit in their rooms and watch television.  A few weeks ago we had a St. Patrick's Day dance.  I was the only guy who showed up.  So I got to dance with all of old ladies until my tired old legs couldn't take it anymore.  I always have been a lucky guy.

Noel