When I was child, living in Switzerland, St. Silvester was honored in a strange way shortly before Christmas. A few days before Christmas, all the school children would get up in the middle of the night and disturb the folks trying to sleep in the neighborhood. The children would bang pots and pans, play drums and other musical instruments, and yell and scream to wake people up. After being woken up, the homeowners would welcome the juvenile delinquents in for a snack and a hot drink. This went on until dawn, when the students would assemble at school to sing carols and have a party.But this wasn't the strange part of this tradition.
The thing which made this tradition really odd was that the children would smoke and drink alcoholic beverages while engaging in this activity. And their parents knew and permitted it! When we told our parents about this planned celebration, we were given permission to attend only if we did not indulge in either smoking or drinking.
It turned out to be very fun, and we did not feel out of place being the only sober and smoke-free children present. This is one of those memories which will stay with me forever, even though I doubt my children will ever believe this in one of the few true stories I have ever told them.
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Happy New Year!
Out with the old, in with the new. A new journal stands ready to take over for the worn and distressed 2010 journal:
This year, one of the things we hope for is to welcome more Donahues into the family - particularly those generated by Carolyn and I - we are not ready for any of our babies to be married! We pray that all of your hopes and dreams - God willing - will come true.
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