Christmas Day, 2010

I’m including just a couple of photos of the Christmas day festivities with my Mum’s side of the family, as we gathered for Christmas lunch.

For the past couple of years my Mum has commented that she feels as if she steps into the role of my Nanna M, her mother, who used to be the presiding matriarch at these gatherings. The physical resemblances are apparent, but it is that matriarchal role that is significant, with Mum now the senior member of the senior generation in the group (though she may be annoyed at me saying so!). That’s Mum doing the traditional reading of Luke chapter 2 in the photo at right.

And in the photo below, a fraction of the gathered clan listen (with varying degrees of attentiveness and patience!), having found a place to sit in my aunt’s loungeroom, with at least as many again in the other half of the room. In attendance are my parents, my Mum’s sisters and their husbands, my siblings and some of my first cousins, plus their children (my Nanna M’s great-grandchildren). The youngsters are eagerly awaiting the bit where the shepherds return to their fields, so that a couple of the older second cousins can play Santa and distribute the presents under the tree.

Chaos then ensued, but it was happy chaos.

Most were able to stay for lunch, a leisurely and filling smorgasbord followed by cake and pudding, and then we relaxed in the afternoon by chatting and playing games out on the lawn. Two of my nieces had been given yo-yos and I dragged up some old yo-yo tricks from my youth to teach them (the “muscle memory” was surprisingly strong).

The weather and Sunday played havoc with the Boxing Day tradition this year, but no doubt things will be back to normal next year, weather permitting.