While the tree decorated with Ken dolls and Lady Diana ornaments (and a single stuffed black crow for balance) may not be traditional in the Hallmark sense of the word, the quartet gathered around it has been celebrating the holidays and all the intervening regular days together for years.
In fact, writers Tony Correia and Mette Bach, cartoonist Ken Boesem and drag artist/puppeteer Vera Way arent mere neighbours, they consider themselves a family. There may not be a group shot on the mantle, but thats because theyve gone one better: Their official family portrait is on permanent display on a post outside of Little Sisters bookshop in the West End as part of the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Queer Film Festivals Chosen Family Portraits Series.
Correia, whose apartment usually plays host to the feasting portion of the day, screens holiday classics such as Pee Wees Christmas Adventure and the Trailer Park Boys Christmas while still managing to produce a tableful of retro, Kraft-inspired culinary treats, all served in his Portuguese mothers collection of giant ceramic things.
The turkey falls to Bach, whose system of tarragon-infused butter injections has been perfected over many Christmases and Thanksgivings. [Her skills can be seen on YouTube under Mettes Thanksgiving Tip Ed.]
Boesem contributes homemade fudge and Way whips up batches of rum with a touch of eggnog (for colour).
These last two are sometimes called upon to trudge down the street to SuperValu, the only store open in the West End on Christmas Day, in case any ingredients were left off the shopping list.
Its all about the frozen snacks, too, says Bach, a devotee of Costco-style canapes.
Meanwhile, Way and Boesem argue the correct pronunciation of Flüff, the marshmallow goo that they discovered made an excellent hot chocolate topping last year. Correia chimes in with his idea to use it in the yams this year. An animated discussion on the possibilities for a yam-and-Flüff crumble erupts, lasting for several minutes.
The best part isnt the experimental cooking or the booze or the presents, Boesem finally interjects after a long silence, the topic of food exhausted for now. Its just spending time together. Were all creative, artsy people who work on so many things, its hard to get the four of us in the same room sometimes. Christmas is a chance to chill out together.
But, adds Way, the fact that we get to do it in our sweats with Baileys is pretty nice, too. Steven Schelling
There comes a time in everyones life when being home for the holidays no longer requires boarding an overpriced flight.
For Jessie van Rijn and Steven Greenfield, both 29, Christmas 2011 is that year. The couple of nearly six years will be forgoing the pull-out couch in their native Alberta in favour of waking up in their own bed one nicely tucked in a cozy apartment near Main and Broadway that they share with two alternating roommates (they joke their household truly contains 3.5 people).
While the couple admits theyll miss their families, theres something exciting, even empowering about creating new traditions.
For me its kind of like, this is my home, these are my peeps and I can choose to do it how I like, says van Rijn, who, since the age of 18, has juggled Christmas between her divorced parents. You do the thing where you go to Moms and you got to Dads. Since my 18th Christmas on the planet its never been the same, and so I feel this year is my first chance to be able to create my own.
For Greenfield, memories of Christmases past are much more Rockwellian. The nuclear family three kids, two parents would tuck into tourtiere on Christmas Eve and over-stuffed stockings on Christmas Morn followed by a big pile o presents and a family nature walk.
Greenfield is hoping to keep certain elements in his new version of Christmas, namely the stockings, the tourtiere and his grandmothers Christmas pudding. And hes not taking the responsibility lightly. Im concerned about doing those things right, he laughs.
Through the magic of technology, there will be no shortage of Skype time with the fam, but the couple is looking forward to opening up their home to others looking for a place to land at Christmas, with three small trees at the ready to welcome friends both new and old. Its basically having our nest and inviting others in, says van Rijn. Jessica Barrett
My husband, Carlos, and I have a Christmas tradition that dates back six years: cheap and delicious food in Chinatown and then the Christmas train at Stanley Park, armed with hot chocolate that may or may not be spiked. Up until now its been just our own little two-person adventure, but this year well be joined by a few much-loved party crashers: my grandmother, my sister, her husband, and their three-year-old daughter all of whom happen to live within 100 feet of us.
We dont share a house, per se, but the six of us do share a hallway and three of us share a kitchen. A little over a year ago Jenn, Bryan and Ashley moved in to our condo building on Main, about eight doors down the hall, and earlier this year my grandmother moved in with Carlos and I, taking over the spare bedroom wed always referred to as Grams Room anyway.
Do we drive each other crazy? Sure, sometimes. But the good definitely outweighs the maddening, particularly as we prepare for a Christmas of firsts with our new living arrangements. It was a lovely surprise when Jenn and Ash dropped in while Carlos, Gram and I decorated our tiny tree on the mantle, quickly evolving into an impromptu dance party because three-year-olds are awesome.
We also toured VanDusen Gardens amazing light display, and well do the Chinese-and-train visit sometime this week, but what Im most looking forward to is Christmas morning. Well get up in our respective homes, open our stockings, and then Jenn, Bryan and Ash will pad down the hall to visit with Gram, Carlos and me, and open presents and drink coffee.
Then, at noon, well host our first annual Christmas brunch, welcoming our parents and cousins into our home. Crowded, chaotic and chock full of Christmas cheer? Yep, that about sums us up. Andrea Warner
