For Tony Pavia, Christmas Day in Malta was the one day of the year his father seemed to relax and enjoy himself. After the family of 19!!! sat down to a meal of “really good food” against a backdrop of Christmas decorations which had been made and put up by the children, Mr Pavia Senior allowed himself the indulgence of smoking a single cigarette. In hindsight, Tony thinks his father may have preferred a cigar, but the family was to poor to afford such luxuries. Too poor also to afford any Christmas presents for the children.
A highlight of the day for Tony was the family’s attendance at the local church’s Christmas evening service where the singing and joyful atmosphere still bring back happy memories.
By the time he was 11, Tony was living in Australia as a child migrant. His first Australian Christmas was in 1953, spent at Clontarf and, to Tony’s recollection, was “nothing very special” except that he got a, donated, Christmas present. In the years following, Tony celebrated Christmases with families in either Collie or Bridgetown who opened their homes to provide some Christmas cheer to children like him. He remembers these times with gratitude to the kind families who did their best to make him feel welcome.
But even the happiest of memories from Christmases past pale into insignificance when Tony speaks of Christmas celebrations spent with his own family.
Once again this year, Tony will play Father Christmas donning his red suit and beard, laden with Christmas presents to pay a “surprise” visit first thing in the morning to the home of his young grandchildren. (This year, however, he suspects the canny youngsters may realise that it is really their grandpa camouflaged behind the disguise!). Later in the day the Pavia family - Tony and Judy, Jason and wife Carol, Sharyn and husband Byron with children Kayley and Tom, plus Judy’s nephews and young cousins, will gather at the family home in Mahogany Creek for a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings. To conclude the celebration, fun and games for the children, courtesy of the adults.
All in all, a traditional Aussie Christmas for the enjoyment of the entire family, but most especially, for the children.
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