Partridges and Glittery Things

Grant County Journal
December 27, 2010
Partridges and glittery things
Written by Janet Warren
I’ll bet you thought Christmas was over. Wrong. The Twelve Days of Christmas actually started the evening of December 25th and ends on the Eve of Epiphany, January 5. We have another week and a half to go (although my decorations usually come down before then). So settle down for a long winter’s nap while I tell you about partridges in pear trees.
One year my kids and I did the “12 Days of Christmas” for their grandparents. We started 12 days before Christmas, but now I find out I had the timing wrong. Regardless, the grandparents had a fun time opening their door to a small gift or plate of goodies each evening after we rang the doorbell and ran. We found out later that their assisted living residence had cameras on the front gate and they saw our van driving away each night on their television. They were good sports, though, and didn’t let on. The only gifts I remember were the “two turtle doves” where we left a couple of Dove Bars and the “four calling birds” where we left a beautiful book of birds.
All these years later, I find myself interested in the origin of things. Perhaps it’s because the internet makes it so easy to do research. Or maybe it is because history brings on new meaning once you get to the age where you actually lived through some of the things they are now teaching the kids in history class. As always, I will put in a disclaimer on research on the internet; there is a lot of conflicting information. The only thing we know for sure is that “calling birds” were originally “colly or collie birds,” which are blackbirds. There are many variations on the origins of the song Partridge in a Pear Tree, one of them that it was a mnemonic (device to aid in memory) to teach a secret catechism during the years of the religious wars in the 16th century. My true love being God and the partridge being Jesus, the pear tree the cross. Snopes.com debunks this theory as a myth, but the truth is no one really knows where the song came from. I always thought it was a nonsensical song with a catchy tune. Which, of course, might be all that it is.
Since I’m dabbling in some Christmas trivia here, do you know where eggnog originated? That seems to be sketchy too. Kitchenproject.com has a couple of ideas which seem as good as any. Eggnog is first mentioned in the early part of the 17th century as a drink to toast one’s health. Rum was commonly referred to as grog in Colonial America, so eggnog could be a shortened version of egg ‘n grog. Or perhaps the name comes from a small wooden carved mug called a noggin. Egg ‘n grog in a noggin. Try saying that after a few cups of the stuff. George Washington had his own recipe for eggnog made with rye whiskey, rum, and sherry “reputed to be a stiff drink that only the most courageous were willing to try.” The popular version in my family was a virgin eggnog, which gave way to the store-bought eggnog because the eggs were pasteurized. I stopped drinking it altogether when I figured I didn’t need any more help to raise my cholesterol. Mike never even tasted eggnog until this year when I needed a cup to use in a recipe. There were three cups left in the quart I bought, so I poured him a noggin. He wasn’t impressed, which is good because your 50’s is no time to develop a taste for artery-clogging beverages.
This week I am doing all the things I postponed until after Christmas. Mike and I traveled to Colorado to see my daughter, Jodie, graduate from University of Colorado on December 17th. We were only gone for three days, but it kind of threw off my momentum. I didn’t plan a lot of activities for Christmas, and I must say it was the most relaxing week before Christmas I have ever had. I was able to get in a little reading, watch a couple of Hallmark Christmas specials (sappy and predictable, but I admit I got a little teary-eyed), and I forced Mike to sit down and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve. He loves Jimmy Stewart, so I didn’t have to twist his arm too hard.
If you’ve seen the TV commercials this season, this next story will make you laugh. My friend Janice in Albuquerque has taught second grade for over 25 years. Janice wrote: “Funny story. This is why I love being a teacher! Please read on: A little boy in my class brought in a gift for me. I proceeded to open it. Inside was a piece of costume jewelry in the shape of a snowflake and very glittery. A little girl who was watching squealed, ‘He went to Jared!’" Can’t you just see that as a commercial for Jared Galleria of Jewelry? By the way, Jared’s isn’t near as nice as Harrison’s Jewelers right here in Ephrata. They have a lot of glittery things too. Hint, hint, Mike…we do have an anniversary coming up in January.

This column has turned out a lot like my week—random things popping up. It’s good to have a week like that sometimes. It does come around full circle, however, because whenever I am ticking off a list of unrelated items, I usually add “and a partridge in a pear tree” no matter what time of year it is. Next week we’ll get back to business since it is time for New Year’s resolutions…just sayin’.

I hope Christmas was everything you and your family wanted it to be this year. Talk to you next year!