SNOWY CHRISTMAS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23869, 21 January 1941, Page 9

SNOWY CHRISTMAS

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN FESTIVITIES IN CANADA SEEING IN NEW YEAR BY TOM MOORK (Copyright) SOMEWHERE IX CANADA, Jan. 0 For the first time in the lives of of them. New Zealand and Australian airmen who came to Canada for training under the Air Training Scheme ' pnioyed a real "Christmas card" Christmas. The temperature hovered around zero. There wns snow on the ground. Christmas trees were everywhere—both crowing naturally on the outskirts of die city and decorated indoors with coloured lights and glass baubles. City streets were festooned with evergreen branches and long strings of brilliantly coloured electric lights. Invitations to Christmas and New Year's Day dinners from private citizens poured into training headquarters in such profusion that every Anzac who wished to do so enjoyed the days in Canadian homes. Some sat down to dinner in cozy cottages. Others were entertained in wealthy homes with servants to wait upon them. Everywhere was the friendly Christmas spirit in settings that most of them bad previoiislv seen pictured only on Christmas cards. Dinner and Presents hi many instances the Anzaes filled places left vacant by Canadian men who are already serving overseas. But there was always the .knowledge that ha Ifwav round the world, in England or in Iceland, other friendly people were plaving hosts to the Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen who were missed lion 1 , Pinner itself was a festive meal — roa>t turkey stuffed with sage, celery or chestnut, dressing, cranberry sauce- — bright red. with a bitter-sweet taste the visitors thought was "odd"-—baked sweet potatoes. English plum pudding with brandy sauce, and mince pie. Christmas gifts in Canada are usually piled under the decorated Christmas tree and distributed after dinner. So. because in very few eases did those playing hosts to Anzaes know the names of their guests before they arrived for dinner, there were parcels under the trees addressed to "Mr. New Zealander'' and "Mr. Australia." In the evening, many of the men wont skating with their hosts. Some were introduced to ski-ing. Theatre parries and dances also added to the entertainment. Fun On a Sled Two wireless operator-gunners, both of them enjoying their first experience of real Christmas card weather, bought each other a half-share in a sled for a Christmas present. That made one "sled on which the pair started to make np for all the sleigh-riding they considered they had missed as youngsters because they were not born in a colder climate. The festive spirit carried over to the Ke'w Year, with the large proportion ..... of Scots in Canada putting extra emphasis on the New Year's Eve celebrations. For some hardy souls New Year's Eve started very early on December 31. They arose well before 5 a.m. and tunedin powerful radio sets to hear broadcasts of the New Year as it was . jushered into the world by New Zealand. Nineteen hours later it was midnight in this part of the world and Anzaes and Canadians alike "blew the lid off" in their celebrations. Theatres staged special midnight shows. A carnival spirit reigned in ' dance halls and restaurants. Military recreation centres, such as the Y.M.C A. but. the Salvation Army recreation hall, and "Hostess Houses" established by local women's and girls' / clubs, all arranged special parties where 3941 was brought into the world amid a riot of noise and colour. Hilarity in Streets For many years a regular feature of Year's Eve celebrations in this city has been a spontaneous parade of motor-cars through the central section of the city.' Every driver seems to get an urge to drive down the main street, cross the busiest intersection in the city as close to midnight as possible, and add to the din by keeping tip a steady "tooting"' on his motor horn. This year large parties of Anzaes, most of them on their way from iceskating parties to dancing parties or midnight theatre performances, added a new feature to the New Year's Eve uproar. As a group of cars was stopped by traffic lights, the airmen broke up into parties of about six to each ear, three in front and three behind, grasped the bumpers and started heaving up and down until those inside were bounced around like corks on rough water. Passengers, between bounces, offered drinks to the hilarious airmen, then moved on as the traffic light? changed and a new group of cars moved up for an introduction to the Anzaes' boisterous method of bringing in the New Year. It was a hilarious, long-to-be-lemembered evening, and the Canadians' onlv regret is that tlie boys from down under who were with us for these 1940-41 festivities must move on to more serious work during the next few months.