What do you remember about Christmass of your childhood?

mlumley

As the title says, what stands out in your mind?

Mine, I remember LIT CANDNELS on the tree. What would health and safty have to say about that now adays?

We woke up to a pillow case full of toys, nuts, and fruit (just to fill it up).

Then after we had played for a couple of hours with the toys, out to our friends to see what they got and have a play with their toys.

Xmass lunch was a big Chicken, they were dear then, dearer than roast beef.

Then more playing with our toys.

Then, marvel of marvel, we got a tv. Wow, that was something. Not much on in them days, (50's) but it was exciting for us.

So come on and share your memories.

looksee

Yes we did lit candles too! In fact it all sounds very much like ours was like yours! Tho' we didn't have a tv till I was 10 or more.

One Christmas I do remember, my sister got a scooter. She scooted round the living room table then put the brake on, went over the top of the scooter and very irritated local doctor had to be called out to stitch her up!

Pulsating Star

Waiting to be let down to the kitchen to see what we got. Boys from one room ,girls from another. Nobody was let down till all were ready. Even from an early age the girls always took longer to get ready Each would have a chair with goodies laid out around the range.

I always remember looking forward to xmass, still do, even in a house often filled with tension, xmass was a good time.

Condo131

My two brothers & I all got cap-guns for Christmas. My elder brother got a couple of mega-boxes of caps and we blew the heads off each other all morning. Some time around mid-day, there was a disarmament edict from our parents and the guns were impounded.

I guess 'de parents' heads were done in with the continuous bang! bang! bang! and the stench of sulphur. Looking back, I don't know how they stuck it so long. It makes me chuckle to think of torment we put them through! LOL

Namle

Visiting my grandparents on Christmas eve. All the family gathered to exchange gifts. As a typically large Irish family there were about 25 cousins. When I look back the pain all the aunts and uncles used sit through. No one was given their gifts until they did their party piece. Even if you only started learning an instrument you were forced to play. The number of times Christmas carols were murdered by kids playing tin whistle, recorder, fiddle or piano doesn't bare remembering.

Then of course, as mid-night mass was actually at mid-night all the aunts and uncles would head of to mass in typically Irish fashion, locked!!!!

Happy memories:)

Rubecula

Happiest Christmas I can remember as a child was the one where god love them, my parents had got the money together somehow to by me a set of toy cars (Corgi for those who know them) I kept the cars in pristine condition, in their boxes until I was in my 20's. I wish I still had them, I really wish I still had them.

Bearhunter

What I remember best is that even when there was no money to be had, my parents somehow managed to get us presents we wanted. I discovered later that my father gave up fags for six months to save for Christmas, which brought a lump to my throat when I found out.
But what I really loved about Christmas was walking up the street and every window with a lit candle in it. Do people still do that?

Jellybaby1

One year I remember my mother waiting, waiting and waiting, to be paid on Christmas Eve so she could run as fast as she could to Hector Greys to get our presents. She was a dressmaker and her few customers used to do their shopping and then leave my mother until the last minute. The 'good old days' weren't always 'good'!

policarp

I remember my mother changing nearly all the bulbs on the christmas tree lights after one bulb had blown. . .

Beruthiel

Getting up in the middle of the night to see what Santa brought cos I couldn't wait till morning.
He brought me lego for quite a few years. I was big into my lego.

At the age of 10 I ran into my pregnant mother in the hall. She frightened the life out of me as it was dark and I didn't see her. Legged it back to bed.
She was gone the next morning, in hospital having my younger sister.
For years I thought I had frightened the baby out of her.

policarp

Is your sisters name Noeleen?

BBDBB

We used to go to my Granny and Grandads house because Santy knew my Granny personally and he would drop in after dark on Christmas Eve and sit in my Grannys living room dishing out presents. As a kid this was just awesome as we were allowed to open them and play with them that evening before bed.

I remember the year, playing hide and seek with my younger brother and sister during the day of Xmas Eve in my Grannys house, opening a wardrobe and discovering a full santa suit and then showing my brother and sister. They were in floods of tears and I was sent to bed :pac:


But Santa still came that night \o/

Rubecula

Sad isn't it? When the belief dies, so does a special bit of magic.

mlumley

Rubecula wrote: »

Sad isn't it? When the belief dies, so does a special bit of magic.

I dont think that's entierly true, you can keep it alive through the next generation. I know I am doing that with my son who is 7. Last year he was telling me he dont belive in Santie, I told him, well if you dont belive you might not get any presents. Come december he was full of talk and santa. This year, it is Santa this and Santa will bring me that. No, the magic is very much alive.;)

Spread

Turkey, Stuffing and the Sherry Trifle (which strangely included bananas) and going on The Wren the following day. After the first few houses we had the price of 20 cigarettes . Three of us used to dress up for it and the usual haul was around £10 per head - but one year we got over £13 each. This was in the late 50s! We would cover most of the parish on pushbikes and knew the "good" houses by heart. Aaaaaaaah!

zenno

I remember when i lived in buncrana donegal when i was a kid it was a small cottage right beside the mountains a mile from the nearest house and snow everywhere and the clearest stary night you would ever see and i just sat out in that cold for hours looking at the sky, that is the main thing i remember from a christmas childhood. i'll never forget that place it was just a picture postcard that will stay in my mind for my lifetime.

The Princess Bride

Every Christmas,on the last day of school before holidays,the teachers would bring in a box of Lemon's sweets to divide between the classes.
We'd all sit there in anticipation for maybe 5 or 6 sweets each- then swap them if we weren't happy with what we got.
For some reason,these were the nicest sweets ever,maybe because we so seldom got anything nice from our teachers.

CrowdedHouse

Condo131 wrote: »

My two brothers & I all got cap-guns for Christmas.

Yes...it always sticks in my memory the crackle and bang of caps all over the estate, from dawn to dusk on Christmas day.

'Brocks' was that the brand of the caps ?, seems to stick in my head

AnnaStezia

The excitement of the first time I was allowed light the candle in the front window. This ceremony took place every Christmas Eve at 6pm. Everyone else on the road did the same. Very few do it now. As old neighbours died or moved the practice stopped.

Jellybaby1

AnnaStezia wrote: »

The excitement of the first time I was allowed light the candle in the front window. This ceremony took place every Christmas Eve at 6pm. Everyone else on the road did the same. Very few do it now. As old neighbours died or moved the practice stopped.

My neighbours mainly have electric candles in their windows so it hasn't really died out, just got more safe I suppose as they all have net curtains. I only have real candles on the Christmas table for the meal or on the mantelpiece in the evening. I like the soft glow.