Christmas from a childs eyes

[mary1947 2,079]

When I was nee/high to a grass hopper best thing that I remember about Christmas was---

Two weeks before Christmas day the Christmas Tree was fetched out from the cupboard for us to trim up. The only problem was the LIGHTS that went on the tree, dad would plug in the lights and they would never work, so we would spend at least an hour tightening all the blubs up but still they would not light up, so then it was to the plug to see if any wires had come loose yes there it was a lone wire sticking up. Bingo the lights worked, of course the Christmas lights of yesteryear are not a patch on the one's we buy to-day.

The other thing that's come's to mind is ------Cattle Market we would always get the Turkey from there, first it was killed before hanging up down our cellar then we would spend a week plucking it, then it went down to gran's to have it's inside removed then and only then it was ready for the oven, but my dad being dad had to buy the biggest turkey going and it was too big to fit in the oven, so we had two turkey dinner's one year.

[Oztalgian 3,270]

Mary1947,

I know exactly what you mean about the light bulbs, I remember dad saying that the bulbs were

connected in series and if one was "gone" then none of them would light up. So began the search for the dead bulb(s). Also remember the special bulb that made them flash on and off. I agree a long way from the programmable LED's we have today.

We never had turkey in those days it was always a chicken that my granddad had fattened in his henhouse

and after dinner fighting with my brother for the wishbone.

We also had pork and I loved the crackling.

I was always hopeful of finding a silver threepenny bit in the pudding

Not being a lover of chocolate I used to look forward to the nuts which only seemed to appear at

Christmas, Brazils, Walnuts, Hazelnuts

Happy Memories

[redbowen 131]

Mary-you say that the Christmas lights were not a patch on the lights of today but yes they were because they were magical.There was not so much colour around then so they sparkled.

I can remember fighting for the wishbone as well.I don't think it is done now unless somebody knows different.

I also enjoyed going to midnight mass and singing carols,then going home and your presents would be in a pillow case.

Aaah the simple pleasures!

[Compo 10,328]

Christmas was magical in our family too. The tree was usually purchased from the local greengrocer's shop a few days before Xmas and set up in a corner. The tree was decorated, always with the same old baubles and tinsel but what a great atmosphere it was. The garlands that were hung around the walls and ceiling (always four on the ceiling, from each corner to the centre) were made from coloured paper that folded like a concertina into plat pack for storage. Every year, without fail, we children would have made paper chains at school which would be hung along with the perennial garlands. Each year there would be the odd bauble that had not survived the year in the loft and they had to be replaced. The lights always failed, it was par for the course! As already said, the palaver that followed to find the faulty bulb was an entertainment in its own right!

On the big evening my brother and I would lie awake for ages "Practising for Santa" by pretending to be asleep so that we could see him deliver our presents. Needless to say, we were always asleep when "He" finally came. Yes, Xmas was a joyous time for us by and large. The big downside was that every second year we had to go to my father's family Christmas dinner at my paternal grandmother's house. She was a stern old lady and a devout catholic to boot. It was a big family and dinner was in three sittings followed by singing, and playing musical instruments. Several of my aunts and uncles were musical, playing piano, organ and accordion. On the other hand, on the years that my maternal grandma and granddad came to ours we had a great time. We played board games and watched Christmas programmes on TV until late.

Yes, Christmas past didn't have all the gadgets and electronics that we have today but it was a good time for my brother and me, despite being relatively poor we always felt rich at that time of year.

[poohbear 1,360]

I had a brother die from burns in the 1930s after playing with a box of matches....aged two....In the days of inflammable nighties.

And yet in the early fifties we used to clip these candle holders all over the tree and light them. How my parents allowed this God only knows!!

[catfan 14,793]

Christmas at our house was bleak. Christmas tree's & lights ? what were those.

[plantfit 7,577]

Don't like Christmas at all, bad memories from my childhood, I remember one year I would be about 11-12 years old, about October time I must have misbehaved or so mother thought,anyway she threw all the Christmas presents I'd accumilated from her and my relatives at me and forced me to open them which I did,come Christmas morning I had nothing,my sister did but not me,bloody Chrismas, and that was a good one,always make sure my kids and grandkids have what they want though.

Rog

[Compo 10,328]

That was a terrible and cruel thing to do to you Plantfit! How to ruin a child's life in one easy lesson! I don't do Christmas myself these days but I still make sure that SWMBO and the grandkids all have presents.

[Compo 10,328]

These Xmas baubles were issued to Nazi troops in Norway during WWII:

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

My memory of xmas as a kid is that I hated Christmas Eve, because it was the most boring day of the year. I just wanted it out of the way so that Christmas Day would be here. On Xmas Eve nothing happened, there was nowhere to go and nothing to do. All day wandering wandering round the house driving my mum mad with “I don’t know what to do”.

And when I went to bed on Xmas Eve I could never get to sleep. I’d be lying awake for hours, although on any other night I had no problem sleeping. If I did nod off it wouldn’t be for long, and I’d wake up - go back to sleep - wake up again - etc etc - desperately looking for the first traces of daylight so that I could get out of bed and open the presents.

Having spent most of the night awake, and got up early, by the end of Christmas Day I was falling asleep by early evening.

So I really liked Christmas Day, but I dreaded the last 24 hours leading up to it.

[mary1947 2,079]

Hi Plantfit

Sorry about your bad Christmas, hopefully you did have some happy time's some where during or near the 25th, but like you say your own children and grand children will have what ever you can give them.

To go back to present's when master was young all he wanted was a Meccano set, on Christmas day after the pubs had closed his dad came home Meccano set in tow, quite excited was master till he looked in the box and there was not a screw or nut/bolt, and by this time his dad was fast asleep.

[mary1947 2,079]

When I had my first child Paul we wanted to make Christmas special for him, any way we brought this push toy that when you pushed it along it had little bells in it. Christmas Eve and we kept popping up stairs to see if Paul was asleep, after what seemed like age's we slowly climbed the stairs but the little bells got the better of us, and of course made the sound that bells do, up jumped Paul mummy!!! mummy!!! Santa Clause is coming I've just heard the bells on his sleigh.

We then had to wait again till Paul had fallen asleep which was nearly Christmas morning.

[plantfit 7,577]

Mary 1947,I suppose some of the Christmas's must have been ok but the bad ones are the ones that stick in my memory which was most of them,I do like to see children enjoy Christmas even though I get upset by what could have been for me,

Rog

[Guest]

Know where you are coming from Rog, had some bad ones too!!..only made me determined to make Xmas special for kids and us as parents. I blame ww2 that episode screwed my Dad up..leaving him void of love and expression of such things.Make do and mend dint' cut the mustard.. when the whole street was whizzing around on spanking Raleigh Choppers my whip and top was pitiful!!

[Oztalgian 3,270]

Christmas was when we usually got a "big present". Two years really stick in my memory, one when I got a Flying Scotsman train set with automatic level crossing gates that I could not get near for my Dad and Grandad playing with it nearly all of Christmas day and the year I got a Trent Tourist bicycle with three speed Sturmey Archer gears operated by a twist grip gearchange, really cool.

Yes Compo, Even today I have to take care to put the right garlands in the right places as the kids, all grown up now with children of their own, always make me change them if they are wrong. Some of the baubles are forty years old and have to be in the right place on the tree and it is always sad when you find that one is broken.

[Compo 10,328]

When I told SWMBO the story of Rog's spoilt Chrismas she became quite cross. As a former senior social worker and mental health officer she has seen too many similar cases. She says that if there is one thing she had to choose as "Going too far" it is the deliberate despoiling of a child's Christmas. In her opinion, there can never be a justification for it.

[plantfit 7,577]

My sister told my eldest daughter about the particular christmas I wrote about on here and my daughter wasn't quite sure if it was true or not,after my mother died earlier this year my daughter asked me about it,I told her what I remembered and she said it was more or less word perfect to my sisters account,my daughter started to cry,my daughter is a ward sister at Leicester royal working with babies and small children who have suffered heart attacks and other heart problems and to think of some of the things she has experienced that don't seem to outwardley affect her it really upset me to see her upset in this way. I am so proud of all my four children for having compassion and feelings for others all of which were obviously not passed down from my mother

Rog

[DaveN 1,118]

Cast your mind back to your early years
When you believed in Santa and his reindeers
You went to the Co-op or other store
Where in his grotto Santa you saw
Of strangers you had been told, wary be
But you were encouraged to sit on Santa’s knee
Seeing this strange man in complete disguise
Upset some children, giving them butterflies
When they would cry, kick and scream
And down their face tears did stream
But although frightened you sat on his knee
And to his surprise, on him you did p**
At school you had Christmas parties
With trifle, jelly and some Smarties
And when not being watched by Sir or Miss
You probably got your first Christmas kiss
You hoped to be Mary or Joseph in the School Nativity
But cried when you ended up as the rear of a donkey
After school had finished for the Christmas break
To think work was over was a mistake
As you had to help do the shopping with your mum
If you didn’t want a clout or smack on the bum
Festive scenes in every shop you did see
And everywhere was as busy as could be
In Woolworths everyone seemed in a flap
Buying last minute gifts, cards and gift wrap
Being dragged round every store, market and shop
When you got home, into a chair you did flop

[Compo 10,328]

We had to write down everything we had received and from whom. Then, Directly after Christmas, we had to write a thank you note to each gift giver.

[colly0410 1,181]

When I was about seven/eight I twigged Santa didn't exist so I told all the other kids. Their Mams told my Mam & i got a good hiding for telling them the truth, I was told "you've spoilt the magic of Christmas for them!" & they told us "always tell the truth!" Except about Santa it seems.