During my recent sojourn in BC, I was whisked away from Greenwood to Grand Forks for a tour of the local Russian heritage.  Thomas, my friend from Seattle and my host, is fluent in Russian.  He entertained me with translations from the local Russian immigrants while we made our way through the historical district.  We stopped at an art shop, where Thomas decided to buy my daughter a matryoshka—you know, those wooden receptacles painted like peasant women with smaller and smaller versions hidden within.  He bought my son one of the painted boxes.  These Russian trinkets have a magical and animated quality, reminding me of a Russian Santa bisque figure that I display at holiday time.  Hmm…Now I know where to display these gifts after the “new toy” novelty wears off.  Instead of going to the closet, they are going to be part of my holiday decorations.  It’s time now to organize and prepare for the holidays.  

Over the past year I have gathered favourite photographs of past family holiday celebrations.  Many of them are now in a ribbon-tied Victorian picture album (from the Superstore) along with all of my children’s Santa pictures.  During the season, this album sets out on the coffee table surrounded by favourite seasonal literature like Truman Capote’s One Christmas, Patrick Dennis’ A Joyous Season, and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.  Near the books is a favourite holiday vignette featuring a photograph of my children with Santa and Mrs. Claus taken a few years ago at Disney World.  The photograph has a fine red-stained frame from Tom Turner’s shop in Chester Basin.  For this season, the frame may sit on a silver platter surrounded by clusters of red winterberries and rose hips recently collected and now hanging to dry in the garden house.  Another vignette in the room will feature a photograph of my 23-year-old cousin when he was six, sitting under the tree with presents in piles, and his arm stuffed down into his teddy bear stocking.  This holiday moment warranted another red frame.  I also “red-framed” small holiday lithographs.  Other vignette props include old ceramic and porcelain serving trays and terrines, and custom serving bowls from Birdsall-Worthington (www.pottery.ns.ca).  I also like to use dried bouquets of pink-tinged hydrangeas (hopefully you’ve already gathered them), cream coloured candles in Georgian brass candlesticks, and lots of votives.  My wife’s dried lavender is tied with fine ribbons and blended into the holiday mix.  Less attractive lavender bundles are wrapped in brown paper and twine for pitching on the season’s fires—a fragrant reminder of the summer’s harvest.                           

Don’t think it’s too early for all of this.  If you are already picking your Christmas tree at one of the local tree farms, then the time is here.  To get in the mood, I play Charlie Brown’s Holiday Hits by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.  It includes everything from the Great Pumpkin Waltz to Linus and Lucy and Christmas Time is Here.  Find it—it’s “Joe Cool.”

And to think it all started with a Russian matryoshka!