Vintage Christmas?

[Mrs Chaddsley_Corbett]

A Lovely couple in the building I Live in, here in Potts point have invited everyone in tomorrow (Sunday) for Brunch, I am tempted to go in full 1930's regalia but realise i will be considered a silly old lady, I will tone the look down or stay home. have not decided yet

 

[Marzena]

Here is my plan for traditional style Christmas:

1. Sunday 11th: Morning performance of :The Nutcracker" at he Opera
2. Sunday Afternoon: Beautiful Concert: Baroque Christmas Music played an antique instuments in the Royal Chateau Wilanow
3. Thursday 15th : Christmas Reception at the Charity I volunteer for
4. Saturday 17th : our family annual Christmas Party, for what seems like 40 people eusa_doh , home made punch and spiced honey vodka
5. Monday 19th : Christmas Reception at the British Embassy in Warsaw, for their associated charities
6. Tuesday 20th : gingerbread baking with friends
7. 24th = Christmas Eve dinner, much like American Thanksgiving , except mandatorily vegetarian . Midnight Mass afterwards.
8. 27th - Family Tea, given for all family membeers living in Warsaw, probably up to 15 people
9. 31st - Something for me! End of Year Dance


every year I swear to myself not to do all of those things, and every year I give in, when I think of the alternative: nothing but endless cooking, cleaning and washing up.

 

[dhermann1]

Marzena! Recipes! How do you make your punch, and what is spiced honey vodka?????

 

[rue]

Marzena! Recipes! How do you make your punch, and what is spiced honey vodka?????

Yes! please

 

[Marzena]

I have placed recipies in The Connaisseur - the Home Made Drinks.
The punch recipies really are vintage: they come from a Hungarian cookery book from just after WW1. I was lucky to find an English translation. The author - one Elek Magyar - appears to speak with some authority, as if he had been an acknowledged food guru. Not that I would know, but that book is my resource for the traditional, Middle European style good cooking. Fot those with (possibly) Hungarian roots, he could be a thing to check out.

 

[skyvue]

Author Susan Waggoner has four books devoted to Christmas as it was once celebrated. I've been pretty impressed by them and feel certain some other Loungers will find them of interest. They're loaded with vintage graphics and have lots of very interesting info, too.

Waggoner's going to do a guest blog for Cladrite Radio in a few days, which I'm pretty pleased about.

 

[Marzena]

Yesterday I had the pre-Christmas party at our place. It is not by any means a Polish tradition. pre-Christmas is a somber time of cleaning, shopping, getting all possible end of the year chores done. It made the run down to Chistmas a very bleak time for me, and when I saw movies showing people partying rather than cleaning windows at that time I was all for it.
Daughter was at home and hoped with the cooking and we made all sorts of pastries, tartlets, salads and nibbles. A huge pot of punch needed re-spiking with new supplies of rum throughout the evening. One of the friends who came is a bluesman/jazzman and he brought his guityar along and gave an impromptu entertainment and carol singing for all. Must have been quite nice, b/c no neighbours came complaining about noise and we kept at it well until 2am. The grerat pleasure of the evening also sprang from its being two generational - daughter friends accepted the invitation from the old people like parents and in fact were the last to leave. We played a cub scouts gift giving game (with the story of Mr Right family) which had everyone splitting with laughter. Oh boy, it was such fun! even the piles of washing up and cleaning seem worth it now! Now I am in the proper mood for Christmas!

 

[Marzena]

I shall add another interesting vintage celebration I was so lucky to attend. Friends of friends of friends of Warsaw Chamber Opera singers clubbed together and booked an entire vintagey restaurant with a piano. The Opera singers came and gave a concert of traditional carols and Christmas songs. More fun, they led all others in carol singing, with the live accompaignment. The low lights, the lighted Christmas Tree and the enchantment of being so close to those wonderful singers - beyond words. A very stylish and vintagey Christmas festivity. I felt so priviledged to somehow find myself inside that network! And did I even mention it cost us next to nothing? Just a snack/drink at the bar and a small donation for the singers' Young Talent foundation. I hope they will do it next year!

 

[Warden]

Christmas tree, bought in 1934, has had pride of place for 77 years

http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Derek-s-Christmas-tree-bought-1934-pride-place-77/story-14199549-detail/story.html

 

[Story]

An Arizona man shelled out $525 for a 70-year-old fruitcake in an online auction Thursday. The proceeds of the sale in Ohio will go to helping the homeless.

The cake was made by The Kroger Co. in 1941 and sold at a Cincinnati area store, and returned by its original owner unopened, complete with an explanatory note, to a Kroger shop 30 years later.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fruit-cake-sells-auction-525-article-1.996456#ixzz1hWkAlBDp


[video=youtube;r-wQNwgyEuM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-wQNwgyEuM[/video]