Waiting and the Mummers Song!

Happy Monday!

I think the best word to describe what I've been doing lately is "waiting".

Waiting for some long awaited stash to arrive (checking the mail box obsessively everyday!!!). Waiting for job uncertainty to pass. Waiting for  Christmas. Waiting to see people I haven't seen in forever. Waiting to move out of my parents place. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. I hate it. I've never been good with Change but I suddenly cannot wait any longer. I've had it with waiting and I want answers now!

I don't want to make you think I'm dissatisfied with my life, because this is the furthest thing from the truth. I love my life right now! I guess I just have a lot of questions that need answering that are so far outside of my control that it just frustrates me. Alas, I don't think I'm going to be able to ever see into the future to calm my poor mind and soul. I suppose I should just accept that all questions will be answered with time... which ironically involves MORE waiting. See what I'm doing here - going around and around in circles! Ahhh how the mind works. 

Thankfully I only have another 2 weeks before I have nice long break from having to think at all and my only worry being how I'm going to be able to fit another mouthful of turkey into a very full tummy. I took Christmas off from work and I'll get roughly 10days off in total! Sooooooo looking forward to this. All my gifts are wrapped and ready to go, safely tucked away from some very anxious hands :) I literally had to fend off my brother the other day haha. 

I heard this song on the radio the other day and thought I just had to share it! It's a traditional Newfoundland song that depicts the tradition of Mummering in Newfoundland. Have a listen :)

Forgive the poor quality video but this song is near 30+ years old at this point hehe. 

Mummering has been a tradition in NL for many many many years. Mummers go around during the 12 days of Christmas to celebrate the season invading kitchens or living rooms to play jokes and preform a jig or two. Really it's just a big impromptu Kitchen Party. The residents of the unsuspecting home are suppose to host these mummers and try and guess who they might be - thus the funny looking costumes. I've never had the privileged to witness a mummers gathering outside of the city's Mummers Parade as it really is a dying tradition... at least in the city anyway. I've heard people still practice it in our rural communities however! Either way, people here love the idea of mummers. There are songs, stories and even ornaments  honouring this bygone tradition.

Introducing Ambrose the Mummer!

While there's lots of things that 'say' Christmas to me, funnily enough nothing screams Christmas more to me than hearing the Mummering song and thinking of people made up like this little fellow above. Kinda looks a little like a ghost doesn't it!? 

If you'd like to learn a little more about Mummering I found a Wikipedia article that can sum it up much better than I can - Click Here.

As for some personal Christmas traditions, our family's ULTIMATE Christmas tradition it to play Whoville-opoly and eat our Christmas ham at just before midnight on Christmas Eve! Even though we're all grown up and rarely ever play board games anymore this is the one night a year that we all get together and play away to our hearts content. Having two brothers makes this a very competitive event by the way ;) It's monopoly Grinchified! All about getting as many trees and presents you can... and it lasts for HOURS! But I love every minute and it certainly makes those slow Christmas Eve hours slip by. 

I couldn't think of a better way to spend Christmas Eve.

Ciao for now my lovelies!

Melissa