MIDLAND Vol. XCII
Midland School
MIRROR
Los Olivos, California
Tea Time
February 2024
No. 3
A Midland Tradition: Winter Banquet By Lyssa ‘26
There are many great and meaningful school traditions here at Midland, from the All School Hardluck to All Saints’ Day, steeped in history and with us since almost the very founding of our school. One of these treasured traditions is the Winter Banquet, our last dinner together before we all depart for Winter Break. The Winter Banquet marks the end of an era, the end of a semester, the end of our old jobs, the last time we will all be together as a whole community before the coming new year. We prepare for this event by donning our finest formal wear, some of us carry jackets prepared for the long outdoor ceremony, others, the more courageous, show off their style despite the cold. At promptly six o'clock, the evening begins in the assembly circle outside Stillman. Charlotte Greenblatt, Mathematics Faculty, stands on Stillman porch to commence this annual celebration.
Everyone standing in candelight
Her children, Tomas and Freya, wander around with baskets filled with programs and song I lyrics, along with candles. When everyone is settled and the candles at the end of the semi-circle begin to blaze, Charlotte and John Babbott, English Faculty, begin to play festive music on the piano and guitar. One by one, the glowing flame makes its way ever closer, creeping, crawling, one small candle at a time. It seems to take forever for it to get halfway around the circle, and even longer to complete its full rotation, but when it finally does, we begin the rest of our program, huddling together singing songs and yearning for the comforting glow. We have numerous festive holiday songs, from Let it Snow and Jingle Bells, to Hannukah, oh Hanukkah and ‘Tis the Gift to Be Simple. Interspersed between these songs were many different readings from different religions and classic stories, including an excerpt from The Bible and part of “The Night Before Christmas.” Many people found one highlight of this festive event was when Freya, Charlotte’s six year old daughter, played the piano for us. Waiters ready for the banquet to begin
After the conclusion of the outdoor portion of the event, we all extinguish our candles and prepare our bellies for the mouthwatering feast that lay ahead. When we enter Stillman, it's magical. Mistletoe hangs from the rafters over the tables arranged in four long rows decorated with red table cloth, candles, and festive floral arrangements. The setup of Stillman leaves us with less seating space than we are accustomed to, but we manage, crowded together basking in dim candlelight and laughter. After saying grace and commemorating the kitchen staff - Gloria, José and Lupita along with numerous volunteers - for the tamales, we dig in. With hot apple cider and empanadas as well, it is a delicious feast. When dinner is over, we are all sad to leave the warmth and head back to our cabins, but we do, though some of us who didn’t come prepared with a handy Carhart or Patagonia Jacket are subject to the harsh winter chills. Perhaps next year they will have more foresight, though probably not.
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