Ilkeston - Christmas Traditions
w/e 29 December 2024
All of this week's
pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300 or a Galaxy S20 Mobile
Phone.
The Festive Season is full full of traditions, some
global, some national and some personal.
Traditionally the baby is left out of most Nativity scenes until
Christmas Day and that was the case in St Mary's Church on the
last Sunday of Advent.
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The Wise Men were also absent from the scene and were still on
their way from the eastern end of the church.
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It's also become a tradition for shop staff to don festive costumes
in the days before Christmas and a personal tradition for the
last twenty or so years has been to visit Earls Hair and Beauty
on Christmas Eve to photograph the staff there. This year I was
there twice as the Friday before Christmas was deemed Christmas
jumper day ....
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.... and on Christmas Eve it was The Grinch that was the order
of the day.
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Also on Christmas Eve, it was a tradition in the town to gather
around the Christmas Tree in the Market Place for a Carol Service
but more recently the service has been moved inside and has been
held in St Mary's Church.
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The church was packed and it was standing room only for the service
which was conducted by the leaders of many of the town's denominations.
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The carol singing was accompanied by the Salvation Army Band.
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As we left the church after the service the Christmas Tree, and
many of the other trees around the Market Place, were twinkling
with traditional fairy lights.
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It's become a personal tradition on Christmas Day to photograph
that same Christmas Tree after the morning service whatever the
weather. This year, as usual, the Market Place was almost deserted.
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From a different angle, a single car could
be seen by the church wall and there was also a taxi parked behind
me. This year Christmas Day was a fine day, but since then it's
been relatively mild with low cloud and fog. Still we're past
the solstice, the daylight hours are increasing and spring is
on its way. Happy New Year.
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