The Citizen, 2010-12-23, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2010.
Lee’s legend
Chris Lee, of Walton, gets warm around the well decorated
fireplace in his home. The decorations are the work of his
wife Judy, and one of the changes he has gotten used to
since his arrival in Canada. Lee’s own family brought over
different Christmas practices from England when they
migrated to Canada in the 1950s. (Denny Scott photo)
We just wanted to say
“Merry Christmas”,
and “thanks” for calling
on us this past year.
We appreciate your
kind patronage.
from Ron, Betty, Paul
and Dianne
K.M.M. FARM
DRAINAGE
Walton
519-887-6428 (Shop)519-527-1633
Many thanks to
our customers
COUSINS
CONSTRUCTION
Ken, Sheila & family
Birds, pillowcases mark Lee’s British ChristmasThe Lee family of Walton has
some unique Christmas practices
that followed Chris from England
when his family immigrated here in
the 1950s.
Lee, who was five years old when
his family made the trans-Atlantic
trip in 1956, explained that he
doesn’t remember a lot of his
Christmases in England, but does
remember, and has kept alive, some
of the practices from there.
“One of the big things that was
different was the stockings,” Lee
said. In England, and at the Leehousehold, stockings weren’t hungby the chimney with care, or
anywhere else for that matter.
Presents that came from Santa aren’t
kept under the tree but in
pillowcases.
“Santa’s gifts weren’t wrapped,”
Lee said. “We would bring our
pillowcases downstairs and gifts
from him would be in them the next
morning.”
Lee also remembers the
appearance of an angel on the
Christmas tree as a sign that
Christmas had come, explaining that
the tree’s top would remainunadorned in his parent’s home untilChristmas Day.“We wouldn’t put an angel on top
of the tree,” he said. “I just
remember waking up on Christmas
morning and the angel having
appeared there over night.”
Lee said that these differences,
and other more subtle differences
were a lot easier to notice as a child.
There was even a difference in the
way that people sent season’s
wishes, Lee explained, stating that
the different flora and fauna and
temperatures in England led to
different Christmas cards.
“I remember we would get thingsshipped from [England], and wewould get cards from people like[my grandmother],” he said. “I
asked my mom why the cards had
robins on them, since there were no
robins in winter, and I eventually
found out that robins are different in
England, and can be seen regularly
during the winter.”
Lee also remembers Christmas
cakes that his grandmother shipped
over.
“It wasn’t easy to travel then, so
when my parents moved here from
England, they didn’t visit home for
the holidays,” he said. “My
Grandmother would send usChristmas cakes, and it would have amarzipan top to keep the cakemoist.”
After their move, Christmas was a
very family-oriented affair
according to Lee.
“It was really just the four of us,”
Lee said, speaking of him, his
parents and his sister. “It was a time
when you were grateful for whom
you had and where you from,”
“Now it’s become busier,” he
explained. “We have two sons, two
nephews, and they have their
children.”
By Denny ScottThe Citizen
Continued on page 21