BLR Santa Claus parade

Page 12

The Valley Gazette

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The cultural symbolism of parades

Why the Palmer Rapids Santa parade is something to cherish

KATRINA BOGUSKI Freelance

This past Sunday was the Santa Claus parade in Palmer Rapids; it occurred after the town had been without electricity for some 12 hours. A power outage is a good time to recall old memories and to reflect on what is important. Memories of other parades I had attended came back to me in those darkened hours.

Parades are significant cultural symbols that tell a lot about a community and parades of different places indicate what those cultures value.

In 2000, I took a month-long solo train trip that went from Vancouver, across the northern United States, down to Florida, up through Montreal and back across Canada. There were other stops in places like Chicago and Washington D.C..

On Sept. 30, I arrived in New York City and discovered many businesses were closed. I asked someone why so many shops were shuttered. He replied with a harsh tone, yelling through his nose as only a New Yorker can, “It’s a holiday!” “What’s the holiday?” I asked feeling like person from another planet. “Rosh Hashanah!” He belted back. It was the first day of the Jewish New Year. If you ever want to know the influence the Jewish community has on New York’s economy, walk through the streets of Manhattan on a High Holiday.

I managed to stay on 23rd Street.; how a budget traveler ended up in downtown Manhattan is the subject of another story that starts with a fight between two Washington cabbies where one of them pulled a gun, but this is an article Sunday’s Santa Claus parade, and on the eve of that parade, I remembered another one I had seen on that trip to New York.

On my second day there, I walked around New York and straight into the Pulaski Day Parade. This massive parade has been held annually since 1936, missing only the years 1942 and 2020. It celebrates the Polish nobleman Kazimierz Pulaski, who is celebrated as a military hero in both Poland and the United States.

The parade, which travels from 35th to 54th Street and passes bySt. Patrick’s Cathedral, consists of Polish marching bands, Polish dancers, Polish scouts, Polish sports teams, and many other people wearing various uniforms and ethnic costumes. Marveling at the spectacle of the parade, I stopped someone and asked him what it was, and he briefly explained the parade’s significance.

I told the guy how incredible it was that my path should intersect with this parade, but he was less impressed by the situation. He said, “Look lady, this is New York. There’s a parade here every day. Any day you want to show up in New York, you’ll find a parade.” I explained that I was Polish and Irish, and it was that peculiar to run into a Polish Parade on my way to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He chuckled a bit and told me to enjoy the parade. He didn’t stop to watch long; for him it was just another parade in a city with a lot of parades.

Not so in Palmer Rapids. There is one day when the town holds its parade. For me, the day of the Santa Claus Parade is my favourite day in Palmer Rapids. It is a sign that Christmas is around the corner and it coincides with Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.

Ironically, before moving to Palmer Rapids, Gaudete Sunday was rarely joyful for me. That day coincides roughly with the anniversary of the death of one of my siblings; since childhood, that was a terrible weekend to get through.

When I moved to Palmer Rapids, I realized how far away I was from that event in both time and space and that I could finely let go of the decades of pain associated with this time of year. My first Santa Claus parade here was the day I decided to do that, realizing I was in a different place both metaphorically and geographically.

You can tell a lot about a place by its parades.

In places run by dictators, parades show displays of military might. Threat of violence is what keeps those places together. In places given over to excess, the parades of Carnival and other festivals consist of people in scanty costumes not fit to be viewed by young eyes. In Palmer Rapids, young eyes are the ones most riveted by the parade. Why? because it shows to them all of the symbols of their world that make it safe and wonderful.

A police car led the way as a symbol we have law and order. A school bus was a symbol we have access to education. Members of the Lions’ Club were a symbol that we have people who care in this community. Fire trucks and firefighters were a symbol that we are well protected from the danger of fire and other emergencies. Floats from small businesses were a symbol that there is work available for those who want to do it. Kids throwing candy canes were a symbol that we have food enough to celebrate and thriving children. Santa was a symbol of many things including generosity and the gentle strength of wisdom that comes with age for those who are willing to slow down enough to cultivate it.

You might have been too busy to pause and think about all those symbols last Sunday. You might have been too busy to understand just how amazing our little town and its tiny parade are in the grand scheme of things. Many millions of people are currently risking their lives and the lives of their children fueled only by hunger and the hope that they might one day live in a community one-tenth as secure and as wonderful as Palmer Rapids.

I am immensely grateful for all of the participants in the parade, and especially to Jordan Genrick and the township staff and volunteers who had their priorities right this weekend; your good example was seen by many young eyes.

You can have young eyes at any age. It is not the age of the eyes that makes them young or old, it is what you choose to focus on. You can focus on how busy and stressed you are or how sad you are about your life; or you can focus on the fact that this Christmas will be some young child’s first Santa Claus parade. There were still people of all ages in our community whose eyes got to bear witness to the joy on children’s faces as they saw Santa, who by the way is the busiest guy this time of year, and who still was tenderhearted enough to show up for those who wanted to see him.

If you are too busy to attend in your community’s annual parade, either as a participant or as a spectator, you are too busy. Life is like a parade; it passes by before you know it. Being busy isn’t a virtue; humility is.

Palmer Rapids has a very humble Santa Claus parade, but to my eyes, for all that it symbolizes, and all that it doesn’t, it rivals all of the parades ever held in New York City.

A child attends Palmer Rapids Santa Claus parade.

Photos by Katrina Boguski

The Cook and the Wine Expert - Holiday Edition

While Toni enjoys cooking, baking and being in the kitchen, Dan provides his expertise and suggestions for refreshments.

The count down is officially on! Christmas is coming to town whether we like it or not in a little more than a week. Nothing brings people together like the big spread at the holidays. But let’s face it. It’s not always as perfect as it was on the Brady Bunch! In fact, with everyone a wee bit tired from late nights. early mornings and more people in the house than usual, families can have their fair share of squabbles and drama on Christmas day. But by the time dinner rolls around, everyone eventually gathers around the table remembering the love we have in our hearts for one another. And if the cook doesn’t collapse from exhaustion, (that’s usually me in our house) she or he can finally sit and relax, grateful to have gotten everything done and on the table on time! Turkey is always the star on our holiday table, and over the years, I’ve experimented with quite a few different ways to make the bird. The recipe I’m sharing here is a winner all around, takes no brining and is very moist. I first tried this recipe by Canadian chef Rodney Bowers years ago and now, it’s my go to for a turkey I know will be perfect every time. *Note- if you have some vegetarians in the house, try the Tofurkey, available at our local grocery stores. It comes stuffed and with gravy so it’s easy to make to include as part of the meal.

The Cook suggests… The Perfect Holiday Turkey

Ingredients ½ cup butter 1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus 1 whole lemon 1 small orange, zested and juiced 1 tsp chopped thyme, plus 1 bunch of fresh thyme I sweet onion, quartered 1 head of garlic, halved 1 fresh or frozen turkey (thawed) – about 10-12 pounds Toni & Dan Conway

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon AND orange, and one teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside. Prep the turkey by removing any giblets and washing inside and out with cold water. Pat completely dry. Place the turkey into a large roasting pan. Very liberally season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the halved garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter thyme citrus mixture and sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Roast the turkey about two and half hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Internal temperature at thickest part of the turkey should reach 170 degrees Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. When ready to serve, slice one (if just for two) of the tenderloins into slices, plate on a plater and drizzle gravy on top. The Wine Expert Suggests… Depending on what time your Christmas Dinner is being served you could start the day off with a Christmas Morning Mimosa. A mimosa is really quite simple but none the less tasty. Add champagne to a flute and top off with orange juice. You can pretty much just eyeball it, there’s no real measuring involved. You have options when it comes to the best wines to pair with your Christmas dinner. Lighter-bodied red wines are the best way to go, like a Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais. They won’t feel heavy and weigh you down before you slip into a turkey coma! Of course, red wines aren’t your only option. I highly recommend a dry rosé wine and for our white wine drinkers, a Pinot Grigio or a Riesling would be a good choice.

The Cook suggests… Lavigne Family Stuffing

No turkey dinner is complete with out the stuffing. I’ve only ever made this recipe. It’s been in our family forever, and my older brother Maurice taught me how to make it. (Fun fact: all my brothers are pretty good cooks!) I hope I do it justice because I’ve never really measured any of ingredients since I’ve made it so often.

Ingredients 1 loaf of bread of choice, dried (I usually layout on a cookie tray and leave out the night before) 1 pound of bacon, cut into 1-inch strips 1 whole onion, chopped About 3-4 stalks of celery cut into one inch pieces Melted butter (about ¼ cup) Have some milk on hand Salt and pepper 2-4 tbsp of ground sage (adjust to your taste)

Directions

Cut dried bread, including the crusts, into one inch cubes; place in large bowl In a large skillet over med high heat, cook bacon, celery, and onion. Fry until bacon is cooked but soft, and celery and onions are softened Drain any fat from the skillet and let the mixture cool a bit before adding to the bread cubes. Add sage, salt and pepper and incorporate Add melted butter and then enough milk so that it sticks together and is somewhat damp but not wet. Place in a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 45 min-1 hours. We like it a little dry but also moist inside as well as slightly browned at the top. Adjust cooking time to suit the way your tastes.

The Wine Expert Suggests…

A special occasion calls for a special drink. Brew up some strong coffee or your favorite hot chocolate. In a large mug, add an ounce of a any cream liqueur (like RumChata or an Irish Cream and an ounce of Irish whiskey or I love to add amaretto instead of the Irish whisky.) Pour in the hot coffee and top with some whipped cream and chocolate shavings.