Branch Come Home Year

August 9-19, 2007

Memories of the Christmas Catalogue

By: Marina (Power) Gambin

 

 

The Christmas “Wish Book” seems to arrive on my doorstep earlier every year. This year I think it showed up when August was still in bloom. Every year I make the same type of remark. “What? Not the Christmas catalogue already! Summer is not over yet and they’re throwing Christmas at us!”

 

To tell the truth, when I comment accordingly, I am really pretending annoyance. Honestly, the annual arrival of the colourful Sears inventory from mainland Canada invokes some of the nicest memories of childhood.

 

Growing up in the little fishing outport of Branch, we were well removed from the hustle and bustle and glitter that preceded Christmas in more densely populated areas. Window shopping and Christmas parades were not part of our itinerary. In fact, I cannot even remember one sighting of a Santa impersonator. I presume nobody was in possession of that now familiar red suit. 

 

Nevertheless, we were not deprived of Christmas anticipation. We had access to two Christmas catalogues, one from Simpson Sears in Halifax and one from the T. Eaton Company in Moncton. If memory serves me correctly, the Halifax edition usually arrived first.

 

The appearances of these two exciting books were momentous occasions. I can still see my older sister, Jean, running up the lane from the post office waving the gift-filled volume to announce its arrival. There would be some arguing and squabbling about who would scan it first, but somehow it seems to me that Jean always laid claim to the initial examination. Maybe that had something to do with seniority among siblings or perhaps she really was the bossiest one of us all.

 

Just looking at the items contained inside the covers of those Yuletide editions was as exhilarating for us as visiting Disney World is for the kids of today. We realized, of course, that in a fisherman’s family with seven children, our individual requisitions would be limited. Children, however, have vivid imaginations and a great capacity to dream. More than one night I went to sleep with visions of magnificent toys, tasty delicacies, elaborate decorations and grand clothing dancing in my mind.

 

Now, with four or five decades of Christmases behind me, a few specific items have never faded from my consciousness. One was the bucket of “Christmas candy” that was chock full of a variety of colours and tastes that I cannot find anywhere today.

 

Another was a magnificent, shiny, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans gun and holster set. How my nine-year-old heart longed for that gun and holster! I refused to listen when my older sister told me it was only for boys. I guess Santa wasn’t gender biased, because it was under our tree on Christmas morning.

 

The third memorable item was an expensive brown rocking horse. I asked Santa for that several times, but I guess in his infinite wisdom, he realized that we already had a real horse in our stable. So I did not really need an imitation one. In hindsight, I now see the logic in his decision.

 

In these modern times, I am not too impressed with the commercialism, the stress and all the hype associated with Christmas. Except for the church-related activities and my two grandchildren, I might let the season pass without notice. That precious wish book that heralded Christmas for us long ago, has a special place in my heart. Who knows? Maybe it is never too late to buy a rocking horse.