(We interrupt this blog post to bring you a special announcement from the author: Last night, just before bedtime, I clicked on the stats page of my blog. I knew I was nearing a milestone number, but thought reaching it was still a few days away. But, there it was: my 50,000 visitor. That’s quite a surprise. Thank you!…… And now, back to our regularly scheduled post.)
Last week, the author of one of the blogs I follow wrote about Christmas memories from her childhood. I enjoyed reading hers, so, today, I thought I’d share some of mine.
1.) I remember anxiously awaiting the last day of school before Christmas vacation. It always seemed that you were out of school FOREVER for Christmas. Since I hated school, that seemingly eternal time-off was among my best Christmas gifts.
2.) I remember telling my mom at bedtime every Christmas Eve, to PLEASE wake me if she heard Santa’s reindeer. Surely she would hear the bells jingling in time to wake me….?
3.) I remember our Christmas trees. They were ALWAYS cedar. My brother-in-law, Ed, would cut one for us when he got the one for his family. My mom would struggle to get the tree standing straight, usually tying it to the wall with a length of twine. Mom was older (43) when I was born, and my two sisters were grown and had moved away before I was 5 years old. I realize now that Mama probably went through all the aggravation with that tree just for me. Not to mention the scratches on her hands and arms from the cedar. There was always tinsel garland, very fragile ornaments and tinsel icicles on our tree.
4.) I remember Ed teasing me by singing: “Rudolph, the green-nosed reindeer”, or “blue-nosed” or “purple-nosed”.
5.) I remember the Christmas that Santa brought me a set of (child-sized) aluminum cookware. There was a picture of me with it, but I’m not sure this is it. Close enough, though. Note the icicles on the tree. (And the fever blister/cold sore on my lip.)
6.) I remember Mama always taped the Christmas cards we received all around the doors and windows in our den. In the above picture, you can see a Christmas card in the top left corner- taped to the window frame.
7.) When I was a little girl, I would help Mama when she addressed our Christmas cards. Postage was 4-cents on unsealed envelopes, 5-cents if they were sealed. Mama always said not to seal those envelopes. To save a penny, we certainly didn’t mind if someone other than the recipient read the card!
8.) I remember asking my Mom how Santa could deliver my toys, since we didn’t have a chimney. She said that he had a magic key that allowed him to come inside anyone’s house. And, for some reason, perhaps because it was Santa, that didn’t seem to bother me.
9.) I remember our Christmas pageants at church. As children, we were always so nervous that we’d forget our “lines” in the play. Afterward, we were usually given little bags of fruit, and sometimes a LifeSaver Book of Candy.
10.) And as I grew older, I remember loving the Christmas songs at church. My mom’s favorite was a little-known one: “There’s A Song In The Air“. She loved to hear me play it on the piano.
There’s a song in the air,
There’s a star in the sky.
There’s a mother’s deep prayer,
And a Baby’s low cry.
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem
Cradles a King.
Would you like to share a favorite childhood Christmas memory that you have?
these days of mine 
That brought back a lot of my own memories! I remember the Lifesavers books. I also still remember one very specific year when I was “scared” to look out my window Christmas Eve for fear of seeing Santa on our roof! lol Maybe I was scared he wouldn’t come if he saw me watching. 🙂
Oh Dianna, what a lovely post! I guess we all have memories of our Christmases when we were kids – everything was just so exciting and magical. I remember my first dollhouse (it was metal – not wooden) and the books of paperdolls Santa would stuff in my stocking. Christmas is still magical for me now…..but the excitement has “softer edges” now that I’m much older!
Pam
I am so glad you shared so many wonderful memories! I adore the picture of you and smile at my own memories of tinsel. I was so glad when we stopped using it! ha!
What a beautiful trip down memory lane! I remember the year my brother and I got our bicycles…mine had a basket on the front that I could carry my cat around in – and she actually rode in it! And I remember the year I got the Betsy Wetsy doll – guess we were preparing for motherhood at an early age! Thanks, Dianna, for the inspiration I have needed for Mama Kat’s workshop this week! You are a gem!
Oh my gosh Dianna, I didn’t know we had so much in common. My mother was also older when she had me – turned 40 just a few months after my birth. My dad also tied the tree to a very study nail underneath the picture window that remained there all year but was hid by the table that normally took up the space. And since my parents’ first house burned to the ground after a fire in the fireplace sparked while they were at a funeral, they rebuilt without any fireplaces, so I too had the concern about how dear old Santa was going to get in. We had a cedar tree a few times – loved the smell – hated the scratchiness. But I have to say, one memory that comes to mind is the year my dad got a little over-excited and started a record on the player Santa was leaving, which naturally woke us up. He was never one to be left with egg on his face, so he told us that he had almost caught Santa for us. Boy was I impressed. Everytime I hear the Christmas song about Snoopy and the Red Baron – the record he put on the player – I think of the year my dad ALMOST caught Santa and we defnitely did. Merry Christmas – thanks for the memories.
What wonderful memories Dianna:) We ALWAYS had cedar Christmas trees too. I remember going out in the woods behind our house and looking for one to cut. Every time I see a cedar tree now, it always reminds me of Christmas. Tinsel or as my mom called it “Icicles” were always added to the tree. We also wrote letters to Santa and after finishing them, we were instructed by our parents to send them by “ash-mail” to Santa, so we put them in the wood-stove in the kitchen and were certain that Santa would be able to read the ashes!
I would squeeze my eyes shut on Christmas Eve and pray and hope for sleep. Invariably, I’d wake up by 4:30 and talk to my siblings until they were awake enough to get mom and dad (to satisfy the everyone has to be awake rule before you can open any presents). We always had to wait for dad to go down the hall with the camera before we were allowed to so he could take a picture of us as we first saw what Santa had brought.
This is my most favorite post! Thanks for sharing your story. I wish I had known your mother. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I love all these memories. I love that you remember Ed would sing the song changing the color of Rudolf’s nose. He was certainly a guy who knew how to engage his little SIL, and how very nice of him to chop down a tree for you and your mother. I had forgotten about Lifesaver Books. Thank you for sharing these. I enjoyed reading every one of them.
Congratulations on 50,000! Please pick up a peppermint candy from my virtual candy cane jar at my site. There’s a surprise waiting for you. Thank you for everything.
Fun post to read. Love the memories!
Loved the trip down Christmas memory lane!! And, you know I remember all of them, too!! I remember Mama putting your tricycle together Christmas Eve night by flashlight. And the canary that only sang on a Christmas Eve night when she was struggling to ‘play’ Santa without waking you up!
congrats on 50k! 🙂 and many more to come!
sweet memories. 🙂
50,000 visitors. I know why they all come here everyday and today’s post is absolutely the best. I know you had a childhood Christmas just like mine, fruit and nuts and a few presents. It was a magical time. Thanks for the remembrances.
… Christmas at Ben Franklin. All the extra merchandise that you didn’t see any other time of the year; all the lights, the canned spray snow, all the 3 ft. tall plastic figurines of Santa & Frosty, and the red electric “NOEL” candles. We had to make sure that we had 20, 30, and 50 bulb string lights with green OR white wire .. Ornament hooks, and so on …. And I remember that night when we were all sitting in the living room by the tree, and there was a tap on the window – and there was Santa !! I won’t spoil the story here of how y’all arranged that 😉 Bravo!
Dianna, I believe the thing I liked most about your memories was the fact that your mother made such an effort to make your Christmas a happy time. And although you’re somewhat younger than me, we share a lot of the same memories. I think it’s sad now that children won’t have those “good ‘ol days” to reflect back on in their adult years.
50,000?! Whoa, that’s a ton…Congratulations!
I’m lovin’ reading all these childhood Christmas memories! Great picture of you as a child too…so sweet.
~d.
Congrats on 50,000! That’s a milestone worth celebrating.
What a glorious time of year. Just try and see Santa thru a child’s eyes. I know with Richard (a long time ago) it was almost impossible to get him in bed and I am sure it was the same for Marshall. Xmas mornings are unimaginable thru eyes of Babes. I really enjoyed this blog………………Also, has anyone told you, how much you favor June!!!!!!!………………
Your sweet memories parallel some of mine. The silvery tinsel icicles on the tree, the Lifesaver books, Christmas cards taped to the door frames, yep those were the days! Thanks for bringing back some of those great thoughts of yesteryear. Merry Christmas, Dianna!
I’m sure one night before Xmas I heard the reindeer on the roof! I’m serious!!! But my favorite was of my own little boy who after reading the “Polar Express” left Santa and his reindeer treats. The next morning they were gone! Santa left crumbs from the cookies and the reindeer ate the carrots and apples and left one bell from their harness! I’ve never seen eyes so big and so much excitement from one big jingle bell!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful memories. This year I lost my Christmas spirit. For the first time ever I did not decorate the house or a tree… I hope It isn’t lost forever… But your post sounds familar.
I love your memories Dianna. My biggest memory is the incense at midnight mass. And my Mom, I mean Santa always put a can of black olives in my stocking. Your picture could have been a picture at our house. My Dad did the tinsel and my Mom would always redo it 🙂 They tried to give me cookware and little stoves and girlie things but I was Tomboy.
Congratulations on 50,000! WooHooooo! Keep on writing please!
Congrats on the mile marker 🙂 and, like others, I just loved reading your holiday memories. I remember my parents taping cards up around the window sill, too, until eventually my Grandmother bought all of her grown children a filigreed-patterned card holder. Once filled, it looked like a christmas tree.
We always got oranges and hard candy in our stockings, too.
Sweet post … MJ
50,000!!! WOW! It’s astounding, isn’t it! And I’m so envious of people who have such good, clear childhood memories. I think that’s part of why I scrapbook – so my kids won’t forget the way that I have!!
Congrats on the 50,000 hits!!!!!!!!!! It brought you back into my life so I am very happy about it. Chirstmas was always great as a child. We were very lucky Dianna because our families did not have a lot of $ but always maded sure we had a great Christmas.