Childhood Christmas Memories

Loughc

So what are your favorite Childhood Christmas memories?

Some of mine are waiting for the Christmas RTE guide to come out so I could check what time the Den was starting on Christmas morning,

The Den Christmas crisis on Christmas Eve was also a big part of the build up.

Being 100% sure that I could hear the sleigh bells and the sled on the roof or see the glow of a red nose.

We only got fizzy drinks on very special occasions! (Kids are spoilt now :P) so seeing the stockpile of sweets, fizzy drinks and biscuits was always amazing.

Having stockings put at the end of our beds, presumably to keep us entertained when we woke up, and our presents were downstairs. As we got older the stockings ended up outside our bedroom doors, myself and my sister used to think we were being clever as we used to use Football socks as our Christmas socks...

CheerLouth

I used to love the Den crisis!

Some of mine were:

The 6 O Clock news on Christmas Eve giving an update on Santa's progress

Preparation of the Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve - my job was always to prep the sprouts - not as easy as it sounds, especially once my dad got notions about putting crosses at the bottom of them :P

My Dad used to work for Coke so he'd get staff sales at Christmas time & he'd come home with crates of "minerals" - we didn't get fizzy drinks that often! And then we'd help him make up mixed crates for all my auntys and uncles so that every house had a crate!

But the best one of all was the time that Santy came to visit us in our house & gave us all a 10 penny mix! I must have been about 8 & I remember just feeling in awe that he was in our house!

Loughc

CheerLouth wrote: »

The 6 O Clock news on Christmas Eve giving an update on Santa's progress

Yes!!! I still check in every year for that segment!

otnomart

So many memories !
I will start with:
writing the letter to Santa (also on behalf of younger sibling).
My parents Santa kept them and we re-read some recently and they were hilarious.

Loughc

otnomart wrote: »

So many memories !
I will start with:
writing the letter to Santa (also on behalf of younger sibling).
Santa kept them and we re-read some recently and they were hilarious.

That is SUCH a good idea! What a great memory to have!

gidget

One that sticks out for me was writing my letter to Santa and putting it up the chimney. That feeling i'd get when i went back to check later and it was gone.

Watching Santa Claus the Movie without fail every Christmas Eve as that was my vision of Santa and the North Pole, still watch it to this day.

odyssey06

Christmas RTE guide +1.

And the glow from multi coloured christmas tree lights... somehow had a warmer glow than the current fashion fior clear / silver ice look.

My dads xmas company kids party trip to the cinema. Carlton on O Connell street.

Loughc

It still irks me that they never released all of the Den Christmas Specials on DVD. They were so good!

branie2

Waking up on Christmas morning, and seeing my presents in the living area of the kitchen

DvB

So many childhood christmas memories... off the top of my head...

My dad bringing home the RTE Guide, Radio Times & TV times and me marking off all the stuff I planned to watch (& mostly never did)

Getting a day off school in the run up to go in & see santa in switzers (showing my age there) & then arnotts after switzers was no more, we'd always get a gift from my mum & dad that day too & lunch in McDonalds, that was almost as big a day as christmas back then for us!!

Putting up the 'now retro' decorations & the same artificial tree for years, was convinced it was huge & remember being disappointed when clearing out my folks attic a couple of years ago & finding it & realising how small it looked.

Midnight mass on christmas eve (which was usually at 9pm bizarrely!!)

Being convinced I heard santa on the roof one year... & I mean convinced!!!

Staying awake every christmas eve night through pure excitement & raging because I wanted it to go quicker!!

Going down on christmas morning & dying to see what presents we'd all gotten. Still remember a bike, star wars stuff, star trek stuff, always getting the guinness book of records & annuals (Beano & Dandy and shoot or Match as I got older)

Going visiting my relatives in Cabra who all lived in 3 houses in a row on the one street. We did that for at least 20 years, up to the stage I remember being the designated driver so my dad could have a beer or two.

Remember how the holidays seemed to take an age to arrive & then every shop closed for what seemed like weeks and all the grown ups were off work.

Have loads more & will try to add to this later. Man, what great memories though!

Loughc

DvB wrote: »

Midnight mass on christmas eve (which was usually at 9pm bizarrely!!)

Being convinced I heard santa on the roof one year... & I mean convinced!!!

Staying awake every christmas eve night through pure excitement & raging because I wanted it to go quicker!!

Going down on christmas morning & dying to see what presents we'd all gotten. always getting the guinness book of records & annuals (Beano & Dandy and shoot or Match as I got older)

Remember how the holidays seemed to take an age to arrive & then every shop closed for what seemed like weeks and all the grown ups were off work.

Ah man so many similar memories. Trying to sleep on Christmas Eve was spot on!!!

I used to get the Beano and Dandy every year too!! Loved them!

And I still remember walking up town on the 27th of Dec and almost every shop was still closed.

branie2

I would get the Dandy annual every Christmas as a present from my grandmother

kitten_k

I always got the Twinkle annual, loved it

DvB

kitten_k wrote: »

I always got the Twinkle annual, loved it

My sister's used to get that, and the Judy annual too.
Are these things gone now or do they still exist? I know we got our vtwo a fortnite and LOL annual this year but they seem to be a rarity nowadays.

Loughc

DvB wrote: »

My sister's used to get that, and the Judy annual too.
Are these things gone now or do they still exist? I know we got our vtwo a fortnite and LOL annual this year but they seem to be a rarity nowadays.

My sister got the Bunty and Judy every year too. (Although I think they were more for my Mam :P )

I seen a Beano and Dandy annual last year, even though the weekly comics have stopped. Not sure about the Judy and that.

WINDING UP THAT CLOCKWORK bulldozer / trainset locomotive (I got TWO Clockwork trainsets in the 1970's)

PUTTING THOSE UTTERLY SHYTE EVER-READY AA BATTERIES INTO THAT toy car. (Every-ready batteries litterally only lasted 5 minutes, and then if you wanted to get the last dreggs of power out of them, you put them on the radiator)

Loughc

Loughc wrote: »

It still irks me that they never released all of the Den Christmas Specials on DVD. They were so good!

Ah shure, maybe maybe RTE wants to bring it out on Blu Ray ha ha:D:pac:

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

My sister got the Bunty and Judy every year too. (Although I think they were more for my Mam :P )

I seen a Beano and Dandy annual last year, even though the weekly comics have stopped. Not sure about the Judy and that.

The BUNTY!!! Thats the other girls one i was thinking of but couldnt remember, fair play!!!

I alwasy assumed I was older than you LoughC but we might be of more similar vintage than i thought!:D

TRS30

Checking the RTE guide to see what time the Great Escape was on Christmas Day and then making sure I wolfed down dinner at my Granny's so could go watch it.

My Dad putting Bing Crosby's Christmas songs on the record player on Christmas morning when back from church.

Have to travel to Wexford in the car on Stephens Days to see my Mums family, showing my cousins my new toys. Falling asleep on the way home and waking up in the driveway at home.

When older going to friends houses on Christmas evening for cans and Roses!

Christmas time was like much of my childhood, happy memories.

CheerLouth

TRS30 wrote: »

Christmas time was like much of my childhood, happy memories.

What a lovely affirmation for your parents! The hope of every parent I think is that their children look back on their childhood with fond memories!

branie2

My father and I had a tradition of going to the pub on St. Stephen's Day

TRS30

CheerLouth wrote: »

What a lovely affirmation for your parents! The hope of every parent I think is that their children look back on their childhood with fond memories!

Agree 1000%, I'm probably guilty of not telling my parents enough of how grateful I am to them for giving me such a wonderful childhood.

I think it is only when you have kids of your own you really start to appreciate what is important. Both my wife and I want nothing more for our kids then for them to have happy memories of when there were young.

Jude13

So many of the same. I was in Dempsey's Den fan club, I even got a membership card.

My dad filling out the 'minerals' order form to be given to the milk man (we only had fizzy drinks on our birthday and at Christmas) and him pretending that we only needed milk.

Boxes of crisps. Tins of quality street.

Swearing blind that I heard santa on the roof. My mum showing us the robin in the back garden saying it was santa's spy and we should not be kicking the sh*te out of each other.

My dog receiving a doggie selection box from santa.

Making christmas decorations in primary school and I think there was a christmas magazine.

Being allowed to light candles, I love it to this day. Even on a random day I love lighting candles around the house, drives my OH nuts.

Having cousins over and playing wwe until someone started crying.

branie2

The selection boxes

DvB

branie2 wrote: »

The selection boxes

The real deal too. Not the miniaturized one's we get nowadays.

Loughc

DvB wrote: »

The real deal too. Not the miniaturized one's we get nowadays.

The selection boxes nets with the big bars was the best.

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

The selection boxes nets with the big bars was the best.

were they the mars and marathon one's? IIRC the Cadbury one's were always in boxes. Could be wrong though.

But yeah the net one's shaped like a sock were the business.

Loughc

DvB wrote: »

were they the mars and marathon one's? IIRC the Cadbury one's were always in boxes. Could be wrong though.

But yeah the net one's shaped like a sock were the business.

Yeah was Mars were the ones who did the nets.

Jude13

Yeah the net ones were Mars.

To add to the list, everyone stirring the pudding.

odyssey06

There seemed to be way more Christmas specials (scripted shows like comedy, drama) on TV, and once offs like Wallace & Gromit, Robbie the Reindeer, the Snowman.

odyssey06

As a kid meeting Santa in department store \ christmas party and getting a small toy which was #1 toy until the big day itself.

branie2

My earliest memory of Christmas was when I was three years and I got a cowboy hat, waistcoat and rifle from Santa.

Loughc

Giving this a seasonal bump

Posy

One of the first presents I can remember getting was my own Nosy Bear.
I got the Nosy Bear annual too, as well as Twinkle and Jem.

NSAman

Parents gone to mass. Presents opened by us and found my brother got something I wanted. He goaded me and goaded me. I broke up the pressie because of the wind up. Was climbing the stairs with him winding me up with a piece of the present in my hand. He annoyed me so much I threw it down the stairs narrowly missing his head (thankfully) and it went straight through the window beside the door.... needless to say... the wooden spoon came out on Christmas day....

Such good times..;)

freshpopcorn

My earliest memories of Santa growing of waking up one Christmas morning and getting a farm set and another one I got a toy tractor.
I always just got up when I woke and there was never a big thing about getting up really early.
My siblings were a decade older than me. So, I was sort of by myself regarding the Santa buzz in a way.
Then when I got more into it I got stuff such as Play station 1.(Used very little of it).
I got a chemistry set and electronic set one year and I loved them.(I didn't go on to love science in secondary school.)
Dustin the turkey was another hit.
Funnily enough I often loved the little gift in my stocking.
I loved the night Christmas Eve having a bath with special bubble bath/bombs, new clothes, preparing the Christmas table for him and lighting the Christmas candles.(I generally had a cold).

I'm unsure of my last Santa Christmas tough.
I remember one year I was unsure and I looked out the door and whatever way the sky looked I was certain I saw an image of his sleigh in the sky.
However the bubble burst on a Christmas morning when there was an issue with something and my brother mentioned something along the lines of receipt.
I was a child who got a long time out of it tough. The magic of it meant so much to me, I really looked forward to it.

gypsylee

I remember being very sick one year the week before Christmas. Hated the medicine but was told that Santy would bring the Sindy ballerina doll if I took it! Lo and behold there she was under the tree on Christmas morning. A lovely memory.

I have a lot of siblings so there was always someone younger who believed once I realised the truth! It prolonged the magic for me.

TRS30

freshpopcorn wrote: »

My earliest memories of Santa growing of waking up one Christmas morning and getting a farm set and another one I got a toy tractor.
I always just got up when I woke and there was never a big thing about getting up really early.
My siblings were a decade older than me. So, I was sort of by myself regarding the Santa buzz in a way.
Then when I got more into it I got stuff such as Play station 1.(Used very little of it).
I got a chemistry set and electronic set one year and I loved them.(I didn't go on to love science in secondary school.)
Dustin the turkey was another hit.
Funnily enough I often loved the little gift in my stocking.
I loved the night Christmas Eve having a bath with special bubble bath/bombs, new clothes, preparing the Christmas table for him and lighting the Christmas candles.(I generally had a cold).

I'm unsure of my last Santa Christmas tough.
I remember one year I was unsure and I looked out the door and whatever way the sky looked I was certain I saw an image of his sleigh in the sky.
However the bubble burst on a Christmas morning when there was an issue with something and my brother mentioned something along the lines of receipt.
I was a child who got a long time out of it tough. The magic of it meant so much to me, I really looked forward to it.

Those are great memories. I unfortunately cant remember anything specific about Santa when I was younger:(

I do remember Christmas been a happy time in my house and seeing lots of relatives and knowing my parents I'm sure I was spoilt so even thought I don't remember them I know they would be happy memories

Postgrad10

gypsylee wrote: »

I remember being very sick one year the week before Christmas. Hated the medicine but was told that Santy would bring the Sindy ballerina doll if I took it! Lo and behold there she was under the tree on Christmas morning. A lovely memory.

I have a lot of siblings so there was always someone younger who believed once I realised the truth! It prolonged the magic for me.

I had this Sindy whom I thought was a ballerina, turns out she’s a swan princess. https://picclick.co.uk/1990s-Swan-Princess-Ballerina-Sindy-Doll-with-Clothing-142744470138.html#&gid=1&pid=1

tickingclock

I do remember Christmas been a happy time in my house and seeing lots of relatives and knowing my parents I'm sure I was spoilt so even thought I don't remember them I know they would be happy memories

That is so lovely. If your parents are still alive you should share that thought with them. I too have happy memories of Christmas at home. I thought everyone did but now I'm aware I'm one of the lucky ones.

Postgrad10

Got reminded by the crayola marker thread. Santa got me this another year. https://en.todocoleccion.net/dresses-spanish-dolls/gran-peluqueria-salon-belleza-sindy-hasbro-ano-1994-descatalogado~x25421798

SarahLil

I am an only child I was raised in my grandads house with my grandad, my mam and late god mother
I have always loved Christmas, I have great memories,
On a Christmas Eve when I was a young child myself and my mam would always crack open the Tin of Roses, the red lemonade or American cream soda and watch the TV together anytime I left the room my mam would call out quick quick I think I heard the bells, I would bolt back into the room saying what what...what did I miss

On one occasion when I was younger I couldn't get my head around how Santa was going to get into the house, that night my grandad came home from a pint to find me up and not asleep I couldn't sleep I think I was terrified Santa was going to come into our house while we were all asleep
My grandads words were I will stay up and wait for Santa and take the toys off him so he doesn't have to come into the house and I remember nodding to my grandad yes and off to bed I went

Seamai

I can remember my mum taking my brother and I to see Santy in a department store in Cork called Buckley's back in late 60's (roughly where Next fronts on to Academy street now). Their draw that year was they had Rudolph there, I suspect it was probably a fallow deer, in a little pen lined with aluminium foil to give it a festive look, all I can remember was the smell from it, did it stink! poor little fella, he was probably traumatised.

beertons

I remember I nearly caught him 1 year. There was a creaking the floor inside my door, on the floor. I think I was around 7 or 8, saw a small scalextric set. Hopped out of the cot and started pulling it apart. It didn't take long for the parentals to hear my commotion and order e back to the cot.

DJIMI TRARORE

The bsatard ate half of my selection box

VanHalen

The other day I was walking up North Earl Street and noticed the demolition of Clery's going on. It reminded me of being brought to Clery's to see Santa back in the 60's. I can't remember the Santa experience itself but the endless queue to see the big man - it seemed like we waited for hours!
I also remember being brought to see Santa at the bottom of Mary Street/Jervis Street - what is now Toymaster - I think it used to be called Dockrell's? The guy there used to have really thick glasses and I remember thinking he couldn't be the "real" Santa (like at Clery's) 'cos I'd never seen a picture of Santa with glasses!

Toto Wolfcastle

I once saw Santa in my bedroom. In reality, I think I was half asleep and looking at the painting of my parents that was on the wall but I was fully convinced it was Santa. I also saw him when I looked through the keyhole of the sitting room before we went in to see what he had left for us. Turns out it was a white Power Ranger bubble bath on top of the TV.

TRS30

tickingclock wrote: »

That is so lovely. If your parents are still alive you should share that thought with them. I too have happy memories of Christmas at home. I thought everyone did but now I'm aware I'm one of the lucky ones.

I do tell them how grateful I am for everything they did (and still do) for me. As I have got old I have started to realise how luck I was growing. Similarly, I thought everyone had the same childhood I did however am well aware that is not the case.

Jude13

I remember feeling properly ill with excitement when my Mum would wind us up about Santa's robin and when she heard sleigh bells. I also had wonderful primary school teachers who really got in to it. I loved walking home from school past the vegetable shop which would have wreaths and trees outside then past the butchers which was manic.

I don't have many clear memories of santa, we were sent back to bed a few years as we would wake at 4 or 5am. We heard santa and his wife drunkenly race our toys around the living room one year but were too afraid to go down stairs.

I remember how serious I took leaving out a large bottle of Guinness, a slice of pudding, and carrots for the reindeer. I was always afraid the dog would eat it all.

TRS30

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

...the painting of my parents that was on the wall.....

Is that beside the family coat of arms?!!

Toto Wolfcastle

TRS30 wrote: »

Is that beside the family coat of arms?!!

That was in my grandparents’ house. :pac: