Christmas Eve in the Country

It’s a quiet, peaceful Christmas Eve morning here on the Windy Knoll and as far as this old couple knows all is well with the world.  There are no preparations being made for company and no preparations being made for a trip.  There could be lots of things worse than being by ourselves on Christmas Day.  We could have a house full of company.  LoL

Needless to say, I started thinking about how Christmas Eve was spent in my growing up days.  Usually we had guests on Christmas Day and on the day before my mother would be making plans and cooking for the company.  She always baked cornbread in the old wood stove while it was still from cooking breakfast.  That way another fire didn’t have to be built.  She always killed and dressed a hen.  It seems to me that should be undressed a hen.  I well remember seeing Daddy take that hen to the chop block and with the ax chopped her head off.  Them they pinned her feet up to the clothesline to let the blood drain out.  Scalding water was poured on so the feathers would pull out easier.  After the feathers had all been plucked, a little fire was set (maybe a bunch of wadded up newspaper) and the hen held over the flames to singe the pin feathers. Then she gutted the ole sister and cut her up.  I’m not much of a chicken eater because I saw all that done and she put that on the table and expected me to eat it — no way!!

Every Christmas Eve night was spent around the kitchen table making ambrosia by lamp light. Mother had one pretty cut glass bowl and that’s all I ever saw in it.  We had to grate the coconut by hand and the knuckles were always brushed against that grater — bringing the blood.  Ha!!  Our ambrosia included orange sections (which had to have the seed removed), crushed pineapple and coconut — layered with a sprinkling of sugar.  On top we laid sliced pineapple slices with a cherry in the center of each.  The saved coconut milk was poured over the finished product to make it more moist.  Yum, yum!!

Back in those days children got very little during the year and they were so excited on Christmas Eve night — they were anxious to get in bed.  I wonder if today’s children are as excited.  Anyway this is how I remember earlier country living.