Daughter of Claus: Day IX

Christmas in the Middle of Nowhere

On the jukebox: Do You Hear What I Hear? by Bing Crosby

This is the first of three posts by my family living at Stempster, in Caithness. This post has been written by my sister Virginia, the eldest of my three younger sisters. You can find Virginia at her website here, or at Crowvus here.

What is magic? A quick look at the dictionary tells you that it is an enchantment, a fairytale, a mystical experience. That's all true, but for me it is Christmas in the Middle of Nowhere. People throw their hands up in horror at the notion of religion and magic brushing shoulders but, like it or not, supernatural and ethereal are not cousins but siblings.

What do magic, supernatural, and ethereal all have in common? They never die. They may fade from one generation’s interest but they will always be picked up in the future.

Christmas at Stempster, here in the middle of nowhere, is just the same. When we celebrated our first Christmas here in 2021, it was clear the house had longed for it. It not only invited us to celebrate, it introduced us to aspects of its past which it wanted to share. Yes, we had conventional ghostly experiences – Dad seeing a woman in green in the hallway, and then all of us hearing a baby crying in the other room – but there are as many experiences which could just be attributed to chance. But somehow you just know they're not.

During the latter part of this year, I’ve been writing a historical novel which has set Stempster at the forefront of its action. Of course, it wasn’t called Stempster then, since it’s set when the broch was inhabited and the Norsemen are only just invading. Through writing it, I’ve connected with the past of this place, linking myself to those souls who lived in the times before the Church took a dominant hold. Christmas, like all festivals of light, is good for this because, although Christmas is a Christian festival (the clue’s in the title!), its meaning is timeless. The essence of Christmas, the hope, the promise, the joy, has been celebrated since Pagan times (as Cole Hawlings might say), and will continue to be celebrated in this corner of the world long after we have gone. Being a part of that, adding our imprint to the collective memory of the Stempster Christmas, is a magical thing.

So, what does Christmas in Stempster mean? Magic.

And what is magic? Christmas in the Middle of Nowhere.

I would love to hear about your own Christmas folklore and memories. Have you or your family ever had any supernatural experiences at Christmas? Is there a place which has transformed what Christmas means to you?