Christmas is here once again and that means many families will be on the road visiting loved ones. Coming home for the holidays is the pinnacle of the year for many who have moved away and there really is no better place to come home to than Houlton (or any of the other surrounding communities in southern Aroostook County for that matter.)
For those who have moved away, much remains the same here in Houlton. Walking around downtown in the morning, the wonderful smells of fresh doughnuts cooking at Sadie’s Bakery still waft through the air. Movies at the Temple Theater bring back many fond memories from a time spent watching films in a person’s youth. About the only thing missing is the Western Auto and Rod and Gun storefronts that featured elaborate holiday displays designed to capture the attention of children. Well, that and the M and M van driving around town playing holiday music.
Part of the beauty of living in a small town like Houlton is perhaps best illustrated by the many letters to Santa we receive here at the newspaper. It is amazing that a child today can write their letter, addressed to Santa Claus at the North Pole, and the local post office is caring enough to bring it to our office to be printed.
For me, Christmas has always been about traditions. And since both of my parents came from large families, the get-togethers were often little more than organized chaos. We always spent Christmas Eve first visiting with my mother’s family in Hodgdon. The house may have been small, but somehow we always managed to fit everyone in. There was the usual watching the kids open presents in the living room and plenty of adult conversations in the kitchen with items of food that had no interest for children. Seriously, I never saw any kid get excited for veggie platters or spinach and artichoke dip. Fortunately, there was always meatballs and homemade french fries or onion rings.
After that it was off to my father’s side of the family for round two, which was essentially the same as the first shindig all over again with even more food. But as time wore on, and the children got older, the get-togethers dwindled. It happens. Kids grow up and move away, resulting in smaller and smaller social gatherings.
The countdown to Christmas has reached a fervor in our house. Every morning throughout the month of December has been the same in our house. Sometime around 6:30 a.m., my wife and I hear the thump of our youngest daughter’s feet hitting the floor as she jumps out of bed. This is typically followed by several loud thumps as she bounds across the hall and down the stairs to reach the “Countdown to Christmas” snowman calendar that awaits her at the bottom of the stairs.
In years past, there was often a mad dash from both of our daughters to be the first one down the stairs to move the tiny snowman on to the next day as the excitement for Christmas day built steadily. Apparently our 12-year-old is too cool to rush down the stairs in order to be the first one at the calendar. In fact, getting her out of bed at all is a challenge some mornings.
Growing up, finding that right time to wake up on Christmas morning was always tricky. Some years, my parents would let us come downstairs while it was still dark outside, but most years, my brother and I were sent back to our rooms, so our parents could sleep an extra hour or two.
Now that I am the parent, I appreciate Christmas morning on an entirely different level. It’s no longer about receiving presents as it is watching the faces of our children light up when they come down the stairs. If that means operating on four hours of sleep, so be it. With our youngest daughter now 9 years old, I’m sure it is only a matter of time before my wife and I will have to wake the kids on Christmas morning. So for now, I will gladly take the early morning chaos, complete with squeals of excitement and miles of wrapping paper being ripped open.
And while celebrating with loved ones is all well and good, let us not forget the true reason for celebrating the season — the birth of Jesus Christ. Sunday evening, we took part in a candlelight service at the Houlton Wesleyan Church. Listening to the songs sung by the choir, followed by a moment of singing “Silent Night” as the group lined the walls of the church in a massive circle was powerful to say the least.
The staff of the Houlton Pioneer Times wishes all of our readers a very Merry Christmas. A note to our customers, our offices will be closing at noon Thursday and all day Friday for the holiday.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281.
