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TAIL OF
THE DOG
Christmas Treats

There is something for everyone at possible. The Johannesburg Zoo’s Ballet Company. The Pantomime is
Christmas. Religious, secular, social, Festival of Lights was a mega version another popular family event, with
childlike, and largely commercial, the of fairy lights. There were avenues offkey jokes, goodies and baddies,
pleasures are there. of trees with light covered trunks, audience involvement, fantastic
interspersed with light sculptures of sets and costumes, all part of the
Mince pies are made to be eaten life-sized animals – a lion on a rock, Christmas spirit.
around Christmas – apparently you giraffes, elephants, baby rhinos.
are supposed to have twelve during There were different areas opening On Christmas Day we have a low-
December. The name is misleading, up though tunnels of light, one key family lunch, and invite people
because the ‘mince’ filling is in fact leading to the huge Tree of Light, who would otherwise be on their
sweet, made of raisins, sultanas, and very subtly in front was a mown own. My father once brought home
mixed spice and Muscovado brown patch of lawn with the figure 120 a hitchhiker who then stayed with
sugar, candied orange and lemon etched in the grass – the age of the various members of our family for
peel, the whole in some cases slightly Johannesburg Zoo. Other pathways months. Duck instead of turkey
fermented or with some alcohol like had food stalls, there was a stage or ham is on the menu, and a fruit
Irish whiskey added. Newspaper and with different artists entertaining the salad made of Zill mangoes, (only
magazine articles are written by food crowds. Families wandered around available at Christmas time), litchis
critics about the merits of different happily enjoying this all on the cool and seedless grapes Part of the
brands of mince pies, so there is a summer evening. afternoon involves a Treasure Hunt,
real hype around these every year. with clues hidden around the garden
My mother used to buy them from Christmas carols are intrinsic to the for the children, and a final treasure
her local supermarket, and then lift period – often belted out jarringly in gift for each child at the end.
off the tops and add more filling. I shopping malls but also performed
don’t think she would need to do that and sung in churches of all different Everything then gets packed away,
today, they are all delicious. denominations. Ballet classics are to be brought out and enjoyed again
also part of this mix, with favourites in a year’s time.
I am a total fan of fairy lights – I like Swan Lake or The Nutcracker
put mine up every year, and have being performed – this year I Gill Butler
a selection which are looped along watched The Nutcracker on film, a
windows, and festooned wherever sumptuous production by the Royal

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