In Wales we have a special kind of carol - the Plygain - which is mostly sung by groups of men. Originally, they were sung at a special 3 a.m. Christmas morning service; today they sing them at special services leading up to Christmas, often around 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. I tend to miss them as I go home to Canada for Christmas. Pity. We also have a hobby horse type of tradition - the Mari Llwyd --which is being revived in a number of areas. Groups carry a decorated horse's skull from house to house and have a competition with the householders in making up verses to a traditional song. One village in mid Wales does this after Christmas, so I'm hoping to get to it this year.

I also used to make Christmas pudding and take it home to Canada. But apparently they have the same consistency on the x-ray machines as plastic explosive, so I'm not bothering any more. You can't always count on getting a customs official with a sense of humour ...

In Canada, our traditions are pretty 'usual'. I'm a Christmas service junkie (!) so I do a couple on Christmas Sunday, and end up the feast with a Christmas Eve midnight communion. Sometimes the minister uses Chocolate bread. Very nice indeed!

The only other real family tradition is something I think I mentioned a couple of years back. I have four god-kids and for their first Christmases, I bought each a wicker basket which I line with quilted Christmas fabric. Then, each year, I buy them each a particularly nice Christmas ornament so that, over the years, they'll have a collection which, hopefully, will remind them of particular Christmases ... as well as their god-mother.

I DO like Christmas!

sian