[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 ) 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

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]

Originally Posted by CheerLouth

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]

Originally Posted by otnomart

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]

Originally Posted by DvB

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]

Originally Posted by kitten_k

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]

Originally Posted by DvB

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 )

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