I am searching for some information about your Christmas plans. "Remember when" or "then and now" information. I recall that we often opened our presents on Christmas Eve because on Christmas Day, we went to someone's house. There we would have lots of family members. Children dressed in their new "Christmas clothes" and playing with new toys from Santa. The ladies would all be in the kitchen putting finishing touches to that special Christmas dinner. The men would be in the living room often watching football. There would be presents under the tree and the smell of turkey and pumpkin pie and cinnamon would excite your senses. It was usually a bit like chaos, but it was a festive time.
The table would be filled with delicious holiday foods and there would be a lovely holiday centerpiece to help show off all the hard work.
Today........Wow, how things have changed. Both of my children and all six grandchildren live near Oklahoma City which is over 10 hours away. I will not be seeing them this year nor did I see them last Christmas. My husband and I celebrated Christmas alone. It just isn't the same!!! What a shame. It is hardly worth the effort of pulling out all of the Christmas decorations or putting up a tree.
I still love the holiday for it is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season. I am ever grateful for the greatest gift of all: SALVATION.
So how about you? Have your Christmas plans changed through the years? Do you still celebrate Christmas with family and friends? Leave a comment. This could be fun.
Daisies and Lace
A Hobnobbin' Original size 4
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As a young child, 1947, I remember going to my grandparents for Christmas. Grandpa went out and cut a tree and we all decorated it with cranberry and popcorn garlands. Their oranaments were old and fantastic, glass blown balls that showed a rainbow of colors. The tree was filled with little candles in metal cups. When Grandpa lite the candles and the lights were out it was something else to see. It left a magical impression on me that lingers to this day. What ever happen to the old days and what a magical Christmas that was back in 1947. Thanks Joyce for bringing back those memories. Van
Hi Joyce!
I love the holidays too, but not every one does. It can be a very conflicting time of year for some, especially for those with little or no family or no one to share it with. Lately it seems I'm touching base with lots of folks who like us, are rather alone in this world.
David and I have only one child to share the season with, and if Kate couldn't come home at xmas we likely wouldn't even put up a tree.
Fortunately my girl is very food motivated (she adores our good cooking), so we have lots of incentive to do a full turkey dinner! ~Anna Lee
Nana in the kitchen making real pastry with lard and flour and a touch of salt. Mom chopping onions and crying. Cutting the turkey steam holes in the top of mince meat pie. Getting dressed up for dinner in lace and velvet. Mary Janes. Real fruit cake, only the kids weren't allowed to have any. (I always stole a piece.)Dad swearing downstairs trying to get the camera ready for us to come down in our pajamas. Mom and Dad opening their hand made presents. Many of these memories were repeated year after year and carried on with my daughter, now grown. I miss them so much.
Lois
When I was a younger child, between the ages of 7 and 13 probably, we would always do Christmas Eve with my grandmother at her house and open all the gifts her and my aunt had for us. Our meal would be some Pizza Hut pizza! I loved going to Grandma's and getting pizza and presents. Now, she just comes over on Christmas day to my parents' house and brings the gifts.
We will have our children and 4 of 5 grandchildren for Thanksgiving but only our son, daughter-in-law and 2 grandsons for Christmas.
I (Barbara) am so busy with my new pastoral duties at the 2 churches that hired me that I've had little time for anything else including Etsy! This is the same as starting a new job only harder when you are expected to learn the names of people, get programs started because the previous minister did little, etc.
I plan on doing lots in the churches around Christmas, including coordinating a 3 church service and doing a "Cantata" of a musical program. Hopefully this ecumenical service will set the stage for community sharing as well as individual spiritual growth.
Happy Holidays - Barbara and Ken Merwin
When I was growing up, we opened our Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve because we would go to church and have our big dinner the next day. Or was it because Mom and Dad knew we couldn't wait until Christmas Day to open the presents Santa left for us. My grandmother lived with us so on Christmas Eve she would take us (my brother) to the back bedroom and shut the door. We stood by the window looking up at the sky waiting to see Santa and his sleigh rush across the sky. The harder we looked we were sure we saw him. Then we heard a big, deep HO HO HO and knew he was putting our presents under the tree. We were so excited. Then Mom would come get us and what a surprise it would be to see all the presents. Dad was filming our every move and happy faces. Then we would give out the presents under the tree to each of our family members. When I was older, I asked my Mom who played Santa with the big HO HO HO's. I said it was Dad, right? She said, no, it was me. And Dad was the lucky one putting together toys or bikes or putting batteries in gifts that needed them. It was a happy time for me. I will always remember them especially since my parents and grandmother are gone. But they all live in my heart and I will never forget the happiness we all shared.
Not much to say really. I like to hide around Christmas. If it's up to me I'll change the month to April or May. Then it will be fun for me. Party for 3 days! Thank you very much.
We don't celebrate Xmas, and thanksgiving in Canada came at a different time, and is more of a Christian holiday there so we didn't celebrate that either. We'd see lots of Xmas decorations and lots of snow, and we didn't do much for Hannukah but it never seemed to bother me that we didn't have the big holiday. For many years in LA I lived with someone who did celebrate Xmas and since I was the only one he had there, we'd get the tree together and decorate and have a nice BBQ on xmas eve before he went out to the gay bars LOL So traditional. My boyfriend celebrates it so I make sure to have several gifts for him but that's about it. In fact this year it falls on my day off but I will probably switch with someone so she can have it off instead. Doesn't seem right to have her work on her holiday while I'm off. I am doing gifts for everyone I work with this year, handmade candles mostly. No reason not to be festive just because it's not my holiday. And of course my holiday wreath ponytail holder comes out right after turkey day.
We celebrated Christmas Eve by going to midnight mass and then home for the traditonal French meat pie and gift giving. My Nana and Pep (Moms side) lived upstairs from us and they would come down until the wee hours of the morning. We would go visit Mem & Pep (Dad's side) on Christmas Day...we would bring the meal over for them to enjoy. They were getting on in age. Great memories. Thanks Joyce & best to you and Van. Hope every one has sparkling holidays filled with family and friends.
Blessings~
D
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