December 19, 1953 The Nigawa Kindergarten Christmas Party

Diary Entry:  Dec. 19, 1953

"Went to school with Bob for Xmas program.  There was a tree & children gave plays & sang in Japanese all the usual Christmas plays & songs.  Sang "Merry Christmas to You" in English.  Room was packed.  Santa came in(dressed like ours but old & bent, walking with a cane.  He is referred to as Grandpa Santa.)  Tea & cookies served to all, children had milk & doughnuts & then got gifts, a Christmas cake, a Bible story book & their calendars they had made for their parents.  After supper, children and I went to Harbins to practice our Xmas program.  Both children were so good."

Note that each child received a castanet at the Christmas party.  I can only imagine what that was like.  It is a wonderfully noisy little instrument!

The Nutcracker Doll continues:

Her favorite gift was the nut cracker doll.  His face was not so beautiful as the other dolls but he had a nut cracking machine in his mouth.  Mary put him in the center of all the dolls and played happily...