What are your special Christmas memories...

[dattia]

I was on Facebook this morning, and a friend of mine put a question out there... What is your favorite thing(s) about Christmas. Of course, this got me thinking about mine. Then my mind really started to wander and I ended up reliving some special Christmas memories of my youth. I am sitting here with a smile on my face, so I decided to ask a similar question here.

In all my contemplating, I came up with this as my favorite memory. It is not of one specific memory, but rather the way my Mom presented the holiday to us. When I was very young, my Mom was a single parent with six children. She often worked two jobs and was somehow able to raise us in a neighborhood that disguised the fact that we had no money. Christmas presents were always few and always very much appreciated. What she did for us though that made it all magical was a far cry from the way many people celebrate today.

When we went to bed on Christmas Eve, we did the usual putting out a plate of cookies and milk for Santa and throwing a few carrots in the front yard for you-know-who. Other than that, there were no signs of Christmas anywhere in the house. We went to bed just as always, and somehow between the time we actually fell alseep and the next morning... Christmas had arrived in all it's glory. When we made our way down the steps, the first thing that caught our attention was the most gorgeous magical tree you ever saw. It always had a layer of "Angel Hair' covering it that made each bulb have a mystical glow around it. And then the presents... like I said, they were few... but when you have six kids, it looked like a ton! At that point, it was a free-for-all! Paper, bows and ribbons flying in the air for a chaotic few minutes. Then we basked in the after glow for a moment and got down to the serious business of playing with our toys.

I never understood why Mom always passed out on the sofa at that point... but the day was ours. No visiting, just playing. I loved it. It wasn't until many years later that I realized my Mom worked all night decorating and wrapping and making everything 'just so' for us. She was barely closing her eyes at the moment ours were popping open in anticipation.

When we got older, she changed that tradition to putting the tree up in advance and hosting an "Open House" for family and friends every Christmas Eve. That was exciting too, but could never compare to the wonderment of those magical mornings of Christmases gone by.

Do you have any favorite memories that you'd like to share?

[NJ_Mike]

Thanks Dawn - great story.

I love this time of year, the Christmas holiday, New Years, it means so much from a family standpoint. Everything is more enjoyable, happier. Since my kids have been born I've made sure to have vacation available for this time of year to make sure I get the most out of it.

One thing in particular for me is the magic of Christmas, my kids are getting older now, only my youngest still believes in Santa, and this is probably the last year she will (she may be faking it already, I'm not sure, but I've seen signs) so we are almost moving on from that phase, but the wonder on their faces, the amazement at what is there and the excitement of the kids really makes the holiday special. That same magic that you felt when the tree and presents appeared over night.

How often in life do we get to contribute to that kind of wonder and get to see that kind of genuine surprise and joy? Outside of the obvious aspects, that joy and time with family in the surroundings of this holiday are the best gift and provide the real meaning of Christmas for me (to keep the religious aspect out of it, not in a negative way, but just to focus on the joy of the kids).

My wife is from an Italian family and although we don't do the traditional Italian thing, we have developed some traditions. On Christmas Eve, I'll go pick up my grandmother and drive on the way back to meet my wife and kids at the cemetery where my wife's grandparents are buried. We leave a wreath on each grave, then my wife and grandmother go to our house and start cooking and getting ready for Christmas Eve, while the kids and I stay out of their hair, usually by going to a movie.

My wife's family comes to our house for Christmas Eve, we go to my in-laws on Christmas day (they live very close to us) a couple of days later we drive to my parents house (about 2.5 hours) and celebrate with them. Then we are home for Sushi and Chinese food on New Years Eve, just us, the kids, my wife and I.

It hit me a few years ago that we've been married long enough (18 years) to have developed our own traditions, rather than continuing the ones we grew up with.

Dawn -thanks for starting this, it has been a rough week at work and just typing this up put a smile on my face.

Mike

[dattia]

...and a smile on mine. Thanks!

[luckydog]

My family consisted of my parents with 4 boys and 2 boys

in the 50's my dad was making about a hundred dollars a week and my mom did sewing, mending and other things to make a little money.

she made most of our clothes and being the youngest boy i got all the hand me downs.

at Christmas we got one toy and the rest was clothes or shoes we needed.

santa always came christmas eve around 8pm, we always knew it was my dad or older brothers, but, we kept our mouth shut, thinking we wouldn't get anything if they knew we knew

one christmas eve a second santa showed up and we didn't know who it was and we were scared because of that. in the old days santa always carried a small whip for bad girls and boys this santa hit my dad with it

two christmases stand out for me,
my sister and I were laying on the floor reading the funnies one christmas eve and didn't notice my older brother coimg in, he came in and set a new little puppy on the floor, it ran over to us and started licking me on the face we named him pal and he looked like the dog on our gang mostly white with a circle around his eye.

the other one was when my 5 year older brother and I got a Marx Train set from my older brother for christmas, but, in a few weeks we had wrecked it

our family barely had enough money, but, we got along fine without welfare or other assistance

I think thats why I love "toys" so much now, I never had many as a kid

[Sid]

No one particular Christmas memory sticks out.

All were spent with family always as a family
sitting up Christmas eve waiting for my dad to come home from work.

Mom baking traditional Greek Christmas cookies

Making Christmas ornaments and decorating the tree.
Big family dinners on Christmas day.
Turkey soup and sandwiches the next day.
visiting family friends
eating and more eating..

this year we are having a big Christmas dinner at our house, my parents will be there, my brother and his wife. and my childhood friend from Canada will be visiting for the duration of the holidays. So perhaps this will be my specific Christmas to remember..

but even if its not.. I'm sure it will be a good one.

A Merry Christmas to all.

[hanabi]

What a wonderful thread

Not a specific Christmas for me either, just the magic that christmas with family is, and especially now looking back...

My Mum and Dad married quite young and had 2 children by the time they were 20. I never realised how hard life must have been like for them, bringing up and caring for children when they weren't that old themselves

We never had much money when I was growing up, but I didn't seem to notice at the time, there was always laughter and music in our home

Christmas time was wonderful, helping put the tree up and decorating it, hand made decorations that you don't see these days, I worked for months sewing 3 little felt toys for the tree, sewing on tiny seed beads to a Santa, Snowman and Angel, I can't have been more than 8 years old

We always went to bed early Christmas Eve, so Santa could arrive whilst we slept, and sure enough Xmas morning we knew he had been. always a christmas stocking with little things in it, and a satsuma of course!! We always got a 'selection box' of various chocolate bars too and those days you got games and puzzles or things to construct printed on the boxes,

I remember one year receiving a beautiful handmade dolls house, that my father had spent many evenings working on,

Another year I desperately wanted no NEEDED a ballerina Sindy doll and was overjoyed to find it as I tore off the wrapping paper

And I'll never forgot when myself and my sister received identical Denim Culottes and matching jackets, we thought we were the bee's knees in those, well it was the 70's!!

Always had turkey with all the trimmings for xmas, roast potatoes, sprouts, yorkshire puddings, sage & onion stuffing (cooked separately so the stuffing was crispy)

we would eat till we couldn't eat anymore and sit there too full to move, pulling our christmas crackers, telling each other the cheezy jokes in the mottos and wearing the silly paper hats that are always too big and fall down over your eyes

Yes very happy memories of Christmas past and hopefully I have carrried on some of my parents traditions with my own children

I hope Christmas is a special time for you and your families too

[beachcat]

wow what a wonderful thread you started here Dawn!!

Christmas since I became a parent has been very hectic, Christmas Eve traveling to one set of parents and Christmas Day visiting the other . They lived about 3 to 4 hours apart so it became very stressful every year. the children always seemed happy though and never complained. heck they actually had 3 Celebrations.

One year I vetoed everyone. My oldest was 17 years old and I had no traditions, just driving...So I put my foot down and had both sides of the family visit along with some of their cousins! It was so exciting to bake lots of goodies and see the smiles on my children's faces. they were finally home for Christmas.
I will always remember how special that day was!

This year we will be visiting my mom before Christmas so on Christmas day we will be home! and my son will be visiting from the Navy!!

[dattia]

Some times you gotta put your foot down just like that! Sounds like it was a day to remember... and this one coming up too! How excited you must be!

[BigBearSteve]

Hmmmm, Christmas memories...

Is it Christmas already?



Growing up in Socal, I visited Disneyland and Knotts Berryfarm often, always at christmas time.

We would go to Knotts and walk through the wonderful little shops in the village.

They were always done up for X-mas, with all the lights and decorations.

Truly a winter wonderland.

And then we would go see Santa in his Igloo, in the middle of the village.

We would get to go to Disneyland for the Christmas parade.

My fondest memory was when I was 7 or 8 years old.

We were at the park on Christmas eve, watching the parade.

It was cold, very cold.

As the parade passed us, just when Santa was coming into view,
It started Snowing!!

Now it was really just a drizzle, but by the time it got down to the ground it was tiny little snow flakes.

That was one Christmas, I'll never forget.

[owennewton]

From the time I was 5 until about 8 years ago we would go to my grandparents on my dads side for the big dinner (I have 30+ cousins) with everyone. that tradition ended when my grandmother didn't feel up to doing all the work to feed the group and as almost everyone has kids now and wanted to do a smaller thing for themselves. After that My mother and I would go to some friends in Hillsboro to do a small thing with them but this year I am going with Kat to her moms place to do Christmas and then we will do a meal here over the weekend for the 3 of us.

I miss the big dinners and wish it was still going on every year but the Henrys are very stubborn and hard to get together sometimes

[takethecastle57]

The one Xmas i remember was in the early 1960's and I come from a family of seven kids and my dad at the time was working i think 2 jobs and i was sleeping on the couch waiting for dad to come home and when i awoke there was a tree with all the real glass orniments and my mom and dad in the kitchen and they said that Santa came and brought the tree . Tangerines and real pine tree are the smells that still bring a smile to this tired old solider.

[new in town]

This was me up in Long Island.

Spoiler

And the Legs were Saran Wrapped!

[Ikaria]

Definitely not my favorite Christmas, but the one I'll never forget is 2005 when I broke both legs 2 days before Thanksgiving, and spent Christmas on crutches.

My daughter still rants about when she took me Christmas shopping. I'm riding around in the electric shopping cart, almost running people over, and she's following along in my wake apologizing to all the shoppers.

LOL! Good times!

[beachcat]

My parents used to go to the midnight mass on Christmas Eve. When they came home they would scury about getting everything ready for Christmas. I used to wake up at 3 am smelling breakfast cooking. I would hurry up and wake my brothers and Sister. after we ate we would open 1 gift ( usally PJ's) Then it was off to bed with wonderful dreams. in the morning we would awake to a tree full of wonderful presents everywhere. one christmas Santa Brought all five kids new bicycles. Mine ofcourse was the one with the flat tire

[RaymondV]

A few special Christmas memories..
My parents and 2 older brothers were originally from Connecticut and they moved here in 1963 because of my fathers work so I was the only one born in Michigan in my family.
I grew up not really knowing my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins that my family left behind but when I was 4 or 5 years old we all went back east for Christmas at my grandparents house.
I remember being so excited to be able to play with all my cousins and going to everybodys houses for Christmas gatherings.

Another time when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old on Christmas Eve it was snowing outside and there was knock on the door and my father opened it and said "Ray come here and look", sitting on the porch was a box with a record player in it which by the way I really wanted to get that year. There were footprints leading away from the porch in the snow and I think I really believed it was Santa Claus that left it there. I am sure that it was just one of my older brothers that put it there but I never even asked about it.

What I really miss not just at Christmas time but pretty much always are my mom & dad. My dad passed away in 1996 and my mother in 1998 and they are in my thoughts quite often but at Christmas time it just really hits me in the gut that they are both gone.

Merry Christmas Everyone

[johntofva]

No real special memories from the Holiday Seasons except one. It was 1967, I walked down into the basement and watched my father cut out wooden ornaments to hang.

After he finished those, he took a piece of plywood and cut a hole so the Christmas tree would fit through the middle. Then he built a platform so the plywood would sit 12 inches off the floor. On top of this a miniature world was created for our train set to wind it's way through. That was his last Christmas, but it was a tradition we carried on many years to follow. And one I hope to recreate for Alexis. The only difference being using Marklin instead of Lionel.