[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes we knew it was Christmas because that was the only time you saw Tangerines(as they were called way back then) no such thing as satsumas, clementines...they were tangerines......wrapped in either tissue paper or purple foil.
I always felt special if I got a foil wrapped one in my stocking....pomegranites too were only seen at Christmas. We would sit for hours with half a pomegranite and a pin, getting all those lovely sweet seeds out....and trying to avoid the bitter yellow pith/skin.

Another tradition at our house was what my father called a 'damp glass'.......with our Christmas meal we got a very small galss(maybe a liquer glass) with maybe a dessertspoon of wine in it and the same amount of water........and once that was quaffed(the boys used to 'neck' it in one gulp) we had a glass of non alcoholic port wine Cordial(bought at Veevers in Peel St.)...they also did port wine jellies too. This was something else that you only ever saw at Christmas. I used to love the Port Wine cordial.......I liked it hot with a slice of orange floating on top.........daft as it might sound, and poor as we were, it made me feel sophisticated...or posh, as we called it back then.