Andrew Simpson: One hundred years of one house in Chorlton ... part 131 ….. a witch …. some camels and heaps of fun

Thursday 6 January 2022

One hundred years of one house in Chorlton ... part 131 ….. a witch …. some camels and heaps of fun

The continuing story of the house Joe and Mary Ann Scott lived in for over 50 years and the families that have lived here since.*

The witch

Now I am guessing that over the sixty years Mr. and Mrs. Scott occupied this house they built up a heap of traditions associated with Christmas and the New Year.

In our case it is the Christmas decorations which have been added to over the decades, some of which were made by the children which still take pride of place.

To these was the football game on the Rec which was always played just before Christmas dinner and involved all 4 lads, along with any visitors brave enough to join in, but as the lads have moved into their 30s the duration of the game has slackened.

That said we are still open to additions and one of those was returning to the traditional practice of leaving the tree and decorations up till Twelfth Night.

Like many I had always brought everything down on the day before the kids went back to school, reasoning that their return marked the end of the holiday.

But Tina maintains that we should wait till all twelve days are up, and so today we shall take it all down.

Added to that she has resolved to make a collection of glazed animals from puff pastry which are a traditional Italian way of greeting epiphany when the three wise men bearing gifts arrived to mark the birth of Jesus.

In Varese in the north where she grew up, the animal which the bakers make is the camel, and so that is what we will have tomorrow.

Already she has dusted down the traditional effigy of the witch which visits children on the 6th, bearing rewards for those who have been good and coal for those who haven’t.

The tired Christmas tree

Today good or bad, children will receive a small selection of sweets, which in the case of those who have strayed from the path of goodness are made to resemble coal.

Traditionally the presents or punishments will be left in stockings hung up by the fireplace, and yes she comes down the chimney to deliver them.

She is called the Befana and will ride through the night sky from January 5th into the 6th on a broomstick.

And at home in Varese the family had several figures of the witch including a knee high version, operated by batteries which enable the Befana to cackle and glare with bright red eyes at anyone who passed her.

Ours is dressed in red scarlet with a cape and broom and customary single tooth with more than a few warts to boot.

Alas our four are all grown up, leaving only our grandson as a possible recipient, and he of course will always have been good.

In its way it will come to replace the Advent Calendars which no longer are part of the run up to Christmas, leaving me to reflect on the way new traditions enter the house, and after 46 years in Scott’s old house that all seems fitting.