Wishing you all the blessings of the season...

Wishing you a Christmas filled 

with all you hold dear

and a New Year filled 

with all the best!

Thank you for visiting!!

Forum Art Centre Open House l Funds for Pets Breakfast l Karaoke for Koats 2014 l Used Clothing Sale l All Aboard for the Holidays l 2014 Christmas Lights Sightseeing Tours l Craig Street Cats Bake Sale l Christmas Eve Feast

Forum Art Centre, 120 Eugenie Street, Winnipeg

December 13, 1- 4 Open House & Registration
For Everything Art this Winter classes start January 12, 2015.
Registration through website or call 204-235-1069 till January 11.

We’ve been offering fine art instruction in a creative, relaxing atmosphere for over 50 years! Classes include: Drawing, Acrylic, Water soluble Oils, Watercolour, Abstracts, Handbuilt Pottery, Zine, Animation, Children & Teen’s Art, Mixed Media & more. Day, Evening and Weekends. 

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December 13

Aalto's, Canad Inns Destination Centre,  Garden City, 2100 McPhillips Street

Tickets are $10 each available at Bits and Bites Pet Station, 2200 McPhillips or phone 204-782-6440 or Email and they will be delivered to you!

Christmas pancake breakfast fundraiser for Funds for Pets! 

There are two sittings: 9 am & 11 am 

Also a small bake and craft sale, a raffle, and goodie bags for the kids! 

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December 17, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

The Good Will - Social Club, 625 Portage, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2G4

Karaoke for Koats 2014

A fundraiser for Koats for Kids - The United Way 

$10 suggested donation at door, donation tickets also welcome 

All proceeds from event will go towards purchasing new coats for kids

A donation box will also be available for used adult coats 

Silent auction & prizes for singing your heart out!

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Broadway-First Baptist Church, 790 Honeyman Ave. at Walnut St. (204-783-4413)

We operate a sale of gently used clothing on the third Thursday of every month, September through June.  The proceeds from this sale are forwarded to the El Shaddai mission in Haiti.

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Winnipeg Railway Museum, in Winnipeg’s VIA Rail Canada Union Station, 123 Main Street

Located on tracks 1 and 2 in the Via Rail Union Station

Phone (204) 942-4632  or email

Rail Travel Tours Presents All Aboard for the Holidays

The Museum and gift shop will be decorated for the Christmas.

Come and enjoy the lights and decorations on on Saturdays and Sundays!! 

The sponsor of this event is Rail Travel Tours.

Adults $5.00 / 6 to 16 years $3.00 / 5 years & under free (accompanied by a parent)

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2014 Christmas Lights Sightseeing Tours

Dec 17, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm 

includes a visit to the Electrical Museum and does NOT include Winter Wonderland

Contact Heartland Travel at (204) 989-9630 or email 

Visa, MasterCard, cash or cheque are accepted for bookings.

$25.00 + 5% GST for Adults 12 and over
$14.00 + 5% GST for Children 12 and under
Children that are three and under are "free on the knee"
check the website for special rates for groups
Seats for the tour are non-refundable/non-transferable and must be purchased in advance – We cannot hold seats without payment.

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December 21, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Craig Street Cats, 489 Madison St., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 1J2

Join us for our annual Open House and Bake Sale! We'll be serving coffee, cocoa and dainties for all our guests.

Pick up gifts for cats and cat lovers, get your CSC 2015 Calendars, and visit with all our incredible critters.  Our Christmas 50/50 raffle draw will round out the afternoon.

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December 24, 2014

We are proud to present our 9th annual Sons of Italy Christmas Eve Feast. 

Working with our wonderful sponsors, the West End BIZ, X-Cues Billiards & Cafe and Sorrentos Restaurant on Ellice, along with many generous companies and individuals, we are able to provide a true feast on Christmas Eve for many people who might not have had an opportunity to enjoy a wonderful meal, pictures with Santa, music, fun, and gifts.

Donations can be made on the Sons of Italy donation page.  

Financial donations are needed, and are greatly appreciated!

Jazz for Christmas, A Blue Christmas Service, Winter Solstice, Advent Plays, Dinners and Celebrations and Christmas Eve and Day Services in Winnipeg

Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Donald & Graham 

204-942-7465 

December 10, 7:30 pm

Jazz for Christmas CD Launch

$10 per person (proceeds to Holy Trinity Mission Ministry)

The Bob Watts Trio - 

Pablo Gardenas, Piano and Steve Kirby, bass

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Pipes Alive organ recitals on Dec 16 and 23 at 12:10 pm

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December 22, 5 pm Carols and Candles is a gift to the community.

Come and join us for an evening of Carols by candlelight.

Hot wassail and Christmas cookies

Friendship and fellowship together to share the season

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You are welcome to celebrate Christmas Eve with us, at our Communion Services

12:00 pm - BCP Holy Communion, favourite carols accompanied by the Holy Trinity Organ. 

5:00 pm - Family Communion and favourite carols, led by our band Heart's Refuge. 

11:00 pm - BCP Holy Communion, favourite carols accompanied by the Holy Trinity Organ.   

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John Black United Church, 898 Henderson Highway

Dec 10 - A Blue Christmas Service  7:00 pm -  honours the feeling that many have that the Christmas season is difficult for those who may have experienced a loss or life transition.  

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Dec 13 - The Youth and Children's Group is going to Bethlehem Live. mrcodycreed@gmail.com

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Dec 14 - A service of worship interrupted by a Drama Before that Holy Night.   Angels with ipads,  Magi who bring coffee!

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Dec 22 - The Christmas Wave - At 6:30 am we costume. We provide robes and props. Please dress warm. We advertise our services for about 45 minutes.  Then we go indoors for hot chocolate or coffee.  

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Dec 24 - 5 pm - for the young at heart. Meet Mary, Joseph, shepherds and Magi and a real baby in the manger.  Children may wear costumes and be part of the action. 

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Dec 24  - 10 pm  Communion Service - carols, scriptures, and prayers weaving the ancient story with our hopes for peace, love and joy.  Holy Communion (bread and juice)  is offered - you may simply pass the plate.  Ends with candle light and singing.

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Dec 28 - Come enjoy worship after the "big day" is done.   Fresh coffee, juice and Christmas cookies after the service. 

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Celebrate Christmas at St. George’s Crescentwood, 168 Wilton Street  (204-453-5642)

December 13, 5:00 pm Wine Bar / 6:00 pm Dinner

Join us for our Turkey Dinner along with Special “Guests”, Christmas Carol Sing-along and Dancing. Let us know if you will need a ride to or from dinner.

Adults $20, Children $12 (12 & under) at the Church Office.

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December 19, 7 pm

The Winter Solstice at St George’s

The Sanctuary and St George’s are celebrating the seasonal rebirth of the sun.  Performing guests include Ilena Zaramba, Deborah Romeyn, Stewart Fay, Nandita Selvanathan, Rabbi Alan Green, Dale and Mark Scott – with the healing sounds of crystal bowls, gong, and drums.  $20 for adults, and $10 for under 18, through the St. George’s office.

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CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT ST. GEORGE’S

December 21, 7 PM  Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols - Includes choral music as well as your favourite Christmas carols.

December 24, 5 PM  Children’s Pageant and Family Christmas Service
                              A one hour celebration of the Eucharist with carols.

December 24, 10:30 PM  Midnight Eucharist with all your favourite Christmas music.

December 25, 10:30 AM  Christmas Day Eucharist with carols

December 28, 10:30 AM  Christmas 1,  Eucharist and carols.  No Sunday School

January 4 2015 at 10:30 AM  Feast of the Epiphany.  Eucharist. Sunday School

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Church of the Good Shepherd Anglican, 933 Summerside Avenue

Dec 16, 7:00 PM

What Are You Waiting For?

We are invited to reflect on God’s kingdom of peace, justice and mercy and what we might do to usher it into our lives and world.  A joint offering of Trinity United and Good Shepherd Anglican with Second Chance providing musical leadership.  All are welcome.

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Dec 19 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Advent Open House, Hosted by the Lutheran MNO Synod and the Anglican Diocese of Rupertsland.  Held at the Anglican Lutheran Centre, 935 Nesbitt Bay, Winnipeg

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Dec 21, 5:30 PM - Family-oriented Christmas service  (Trinity United Church)

Dec 24, 7:30 PM - United Church Service -Candlelight Service

            8:45 - 9:15 - Carol Singing

            9:30 PM - Anglican Service - Candlelight with Communion

Dec 25, Christmas Day No services at Good Shepherd or Trinity 

            United Worship Services will be held at

St Paul’s Anglican, 830 North Drive, Wpg   10:00 AM

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Covenant Christian Reformed Church, 653 Knowles Avenue 

December 19, 5 pm – 9 pm: Christmas potluck

December 24, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Christmas Eve Service

December 25, 10 am – 11 am: Christmas Day Service

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Calvary Temple, 440 Hargrave Street

reception@ctwinnipeg.com    204-943-4551

FREE PARKING | FREE ADMISSION

Christmas Eve Family Service  December 24, 6:00 pm 

Christmas Day Service  December 25, 9:00 am

Everybody is welcome to join us!

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St. Michael and All Angels Church, 300 Hugo Street at Mulvey, R3M 1G1

204-452-4227    smaa@mts.net

Christmas Greetings & Recipes & Santa Claus

Silent Night,  

Holy Night...

The big night is finally here!!

I hope you and your family and friends are enjoying a very Merry Christmas, 

full of love, peace, health and happiness.

Last year I posted a short story about my first Christmas in College Point, 

a small town in New York, when I was 5 years old.

If you have young children, they might enjoy it.

If you'd like to see what life was like in ancient times (1955), you might enjoy it.

In the story I mentioned many Maltese, Italian and German Christmas recipes.  

I've linked the recipes to their names.

Just click for the recipe, if you'd like to try something new this week.

Or maybe next year.

Mike Slaughter / Nine Lessons & Carols

Harrow United Church, 955 Mulvey Avenue at Harrow Street

Sunday, December 4 noon - 1:30 pm an event for all ages!

We invite you to join with others who are seeking to refresh the meaning 

and celebration of Christmas. 

Author Mike Slaughter's Christmas is not your  birthday

It's Jesus' birthday! 

This book will hep you reclaim the meaning of Jesus' birth and experience a 

Christmas season with more peace and joy than any toy or gadget could ever bring.

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A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols

An Advent/Christmas Choral Presentation by the Joint Choirs of 

Harrow United Church and St. Mark's Lutheran Church.

To be held at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, corner of Cambridge St. and Corydon Ave.

on Sunday December 4, at 7:00 pm.   

Refreshments to follow. All Welcome. 

Free!!  

Any questions?   

email Harrow United Church or call 284-0079

A Child's Christmas in Queens (part 6 - by Margaret Ullrich)

After Mass, when we were leaving the church, I saw a pale cloud in the sky.  It looked long and thin, with a sort of bump on one end.  For a moment I thought it looked like Santa and his sleigh with eight tiny reindeer.  

I kept looking at that cloud.  It seemed to follow us from St. Leo’s to Uncle Des’ house, where we had panettone.  

When we left, the cloud was still in the sky.  I watched it from the car.  The cloud followed us from Corona to College Point. 

I had never noticed clouds before.  Did clouds always follow people from one town to another?  Was it really a cloud?  Sister had told us that Santa had millions of helpers.  They were tiny people called elves.  Could that cloud have been an elf picking up the letter from La Befana?

Christmas morning, Pop was eating breakfast while Ma was cleaning Barbara.  Ma sent me to the basement to get some dry diapers that were hanging by the furnace.  

Being a big sister wasn’t much fun.

  

I pulled down two diapers.  

Then I noticed some lumps by the furnace.  

I thought some clothes had fallen off the line.  I walked toward the furnace to pick them up.  I hoped they hadn’t gotten dirty.  Ma was tired and wouldn’t want to wash them again. 

But the lumps weren’t clothes. 

They were boxes.

  

They were wrapped.

They were presents!

They were for me!!

Santa had found me. 

A Child's Christmas in Queens (part 5 - by Margaret Ullrich)

The lebkuchen , zimtsterne, springerle, pfeffernuesse, pfefferkuchen and jam-filled spitzbuben settled like a leaden weight in my stomach.  It was all just too much change for a five-year-old to cope with in one year: a new sister, Kindergarten and now Santa Claus.  Would the changes never end? 

    

In Kindergarten we learned about God the Father, about how we should pray to Him and tell Him what we needed.  I didn’t need another Father.  I figured if my Pop was always so busy working, this Father who took care of everything and everybody in the whole wide world would really never have time for me.  

I heard my classmates talk about how their Grandmas were always able to fix things in their homes.  Both my Grandmas were in Malta. 

I needed a Grandma.

The next time we went to Corona, Nonni diNoto saw that something was troubling me.  She asked me to help her in the kitchen.  There she asked me what was wrong.  I told her about Santa Claus and explained that he was in charge of Christmas in College Point.  I didn’t know if La Befana would be allowed to visit me there anymore.  Nonni listened patiently as I explained how Christmas was handled in College Point.

She repeated the main points.  “Santa Claus.  A letter.” 

I nodded.

“I fix.  I write Befana.  She give Santa.  No hard feelings.  Christmas come.” 

I had my doubts.  Nonni had never been to College Point.  Maybe nobody ever had to change from La Befana to Santa Claus.  Maybe Christmas was lost forever, like some of the packages we'd never gotten from Malta.

On Christmas Eve we again gathered in Corona at Uncle Des and Aunt Betty’s home.  We had the Christmas Eve dinner.  Then we went to St. Leo’s for the Midnight Mass.  

Everything was familiar.  Latin and Italian.  

Why couldn’t we have stayed there?

A Child's Christmas in Queens (part 4 - by Margaret Ullrich)

My friends’ homes had interesting sights and smells, too.  On the tables there were bunte tallers: dishes filled with nuts, candies, cookies and fruit.  The stoves had bubbling pots filled with bratwursts and potatoes.  

My friend Elise invited me to supper.  She told me to smear the bratwurst with the spicy mustard.  The green beans and carrots were familiar.  The bread was dark.  I was used to Italian bread and Maltese hobtz.  But after I put butter on the rye bread I had to admit it was good, too.  I’d had mashed potatoes before, but I’d never had hot potato salad.  I was curious about how Elise’s Mom made the potato salad.  It was sweet, spicy and tart.  Elise’s Mom smiled and blushed when I told her it was so good.  “Ach, it’s only potatoes.”       

After Thanksgiving, Sister brought a box of kringeln to class.  The kringeln were almond studded sugar cookies which had been twisted into figure eights.  We helped her hang them on our classroom Christmas tree.  It was beautiful and the cookies smelled wonderful.  We all oohed and aahed.  Then everyone sang a song, O Christmas Tree.  I just smiled and silently moved my mouth.

Then Sister told us to gather around her.  She was going to read us a story, The Visit from St. Nicholas.  Sister showed us the pictures in the large thin book.  They were drawings of Santa Claus and his eight tiny reindeer.  Sister said Santa was a “right jolly old elf.”    

My friends were delighted.  I was confused.  I had never heard any of this before.  There wasn’t any mention of La Befana.

Santa was supposed to slide down every house’s chimney and land in a fireplace.  We didn’t have a fireplace.  We had a huge, oil-burning furnace in the basement.  Ma hung our stockings, along with all the other wet laundry, on a clothesline near the furnace.  The furnace made awful noises and had fire in it.  If Santa landed in it he’d fry like a strufoli.  That would end Christmas forever.  I didn’t think Santa would take such a risk for a total stranger.  

Oh, boy...  I was in big trouble.  The lovely cookies felt like a giant rock in my stomach.

Sister talked about Santa checking his list of good little girls and boys.  Santa had a list?  I knew we were on the Registered Aliens’ list.  Every January a man on the television reminded Ma to fill out green cards so that the American Government would know where we were.  If we didn’t fill out the cards we’d be in big trouble.  We could either be sent to jail or back to Malta. 

How could I get on Santa’s list?  Could Santa get my name from the Registered Aliens’ list?  Did I need to fill out another card?  

The afternoon went from bad to worse.  Sister told us we could put our letters to Santa in the special mailbox in the classroom.  A letter?  What language did Santa speak - English or German?  He’d never heard from me.  I wasn’t on his list.  What could I say?  “Hi, you don’t know me, but I’d like some toys.”  

I’d never written a letter to La Befana.  She just gave me toys.  When we had moved to College Point, Ma had to fill change of address forms.  Was there a change of address form for Santa?  Could La Befana still visit me?  Did Mr. Santa Claus want to shoot La Befana because she had come to College Point?  

Oh, boy...  I was in big trouble.

A Child's Christmas in Queens (part 3 - by Margaret Ullrich)

After Barbara was born we didn’t have time to go to Corona very often.  It was easier to walk to the local church, St. Fidelis, instead of driving to Corona to go to St. Leo’s.  Even though Pop didn’t have to commute every day, he didn’t have any time to waste.  He was working a lot of overtime.  

I missed seeing the rest of my family.  

That September I started Kindergarten in St. Fidelis School.  Some of the good Sisters had wanted to travel and meet exotic heathens in far away places.  

Well, one Sister almost got her wish.  I was the first Maltese child she’d ever seen.  College Point had been settled by German and Irish families.  It was time for me to learn about America through their eyes. 

By mid-October my classmates started bringing samples of their mothers’ holiday baking to school.  They told me their attics were filled with apple slices which had been strung like beads on a white thread and hung to dry in their attics.  Their mothers also had pillow cases filled with cookies hanging from nails in the attic.  My friends said their mothers did this so that the cookies would be aged and perfect by Christmas.  

I loved the idea of an attic packed with bags filled with cookies.  I had never been in an attic.  Our house had a store front, but we didn’t use the attic.  Nobody I’d known in Corona used their attics, either. 

Some of my classmates brought in samples of their mothers’ cookies, the cookies that didn't have to age.  I brought some biscotti.  My friends were polite and ate the dry, double-baked bread.  Then we ate the pfefferkuchen, spitzbuben, sweet honey lebkuchen, and almond pfeffernuesse.  My favorites were zimtsterne, cinnamon stars decorated with almonds, and spitzbuben, sandwiched cookies with jam peeking through three holes in the top cinnamon cookie.  My friends called them little rogues.  

Anise was a popular holiday spice in College Point.  It was used in the springerle and the peppernuts. When I told Ma about anise, she said she used it, too, but she didn’t use as much in her cookies.  

Pop said, “If you like the taste of anise so much, you’d probably like to drink anisette.”  

Ma didn’t think that was a very funny thing to say.  I knew about the anisette liqueur.  Sometimes Uncle Des put some in his coffee when it was really cold outside.  He said it helped him feel warmer.  But, when I asked him for a taste, he said it wasn’t for little girls.  

There were also special holiday rewards.  When I helped Sister put away the puzzles, she gave me a small marzipan pig, wrapped in cellophane.  

I’d never seen a marzipan pig before.  Neither had my Ma.  When I brought the marzipan pig home, Ma put it in the china cabinet.  I was sad when it started to get moldy.  We didn’t know I was supposed to eat it.  

As Christmas approached, the windows of the German bakeries were filled with the most beautiful cookies I’d ever seen.  They were in all kinds of shapes: stars, angels, animals and wreaths.  They were decorated with coconut, jam, icing and tiny silver balls.  There were also holiday breads: glistening loaves of gugelhupf, a sweet bread filled with raisins and almonds, and fatschenkinder, small loaves that looked like babies wrapped in swaddling clothes. 

The stollen reminded me of panettone.  They both were rich butter breads, filled with raisins, almonds and citron.  I was amazed at what German bakers could do with bread.  I thought a German Christmas was beautiful and delicious.  

I planned to eat German and Italian holiday food every Christmas for the rest of my life. 

A Child's Christmas in Queens (part 2 - by Margaret Ullrich)

The Christmas Eve dinner was a feast.  Fish was traditional.  Eel for the parents, bluefish for the children.  There was also soup, chicken, pasta and vegetables, followed by ricotta pie, anise biscotti, pizzelle and cuccidati cookies, strufoli, creamy roasted chestnuts and torrone candy.  

My favorite was the huge strufoli, a golden mound of tiny doughnut balls covered with honey and multi-colored sprinkles.  Nadia’s favorite was the prune cuccidati.  Aunt Betty’s Cuccidati were filled cookies that reminded me of fig newtons.  Aunt Betty filled the cookies with a mix of prunes, raisins, dates, citron, ground almonds and cinnamon.  Aunt Betty also made cuccidati using apricots or dates instead of prunes.   

After dinner we played games while our parents talked.  Then it was time to walk to St. Leo’s for the Midnight Mass.  After Mass we returned to Uncle Des’ for hot chocolate and panettone.  Nonni’s panettone was a wonderfully rich bread made with butter, raisins, almonds and citron.  

Then Nonni would tell us to look at the manger scene for the surprise.  The blessed Bambino, Baby Jesus, had suddenly appeared!

Christmas Eve was a wonderful night.  But the big day for us children was January sixth - Epiphany, Old Christmas.  The night before we had hung our socks and gone to sleep expecting La Befana to fill them with treats and toys.  In the old days, Nonni told us, the children would place their shoes on the fireplace hearth for La Befana.  But in America we didn’t have a fireplace.  Nonni said she liked using the socks since they were cleaner than our shoes.  

We knew all about La Befana, a little old lady who had been sweeping her house when the Wise Men suddenly knocked on her door.  They had been looking for Baby Jesus and had stopped to ask La Befana for directions.  They then invited La Befana to join them.  The old woman refused, saying she had work to do.  Later that night a shepherd passed by and invited La Befana to come to Bethlehem, but she again said no.     

Later that night, when it was dark, a great light and angels appeared in the sky.  La Befana realized that the Wise Men weren’t kidding about somebody special being born that night.  Broom in hand, La Befana tried to catch up with the Wise Men.  She never found them, Bethlehem or Baby Jesus.  Every year she searches for Baby Jesus and leaves presents for good little boys and girls.  

La Befana took wonderful care of me for four years.

Then, when I was five years old, I was hit with a megadose of change: I got a new baby sister, I started going to school and I got Santa Claus.         

A few months before I started school, it was time for my sister to be born.  While Ma was in the hospital I stayed with Aunt Betty, Uncle Des and Nadia.  It was nice living in Corona again.  A few days after Ma went to the hospital, Nonni diNoto took me to the local five and dime.  She gave me a quarter.  

“Buy for sister.”   

I didn’t have any idea what a baby sister would want.  I liked watching westerns on television, so I grabbed a toy gun. 

“No.  Buy rattle.”  

A rattle?  That sounded boring, but I bought a pink plastic rattle.  

In those days children were not allowed to visit anyone in the hospital.  When Aunt Betty visited Ma, she gave the rattle to my new sister.  I waited outside the hospital and waved to the window of Ma’s room.  

When Aunt Betty returned she had a gift from my new sister for me: three fancy pieces of chocolate.  Well, wasn’t that nice of my new sister, Barbara.  Not as nice as a toy gun, but I thought that maybe that was all Barbara could get from where she’d been.  

Maybe having a baby sister wasn’t going to be too bad. 

A Child's Christmas in Queens (part 1 - by Margaret Ullrich)

At times I really envied my cousin Nadia’s family's rooted past.  By the time I was five I’d had enough changes to last a lifetime. 

My folks had to learn a lot of new things after they had come to America.  For example, in Malta Christmas was celebrated without Christmas trees.  Tree shopping was something very new for my parents.  But, after their first two American Christmases, Ma was comfortable enough to get her usual real bargains.  

We would go to the parking lot where the trees had magically appeared, like the ground beef at the A & P.  There we’d browse until we’d found a tree we liked.  Ma would quickly  switch our chosen tree’s price tag with that of a cheaper tree which no one liked.  Then we’d carry the chosen tree to the clerk, who gave us the fish eye as he noticed the fullness of such a ‘good find’.  Then he’d sigh and take Ma’s money.  The whole deal would be done in ten minutes.  

Another American Christmas had begun for us.  

In Corona Christmas was a festive season.  It began with the first Sunday of Advent, was packed with feastdays of special saints such as St. Barbara on December fourth, and ended on January sixth with a visit from La Befana.   

December twenty-fourth was an all-day family affair.  At lunchtime we visited Aunt Demi.  She was the eldest sister.  It was a sign of respect.  The visit there was always short.  Aunt Demi never let us forget how much she had slaved over the holiday.  She had a talent for inducing guilt with a weary ‘Do you know how long I slaved over this dish’ look.  Everyone understood.  The Aunts knew how many platters of cookies Aunt Demi had in the pantry.  We all knew that she was determined to unload every one them.

Maltese desserts are simple: fresh fruit and cheese with an occasional cookie.  One Maltese cookie, the biskuttini tar rahal, could be described as hardened library paste with a hint of lemon and a dash of rock hard royal icing.  A variation on the biskuttini cuts the sugar by half and replaces the royal icing with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  Both cookies are wonderful teething rings.  

Another favorite is the biscotti.  The big thrill with a biscotti is seeing how much milk it can suck up before breaking in half and falling into your glass.  It’s like eating the sinking Titanic.  For the holidays, we borrowed recipes from the Sicilians and made kannoli tar-rikotta (ricotta in a fried pastry tube) or a qassata (a sponge cake covered with vanilla custard). 

For our main Christmas Eve festivities, we gathered at Uncle Des and Aunt Betty’s home.  A whole corner of their living room was filled with Nonni DiNoto’s manger scene.  St. Francis would’ve loved what Nonni DiNoto had done with his presepio idea. 

Nonni DiNoto’s daughter Betty had married Pop’s brother Des.  Then, two years after we had arrived in America, Nonni's son Salvatore had married Pop’s sister Helen.  So, Nonni was a double Grandma in their families.  

Since all my grandparents were in Malta, Nonni treated me as a grandchild, too.  

Nonni’s manger scene was not just a simple shed with Mary, Joseph, three kings and one shepherd standing around Baby Jesus.  Nonni had a complete village with houses, shrubbery, trees, hills, paths, ponds and animals.  There were people walking around just minding their own business and doing real things.  Some of the figures were really old and we couldn’t play with them.  

But each year Nonni added something new: an old woman carrying a basket of eggs, a farmer carrying a head of cabbage, a man carrying a bundle of wood for a fire to keep the baby warm.  There were rich people, too, walking through Nonni's Bethlehem and looking very important.  

Nonni’s manger scene was better than any Manhattan Fifth Avenue store's window display.