Memories of Christmas past.

[mr_hippo]

Mum and Dad had 6 kids in 8 years, Dad was a nurse so money was tight. I must have been well into my late teens before I got a wrapped Christmas present! Santa used to visit our bedrooms and put presents in pillow cases at the foot of our beds. We normally had one 'main' toy, an annual, selection box and an apple and a tangerine, sometimes we got new slippers - that was it.

The Christmas tree - that could have possibly won first prize in the 'Most Anorexic Christmas Tree' competition!

The decorations - yes we did have the paper chains that we made in school and, wait for this, two packs of crepe paper. The crepe paper was cut into three inch strips twisted together and went from all four corners of the room to the ceiling rose.

Old slippers normally ended on the fire - they did burn well!

What are your memories?

 

[Fnaar]

Similar to yours in fact, though we also had a pack of 3 walnut whips! The decos sound familiar.
Christmas is the only time when it's deemed OK for an old man to sneak into your bedroom at night and empty his sack...
(gets coat...)

 

[Cathryn]

I was about 8. Mum had let it be known (subtly) that she wanted an eternity ring for Christmas. Dad was (as ever) blase about such things so she had very little hope.

Come the big day, Mum was pleased (in a disappointed kind of way) by Dad buying her lots of nice presents (including a dart board for some reason) but no ring appeared. It came to about 4pm and time for tea and cake, and opening 'tree presents' - little cheapie presents we hang on the tree. Mum opened hers first and smiled politely at a rather tasteless keyring...and then stared incredulously at the sparkling diamonds sellotaped between the keys Dad had strung on.

Mum burst into tears. I burst into tears. Dad smiled manfully and blinked a lot.

Best EVER Christmas moment...I'm quite emotional just remembering it.

 

[yenrod]

[virtual hug]

Give me a tissue Cath' - I'm letting the hard exterior down here !!!

 

[col]

Not getting to sleep,stomach aching with excitement,waking at 3 or 4 am,shaking with excitement still,finding your pillowcase at the end of the bed,and your sock.great memories.

 

[andygates]

Satsumas and Brazil nuts! And then cold ham and hardboiled eggs for breakfast...

 

[papercorn2000]

The Wizard of Oz.

 

[mr_hippo]

Similar to yours in fact, though we also had a pack of 3 walnut whips! The decos sound familiar.
Christmas is the only time when it's deemed OK for an old man to sneak into your bedroom at night and empty his sack...
(gets coat...)

Walnut Whips? You must have been posh!

 

[col]

Cold ham and boiled eggs for breakfast? we used to get stuck into our selection boxs.

Chitty bang bang
ice station zebra
morcambe and wise christmas special

 

[mondobongo]

First memories are of waking up with heavy things on my legs about 4 or 5 only to realise it was Christmas and for some reason when I was younger my Mum and Dad used to put the presents across the bottom of the bed. No idea why.

 

[Dayvo]

When I was young, apart from all the obvious anticipation in the build-up, it was:
The presents, starting with the Christmas stocking at the end of the bed, then piling into our parents' bedroom for the proper presents, then looking forward to our grandparents to come round with more presents, then 'Hunt the Thimble' in the afternoon.

The food: selection box, fruit, nuts, sweets (before dinner) THE dinner and pudding with ALL the trimmings - and lots of it, then mince pies and sausage rolls, then the Christmas tea. It's amazing how much weight you can put on over a few days!

TV, not too much, just the traditional films, cartoons, Queen's speech ( etc.

Never really drank much over Christmas, you only needed one really bad hangover on Christmas day to know it shouldn't be repeated - a disappointed mum and an angry dad!

Now I just enjoy being with my family (no kids myself) on the occasions I'm in England.

Otherwise making the most of my surroundings/the people I'm with if I'm abroad/travelling. Last year I was in Cambodia, and apart from having a bad stomach for a total of six weeks out of 11, I got food poisoning on Christmas Eve and was VERY ill - didn't/couldn't/daren't eat for three days. Something to make up for, methinks!

 

[Aperitif]

Feeling presents through the wrapping paper was always a good sport. An orange - always, and selection boxes were real presents - not just stocking fillers! A 'Victor' annual was a must and I always got another - Valiant perhaps, or Hotspur etc etc. (Beano and Dandy were acceptable - of course!)
Decs were twisted crepe paper or, two colours plaited together. Many hours passed constructing the multicoloured paper chains, waiting for the licked sticky to stick!
Always had to go next door and play 'Chase the Ace' and 'Newmarket' - and then eat sliced meat, pickles and mince pies. In all, memory of a gentle time...and snow.

 

[Aperitif]

Oh - and another thing! All the holiday commercials for Butlitz and Warners, or the oh so trendy Majorca which plagued the telly between xmas and New Year.

 

[ChrisKH]

Much the same as everybody else's I would imagine. I recall my toys (much fewer than the kids of today get) went from second hand to new when my father qualified. Always used to get an orange/satsuma and apple in bottom of my stocking (as do my children). Mum said this was to remind us how much harder things were before, especially during the war years when fruit was rare, especially types from overseas. She didn't see a Banana until she was 9 and started to eat it whole.

 

[Aperitif]

And. (pinching all the purple ones and the green triangles from the Quality Street tin )