There comes a time in life when you recognize that you don’t have the verve and energy to dedicate to holiday preparations like you used to. But that does not mean you refrain from entertaining. You just have to come up with a new plan of action. It is more important to get together and share a cup of cheer with those you enjoy. To do otherwise leaves you feeling flat at the conclusion of the joyous season.
The house is festively decorated for the Christmas holiday with roping and lights strategically placed to bring sparkle to our home. It was time-consuming but the effect well worth the effort. Even the bathroom mirror has roping and lights to go with the crimson and green towels. Is a Santa soap dispenser going too far? Nah!
This year I fashioned fragrant wreaths from cuttings taken from an overgrown cedar bush. One is on the front entrance door and the other is on the driveway side gate festooned with large red bows ready to cheerfully greet guests. The cold sun porch is warmed with its own blue and white-lit tree.
I decided all this must be shared with others and got on the phone just a few days before the dinner. Fortunately friends agreed to join me with palates that seemed easy to please. Dietary needs were taken into consideration, too. The success of a party is in the pre-planning details and the right mix of people. This means old friends as well as new.
Trips to the attic and basement for seldom-used items have taken a toll over the years, so I opted for a take-out Chinese dinner. How smart was that? To quote the Barefoot Contessa: “Fabulous.”
No-sweat entertaining. Why didn’t I think of this before? With a takeout menu in hand, I called the Golden Crown Chinese restaurant and ordered old favorites, even taking a chance on a few unfamiliar entrees.
I asked the gentleman on the phone to suggest something different and good. He balked, in his accent, “Oh, no, no. missy, you pick yourself.” I told him I’m ignorant about the many kinds of Chinese food and that I would love to tour his kitchen and become educated. He said, “You come in and I teach you how to cook Chinese.” That offer goes on the bucket list.
Soon the fragrance of old favorites such as chicken chow mein, sweet and sour chicken and pork, pepper steak, and subgum pork with the added necessities of egg rolls, dinner rolls, fortune cookies, and those delicious soup noodles filled my kitchen. Friends arrived with wine and desserts, and we raised our mimosas, clinking our glasses to health, friendship, and a good and happy new year, exclaiming “Merry Christmas!”
At the time, I did not think to add the Mandarin “Sheng dan jie kuaile,” the closest I could find on the internet to mean “Merry Christmas,” but I am adding it here.
A Christmas gathering without traditional Armenian fare? Well, it is possible and quite acceptable when it becomes a necessity. Guests were sated, even the ones adhering to a low-carb diet. The chicken chow mein was perfect for them. Even the cleanup was easy with pretty, clear throwaway plates and cups. Only mom’s silver was washed, counted, and again put away for posterity. She would have found my holiday preparation unorthodox, but would have understood. It leads us to wonder how our mothers did all that baking of Armenian katahs, boeregs, and cookies, including a turkey and pilaf meal for the big day’s dinner. They also made sure there was home-made tourshee, roejik, and sarmas.
In retrospect I have pangs of guilt wondering what next year will bring: Does this mean I have to get started right after Labor Day?
To all our friends who brought Bob and I great happiness on this day, celebrating the birth of Christ, I say, Shnorhavor Soorp Dznount, Merry Christmas, and Sheng dan jie kuaile.
Betty Apigian-Kessel
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