Childhood Memories

[PumpkinJack81]

Hi karanmi and welcome to the forums!

Thanks for posting so much already and keeping the threads active. :D I hope you continue to enjoy your time here with us and I look forward to hearing more about your Christmas traditions...

Happy Holidays!
PumpkinJack81
AllThingsChristmas Staff

[persimmonpudding]

I spent my first 5 Christmases in Germany. I remember being fascinated by the hand-crafted store displays, some animated, some not (but all were fantastic). Also, a very stern St. Nicholas on Dec 5!!! A much more jolly Santa Claus the rest of December.

I remember:

my little brother, the first few seasons he was mobile, walking up to glass balls and popping them in his hand while giggling (never let him near the shiny-brites!!!).

Santas that didn't look like they came fresh out of a dollar-store bag (not to be negative...just noticing).

Making cookies with mom...something I still do.

Decorating the tree and marveling at the finished work lit up in all its glory.

Tinsel!!!...before it was mylar...

Knee-hugger elves

Goin out in the knee-deep snow with grandpa to cut a tree.

(later) My Grandma had a couple of fake trees she used to break out...you never knew if you were getting the green one or the aluminum one...WITH COLORWHEEL! <grin> I liked it either way.

family stories

going to grandma and grandpas...grandpa was a hunter and holiday meals saw venison, wild turkey, squirrel, ham, and real stuffing...all of which I no longer eat. On the non-meat food side, we still eat baked cheese grits, all the normal sides, real cranberry relishes, pies, pies, pies, biscuits in the morning with various spreads, jams, and jellies we helper her process all summer, and more!

Coming back home for our home Christmas.

Anonymous gift-giving to non-family, strangers, buying groceries for people we didn't know, and dropping surprises on all kinds of folks...usually we secreted away, sometimes we got to watch from a distance.

[noelglori]

Getting the Christmas tree on Christmas eve and waiting patiently while my Dad put it in a bucket filled with stones and hopefully it stood upright, if it didn't my dad would get the hammer, nail and some string and it was attached to the wall to keep it from falling down.

Also, the Christmas my dad got some free decorations and he decked out our living room. I thought it was beautiful as a child but now I know it bordered on being a little "tacky" but I didn't care for in my child mind I thought it was wonderful.

Also the week of Christmas was filled with friends and family coming everynight, we always had company and I love watching the old home movies and seeing those dear people no longer with us.

[PumpkinJack81]

Getting the Christmas tree on Christmas eve and waiting patiently while my Dad put it in a bucket filled with stones and hopefully it stood upright, if it didn't my dad would get the hammer, nail and some string and it was attached to the wall to keep it from falling down.

Also, the Christmas my dad got some free decorations and he decked out our living room. I thought it was beautiful as a child but now I know it bordered on being a little "tacky" but I didn't care for in my child mind I thought it was wonderful.

Also the week of Christmas was filled with friends and family coming everynight, we always had company and I love watching the old home movies and seeing those dear people no longer with us.

Thanks for sharing those memories with us noelglori! :D And welcome to the forums!!!!

[leahrosa]

one of the fondest christmas memories i could not forget was when i was still in my elementary years. i would then gather all our neighbors and then we go from house to house and sing carols and were being "paid" hehehehe and the money we have collected we will buy candies and then would treat ourselves..herhehe such very childish acts..hehehehe and then another thing my grandma and grandpa from the province and all my cousins will visit us on the 25th and then all of us (my siblings) would then sort out our cabinets and then give to them all the clothes we no longer can use, this is how our parents trains us on sharing.. i know we were little kids way back then but to now we still practice these things, coz though how small or useless some things are for you, u will be amaze how important and usefull these are to other people...

[PumpkinJack81]

one of the fondest christmas memories i could not forget was when i was still in my elementary years. i would then gather all our neighbors and then we go from house to house and sing carols and were being "paid" hehehehe and the money we have collected we will buy candies and then would treat ourselves..herhehe such very childish acts..hehehehe and then another thing my grandma and grandpa from the province and all my cousins will visit us on the 25th and then all of us (my siblings) would then sort out our cabinets and then give to them all the clothes we no longer can use, this is how our parents trains us on sharing.. i know we were little kids way back then but to now we still practice these things, coz though how small or useless some things are for you, u will be amaze how important and usefull these are to other people...

I like the idea of cleaning out old clothes and giving them to relatives or the needy...What a wonderful way to learn sharing and giving to others.

[leahrosa]

I like the idea of cleaning out old clothes and giving them to relatives or the needy...What a wonderful way to learn sharing and giving to others.

yes bob, it is indeed wonderful, fulfilling not only we get to clean our closts but we have made others smile and have our old things put back to use

[M.W.]

Karanmi has it right: where to start??

I suppose the most vivid memory is that feeling on Christmas morning. The anticipation was excruciating, but in a a wonderfully-positive way. What other holiday can do that? Which one even comes close?

The anticipation of Christmas arriving was great, also. The weeks leading up to Christmas were wonderful. Those wonderful Christmas TV specials and cartoons. The highlight was when "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Rudolph" came on; that put me on warp ten as far as excitement for the season goes.

The Bob Hope Christmas specials were interesting to me. It was fun to watch an adult's take on Christmas. I still clearly remember Bing Crosby's last specials in the mid-seventies. He did such a wonderful job at combining the secular and religious aspects of Christmas.

Christmas Eve was amazing. The excitement and fun was off the emotional Richter Scale. We would have family over, and open presents from my mom's side of the family. Christmas Day was spent with my dad's side of the family. And while there were no children our age (there were many on mom's side), still it was special to be around them, and experience Christmas from a different angle, I guess you could say.

Even today, with a thumbprint cookie in hand, and the smell of a Christmas tree nearby, I still get that 'feeling' in the pit of my stomach, though for obviously different reasons.

The world seemed (seems) magical for one month.

[leahrosa]

The world seemed (seems) magical for one month.

yes i completely agree adn for me, its not only for a month 3 months maybe, but real excitement really draws after Nov 30

[PumpkinJack81]

Karanmi has it right: where to start??

I suppose the most vivid memory is that feeling on Christmas morning. The anticipation was excruciating, but in a a wonderfully-positive way. What other holiday can do that? Which one even comes close?

The anticipation of Christmas arriving was great, also. The weeks leading up to Christmas were wonderful. Those wonderful Christmas TV specials and cartoons. The highlight was when "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Rudolph" came on; that put me on warp ten as far as excitement for the season goes.

The Bob Hope Christmas specials were interesting to me. It was fun to watch an adult's take on Christmas. I still clearly remember Bing Crosby's last specials in the mid-seventies. He did such a wonderful job at combining the secular and religious aspects of Christmas.

Christmas Eve was amazing. The excitement and fun was off the emotional Richter Scale. We would have family over, and open presents from my mom's side of the family. Christmas Day was spent with my dad's side of the family. And while there were no children our age (there were many on mom's side), still it was special to be around them, and experience Christmas from a different angle, I guess you could say.

Even today, with a thumbprint cookie in hand, and the smell of a Christmas tree nearby, I still get that 'feeling' in the pit of my stomach, though for obviously different reasons.

The world seemed (seems) magical for one month.

What wonderful memories to share! Thank you so much, and welcome to the forums!