The Penguins—It just wouldn’t be Christmas time around my house without the plastic penguins, which used to be a lot more fun to set up when we lived atop the big hill in Price Hill. I couldn’t tell you the first time we put them out, or where we even got them from, but they became a staple of the Niemeyer Christmas display.
Whenever someone asked us where we lived it was easy to describe the bends in West Eighth Street, but it was also easy to add, “You know the house with the penguins at Christmas time? That’s us.”
An artist painted our house one time. We decided with the Christmas decorations up it'd be a much cooler painting. We were right.
One time a teacher at Elder—who came out to support her favorite Elder bowling team—was chatting with my dad about where we lived (since my mom also worked at Elder). He mentioned the penguins. “I love the penguins,” she exclaimed, loud enough for most of the West Side to hear her.
The old house in Price Hill with the line of penguins down the hill, of course, decked out in their natural habitat...The Cincinnati snow
So, they’re legendary, and although we’ve since moved, we always find some way to put the penguins in the front yard. My brother wanted to put them on our roof this year. We’ll see if one ends up there before the holidays are over.
Candy Land, et al—Speaking of lights, one of my favorite Christmas time traditions used to be piling into the car with mom, dad and my brother, going out for dinner on a Friday night, and going to check out the light displays on houses around the beautiful West Side of town. Occasionally, we’d swing by Delhi, pick up grandma and grandpa and head out to “Holiday in Lights” at Sharon Woods.
One of my favorite stops was always Candy Land, a house on Zion Road, which was decked to the hilt with lights and decorations. When I passed by Candy Land earlier this month it wasn’t lit up. I hope the owners of the home have decided to keep this great tradition running, because it was always a favorite stop of mine.
We’d always find new little streets and places I’d never been before to check out their lights. Mom would always call those who didn’t decorate ‘Scrooges’ and we’d listen to the Christmas music on the radio.
Music, music, music—As I mentioned earlier, music was a huge and favorite part of my high school Christmas experience. Singing with the Elder Glee Club around Christmas time can be an exhaustive process, but it was always a fun time. My junior and senior years were especially busy. Being a part of the vocal ensemble, a group of 20 or so upperclassmen, meant traveling to various Christmas parties and nursing homes to sing to groups of all ages.
It was especially fun when you got to interact with the folks at the nursing homes that rarely had anyone visit them. Putting smiles on the faces of the people in nursing homes was a joy that we all experienced, and it was such a great time to be of service in the community.
Church—Music was also a big deal when I was in grade school. The 4 p.m. mass at St. William on Christmas Eve was a favorite tradition of our family, and when I was in the children’s choir I loved singing this mass above all other masses we ever did. My favorite part of Christmas became the fifteen minutes before mass when we’d stand up on the altar and sing the songs that the aforementioned Dave Allen had picked out for us.
My favorite, and arguably the audience favorite? “The Little Drummer Boy.”
Now, we don’t make the 4 p.m. mass, but generally swing by St. Bill’s for midnight mass, and catch some of the same songs this time sung by the St. William adult choir.
Whether or not all these traditions have stayed the same, the one thing that I still love about Christmas is getting together with family and friends and celebrating the season. Halfway through this month, and just 10 days ‘til Christmas, is a great time to share my favorite Christmas traditions.
I hope you enjoyed them, and feel free to copy any of my ideas (the lights one works for “kids” of all ages!). Thanks for reading, have a great day.
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