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     Bill (far right) with the seven oldest children in front of the Christmas tree (circa 
     
     1962.) In the back row (left to right) are Michael, Kevin, Mary Jane, and Stephen 
     
    
   
   
    
     Seated in front are Shawn, D’Arcy and Danny 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     The Murphys did not attend midnight mass when the children were 
     
     younger. Everyone was up early on Christmas morning, and the family 
     
     room would be waist—deep in wrapping paper. Kathleen recalls it was 
     
     complete mayhem. Most of the time, curiosity was restrained until 
     
     Christmas morning arrived, although one Christmas Eve, a young 
     
     Michael and Stephen were found prying gifts open while seated on the 
     
     kitchen table while the rest of the family were in the living room. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Christmas Day was all about family; they played games, tried out new 
     
     sporting equipment and got together around the kitchen table in the 
     
     evening for dinner. As the children grew older, midnight mass became 
     
     part of the ritual, along with meat pies after mass. They played Christmas 
     
     carols on a stereo; the Murphys, it is said, do not sing. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The family spent a lot of time together over the Christmas holidays, the 
     
     children playing with their new toys or games, taking part in hockey 
     
     tournaments and just generally relaxing. One favourite activity was table 
     
     hockey. The children organized tournaments that would go on for hours, 
     
    
   
   
    
     151