Holidays were an important part of our life. Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving were important in shaping our life’s and character. You knew the holidays were coming when my mother started cleaning. She’d start a week or two before the holiday and finish the night before... Many times she would buy new curtains or linens. She bought them through a man we called Srider Meider, he a was short, balding Jewish man with a red face and gravel voice... He would bring samples or sometimes take my mother to a store to select the fabric or goods. Once bought she would pay him weekly and when paid off buy something else. She always liked to have something new and fresh for the holidays.
The windows were washed, then the curtains washed, stretched and hung before the holiday. The kitchen curtains were hung the night before the holiday. I can still see my mother on Christmas Eve ironing and hanging kitchen curtains. The house smelled fresh and clean.
When Christmas came my father would take the kids shopping for a Christmas tree. One year the neighbo
rs across the street brought trees in from Wisconsin and sold them in front of their house. It was one of the nicest trees we ever had, Another year we bought a tree on Damen near Augusta Blvd, and I remember carrying it home. The most memorable time was when I went with my brother, in a snowstorm, to Riverview Park to buy a tree, It was 1947 and he was about 21 or 22, had a car and out of military service. While driving to Western and Belmont we were listening to the Championship Football game between the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals. Jack Brickhouse and Irv Kupcient were doing the play by play on WGN. The sponsor was Standard Oil. It was a great game won by the Cardinals who were lead by quarterback Paul Christman and the all-star backfield of Pat Harder, Elmer Angsman and Charlie Trippi. We found a nice tree, placed it on the roof of the car and brought it home. Once home we placed the tree in the Shandra where it was kept until ready to be decorated.
A week before Christmas we would bring the tree up to the back porch, my father with saw and chisel in hand shaped the bottom of the tree to fit in the old wooden cross tree stand. It was always a challenge, and after some cussing he would get it to fit. The tree was brought into the house and placed in front of the front room window... In the meantime we would bring down the lights and ornaments from atop the China Closet. The lights were tested and burnt out bulbs replaced. Once the tree was set, my father hung the lights and then we decorated the tree with ornaments, garland and silver. We always had favorite toys such as the clown face or colored stars. My sisters decorated the bottom of the tree with cotton and toy houses. The tree touched the ceiling. The lights sparkled on the woodwork and brought alive the feeling of Christmas. If it was a Sunday the radio was tuned to Lionel Barrymore and the Mercury Theatre presentation of a Christmas Carol. .
On Christmas morn we’d awake running to the fireplace to see what Santa had brought! Our stockings were hung on the gold railings of the fireplace. For stockings we used my sister’s old long ugly winter brown stockings. My parents didn’t have much money during those early years so our stockings would be filled with fruit, nuts and loose change. We were lucky if we got a toy. My sisters and brother would go to church while my mother prepared Christmas dinner. For the Christmas meal she would invite guests for turkey, sweet potatoes, salads, and maybe a cake and jello.We always enjoyed her potato salad. My father’s brother would spend the holidays with us. He followed my father from Russia, leaving behind a wife and daughter. They were to have followed him to the U.S., but that never happened.
After Christmas we normally had a visit from my godfather’s wife. She and her sister had been close friends with my mother. She would come every year from the town of Cicero to bring me a Christmas Gift. They were very generous. One year they bought me a wagon and another year a tricycle. My godfather was a motorman for the elevated system. One year they invited us for Christmas dinner. She was a wonderful cook and quite handy. In fact she made her own flocked white Christmas tree. It was beautiful.
Thanksgiving was another exciting holiday. We always seemed to have different people for dinner. The weather would be turning cold and sometimes there would be snow. Since my father didn’t have any family, except his brother, he would invite some Russian friends to join
us for the holiday... Thanksgiving meal was much like Christmas. In the morning before dinner my father would go to the shandra and chop wood for winter. It was neatly stacked and ready to keep us warm during those cold winter months. Once the guests had arrived we had dinner served in the dining room. The table was extended, providing plenty of room... After the meal the guest would talk and visit. Sometimes my brother-in-law would get some people to join him in song and merriment.
Easter was another biggie because it was a time we got new clothes. My mother liked to dress her kids up for Easter. Although my mother and father weren’t steady church goers she always saw too it that we all went to church. There was no excuse to miss mass or confession before Christmas or Easter. Easter was centered around the preparation of food. We’d shop for polish sausage(kielbasa) and ham(Synka). We would buy a couple of sticks of horseradish and made our own horseradish. My father normally made it but eventually I inherited the chore. First you would scrape the old skin off the plant, and then grate it. As you would do this the strong scent carried into your nose causing you to tear and cry. It was always strong. After grating you would grate some whole red beets and mix the horseradish in with a little salt, sugar and vinegar. Walla, we had the best red horseradish in town. On Good Friday evening we would color Easter eg
gs. We’d shine them with lard or Crisco. On Holy Saturday my mother prepared the Easter Basket by placing eggs, kielbasa, ham, horseradish, butter lamb, container of water and bread in it. We’d head off to St. Aloysius Church which was located at Claremont and LeMoyne for the blessing of Baskets. The basket would be blessed and ready to feed us on Easter Sunday. We had so much Easter food that it lasted for days.
When we celebrated Easter the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated Pusey Willow Sunday, the equivalvaent to Palm Sunday. Sometimes I would go with my Father to the Holy Trinity Russian Church on Leavitt... The Russian services were long, they lasted several hours. There were no pews and you stood throughout the service. The priests were dressed in fancy robes and headdress. They sang their chants and prayers in Russian. It was a moving experience.
There was a lot of tradition in the holidays and we try to continue them to this day. I hoped you enjoyed the discussion. Please join me next week as we return to the Front Porch to discuss the War Years.
Sasiad
The windows were washed, then the curtains washed, stretched and hung before the holiday. The kitchen curtains were hung the night before the holiday. I can still see my mother on Christmas Eve ironing and hanging kitchen curtains. The house smelled fresh and clean.
When Christmas came my father would take the kids shopping for a Christmas tree. One year the neighbo
rs across the street brought trees in from Wisconsin and sold them in front of their house. It was one of the nicest trees we ever had, Another year we bought a tree on Damen near Augusta Blvd, and I remember carrying it home. The most memorable time was when I went with my brother, in a snowstorm, to Riverview Park to buy a tree, It was 1947 and he was about 21 or 22, had a car and out of military service. While driving to Western and Belmont we were listening to the Championship Football game between the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals. Jack Brickhouse and Irv Kupcient were doing the play by play on WGN. The sponsor was Standard Oil. It was a great game won by the Cardinals who were lead by quarterback Paul Christman and the all-star backfield of Pat Harder, Elmer Angsman and Charlie Trippi. We found a nice tree, placed it on the roof of the car and brought it home. Once home we placed the tree in the Shandra where it was kept until ready to be decorated.A week before Christmas we would bring the tree up to the back porch, my father with saw and chisel in hand shaped the bottom of the tree to fit in the old wooden cross tree stand. It was always a challenge, and after some cussing he would get it to fit. The tree was brought into the house and placed in front of the front room window... In the meantime we would bring down the lights and ornaments from atop the China Closet. The lights were tested and burnt out bulbs replaced. Once the tree was set, my father hung the lights and then we decorated the tree with ornaments, garland and silver. We always had favorite toys such as the clown face or colored stars. My sisters decorated the bottom of the tree with cotton and toy houses. The tree touched the ceiling. The lights sparkled on the woodwork and brought alive the feeling of Christmas. If it was a Sunday the radio was tuned to Lionel Barrymore and the Mercury Theatre presentation of a Christmas Carol. .
On Christmas morn we’d awake running to the fireplace to see what Santa had brought! Our stockings were hung on the gold railings of the fireplace. For stockings we used my sister’s old long ugly winter brown stockings. My parents didn’t have much money during those early years so our stockings would be filled with fruit, nuts and loose change. We were lucky if we got a toy. My sisters and brother would go to church while my mother prepared Christmas dinner. For the Christmas meal she would invite guests for turkey, sweet potatoes, salads, and maybe a cake and jello.We always enjoyed her potato salad. My father’s brother would spend the holidays with us. He followed my father from Russia, leaving behind a wife and daughter. They were to have followed him to the U.S., but that never happened.
After Christmas we normally had a visit from my godfather’s wife. She and her sister had been close friends with my mother. She would come every year from the town of Cicero to bring me a Christmas Gift. They were very generous. One year they bought me a wagon and another year a tricycle. My godfather was a motorman for the elevated system. One year they invited us for Christmas dinner. She was a wonderful cook and quite handy. In fact she made her own flocked white Christmas tree. It was beautiful.
Thanksgiving was another exciting holiday. We always seemed to have different people for dinner. The weather would be turning cold and sometimes there would be snow. Since my father didn’t have any family, except his brother, he would invite some Russian friends to join
us for the holiday... Thanksgiving meal was much like Christmas. In the morning before dinner my father would go to the shandra and chop wood for winter. It was neatly stacked and ready to keep us warm during those cold winter months. Once the guests had arrived we had dinner served in the dining room. The table was extended, providing plenty of room... After the meal the guest would talk and visit. Sometimes my brother-in-law would get some people to join him in song and merriment.Easter was another biggie because it was a time we got new clothes. My mother liked to dress her kids up for Easter. Although my mother and father weren’t steady church goers she always saw too it that we all went to church. There was no excuse to miss mass or confession before Christmas or Easter. Easter was centered around the preparation of food. We’d shop for polish sausage(kielbasa) and ham(Synka). We would buy a couple of sticks of horseradish and made our own horseradish. My father normally made it but eventually I inherited the chore. First you would scrape the old skin off the plant, and then grate it. As you would do this the strong scent carried into your nose causing you to tear and cry. It was always strong. After grating you would grate some whole red beets and mix the horseradish in with a little salt, sugar and vinegar. Walla, we had the best red horseradish in town. On Good Friday evening we would color Easter eg
gs. We’d shine them with lard or Crisco. On Holy Saturday my mother prepared the Easter Basket by placing eggs, kielbasa, ham, horseradish, butter lamb, container of water and bread in it. We’d head off to St. Aloysius Church which was located at Claremont and LeMoyne for the blessing of Baskets. The basket would be blessed and ready to feed us on Easter Sunday. We had so much Easter food that it lasted for days.When we celebrated Easter the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated Pusey Willow Sunday, the equivalvaent to Palm Sunday. Sometimes I would go with my Father to the Holy Trinity Russian Church on Leavitt... The Russian services were long, they lasted several hours. There were no pews and you stood throughout the service. The priests were dressed in fancy robes and headdress. They sang their chants and prayers in Russian. It was a moving experience.
There was a lot of tradition in the holidays and we try to continue them to this day. I hoped you enjoyed the discussion. Please join me next week as we return to the Front Porch to discuss the War Years.
Sasiad
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