Christmas in Kingstons a young child, Christmas in Kingston was the highlight of the year. I spent summers in Kingston with my grandmother and grandfather while my parents toured the country doing summer-stock theater (my dad was a professor of Drama at Ithaca college).

Before the age of superhighways, the 500+ mile trip from Ithaca, NY to Kingston was a two-day journey by car. We made the pilgrimage three or four times a year – at the start of summer to drop me off, in the fall to pick me up for school, maybe Thanksgiving and always Christmas. Christmas was the best!

The annual winter odyssey had a magic flavor to it. We would load the trunk with gifts and pile into the family car, a Nash Rambler nicknamed ‘Nelly Nash’ – and set out for the long drive east. Somewhere past the Catskill Mountains near the Massachusetts border my dad would pull off the side of the road and we would spend the night camped in the car. (My dad called it "Car Cramping".)

I can still remember falling asleep to the long Doppler-shift sounds of trucks in high gear approaching followed by sudden change in pitch as they passed and receded into the night. The lullaby of traffic was background music to dreams of presents and Santa.

My grandmother’s house was the old gray Victorian near the intersection of Lake and Grove Street in the Silver Lake District of Kingston. Her house was always filled with the smells of something baking, the aroma of hot cinnamon, fresh baked mince meat and apple pies hung heavy and sweet in the air.

On several occasions fresh falls of snow transformed the woods around her house to a land of mystery and beauty. I would spend long afternoons tramping through the snow, exploring trails and following the tracks of deer. No doubt left by Santa’s reindeer looked for a place to land.

One evening after twilight my grandmother transformed her back yard into a winter fairy-land with the addition of several ice-candles she had made in secret. They were essentially blocks of ice with a dash of food coloring and candle inside but their effect on the landscape was magical. In the gray-blue icy darkness, each candle cast a golden circle of light. The snow around them sparkled and glowed. I can remember laughing and playing as I dashed and danced from one candle to another.
It’s funny, but I can remember almost everything about Christmas except the actual presents I received. For the most part the memories are of family, circles of light, laughter, and a sense of excitement building up to Christmas morning.

The passing years change everything. As an adult and a parent I frequently find this season to be one of stress and anxiety. There’s way too much to do and no time to do it all. Everything costs too much and there is never enough money. My wife and I go nuts trying to 'buy' the perfect Christmas.

It is too easy to forget that for kids, the best present we can give them isn’t sold in stores or advertised on television. It’s memories of tranquility and joy. This year’s hot toy is next year’s trash but we carry the memories and feeling of approaching Christmas with us forever.

Ice candles were among the best presents and they didn’t arrive on Christmas morning - they were part of the background. Ice candles are easy to make, and best of all, cost next to nothing. If you want to give your kids (or neighbors) the memories of backyard ice candles, here’s the recipe:

All you’ll need is water, a small plastic tub or bucket (a summer beach pail is ideal), a small plastic cup, and cold (natural or freezer).

The first step to create an ice candle is to make a mold. Fill a bucket or pail with cold tap water and place the cup in the center. Weigh it down with enough small rocks to almost, but not quite, sink it.

Place the bucket outside on the porch or in the freezer until the water is frozen solid. Carefully remove the block of ice from the pail or bucket (you might need to loosen the ice by running warm tap water over the bucket’s surface for a few moments).

Once the ice is free from the bucket, remove the plastic cup from the center of the block. (If the cup seems locked in the ice you can fill it with warm water to make removal easier.)

Once the ice has been removed from the pail and the cup from the ice, you’ve got your basic ice candle. Place a small candle at the bottom of the well where the cup used to be.
To make colored candles, add food coloring to the water before it freezes. To make rainbow candles, it will take a few more steps – add a few inches of colored water and let it freeze. Then add another few inches of another color and let that freeze. Repeat the process as many times as you wish and enjoy!

Have a great holiday!

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