What are your warm fuzzy feeling Christmas memories?

[Onadietcolabreak]

From childhood or adult life.

I long to give my own DCs memories that give them a warm fuzzy feeling when ever they think of them

Mine are putting up the tree with my DM and DB, dancing around to the Phil Spector Christmas album and when my father dressed as Santa and came to visit us Xmas eve and gave us a gift each - I was 7 and guessed it was him, which made it even more of a magical memory. The wonder on my DB face was astounding

[Annunziata]

Everyone round the table. That's all :)

[fuzzpig]

None :(

Hope to change that for our DCs, so threads like this are really great

[Inneedofbrandy]

Its the excitement I remember more then anything else, and making my own Christmas cake out of marzipan while my mum baked. Oh and decorating the tree, we never noticed that my mum re done it after we were asleep either.

[ShatnersBassoon]

Going late night shopping with my mum straight after school (shops open late then was something really special), queueing up for Santa's grotto in a big department store, mum letting me look at all the Christmas food in the cupboard, helping her make the mincemeat and pricking holes in the Christmas cake with a cocktail stick for her to feed it with brandy.

[Whitecherry]

fuzzpig

Mine are my mothers obsession with pine fragrances! I smell it now and it's 'christmas' to me. Air fresheners and toilet stuff' !

Watching tv with all lights off except tree lights

Helping my mum do a big pre Christmas clean

[ChestyNut]

The excitement and small things for me too.

Walking home from Christmas eve mass in the dark with DM looking for Santa.
Peeling sprouts with DF and him cooking the turkey on Christmas eve.
A treat takeaway and a Christmassy film all of us tucked up in new pjs with the lights twinkling.

[fuzzpig]

Whitecherry for some nostalgia you should try Heston's posh mince pies in waitrose - somebody brought them into work, they had this pine dusting sugar sachet thing () which frankly smelled a bit like cleaning fluid!

[fuzzpig]

Oh actually one thing I do try and get is those orange and lemon jelly slices as my grandma always let me have the little round bit in the middle. I also have some nice decorations from my childhood.

Yes to the all lights off but fairy lights thing. Not from childhood but from when DH and I first moved out together - I think it was DD's first Xmas, when she was in bed we snuggled up on the sofa to read the hobbit to each other with just the fairy lights on. Hard to find the time to read now but must get back to reading to each other, it's lovely. :)

[Whitecherry]

Pine dusting sugar??! Bloody hell, will look out for those then

[Inneedofbrandy]

Oh my mum always gets those orange and lemon thingys to fuzzpig.

Roses chocolate always smells like Christmas to me, even though I now prefer quality street.

[Pinot]

fuzzpig you are already well on your way to making magic happen for your kids. Be proud of that! mwah x

Umm, fairy lights. New pyjamas on Christmas Eve. Having a Christmas dinner on the day we put up the tree, as well as on Christmas day (also good for me to test out what works/what doesn't), watching Polar Express on Christmas Eve. Elf on a shelf.

[fuzzpig]

Aww thanks Pinot x :) I think in previous years we have gone a bit OTT with presents to try and make up for everything (we aren't in the best position financially/healthwise/emotionally etc) but this year that is changing! Some magical well chosen presents but hopefully more focus on craft, cooking, walks (which might actually be possible now DH isn't on crutches anymore!)... excited!

Where can I get the orange and lemon slices? Or even better the tropical ones? The ones I found in Asda were thin and crap

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Childhood ones-
going to the market with my mum and sister when I was 7 or 8 and buying those tiny satsumas.

being in the front garden and their was a light covered float driving slowly down the road

Adult ones-

taking our DS when he was 2yo (I was pg with DD , in first trimester). We came out of Covent Garden to very fine snow (DS was snuggled in his backback on his dad's back). Then we went to M&S , then to see the lights at Regents Street.

When DS was 4 I took him to the Pantomime.He had his PJs under his clothes to put him straight to bed. And what he didn't know was when he woke up, (the next morning) his grandparents would have arrived

[Xmaself]

Mum collecting food from about September onwards so getting a glimpse of the Christmas goodie box gave me and my brothers tingles of excitement.

Digging out the decorations which were so old and falling apart but there was something magical about the little matchboxes wrapped paper and handstitched stockings made by my Mum.

The crackly heavy feeling at the bottom of the bed which meant that Father Christmas had been.

All gathered around the telly to watch Christmas movie/telly.

Staying up late on Christmas Eve with christmas carols and music on the stereo whilst wrapping presents.

My mum's brandy butter.

And you know what? We were POOR. Very POOR. We were a single parent family so often it was really an economical Christmas. Presents were relatively inexpensive and we often had no tree. Yet somehow she made it magical. Despite a lot of crap and misery throughout the rest of the year, Christmas was/is always a special time in my family.

[ShabbyChit]

Lots of the things mentioned above but my all time warm fuzzy memory is coming down the stairs one Christmas morning, seeing a scrap of red fabric caught in the fire grate, soot footprints down the hallway towards the lounge and a trail of chocolate coins all the way to the presents under the tree.
My dad exclaiming 'oh look shabby, Santa must have caught his coat on the fireplace when he came down the chimney, he's obviously ripped his pocket and all his chocolate money has fallen out when he was going to put your presents under the tree'
Amazing.
I saw something similar on interest that I will do for my DC in the future;

Mix some glitter into flour & sprinkle with footprint shaped stencil onto floor or outside - magical Santa footprints!!!

[VoldemortsNipple]

Cooking chestnuts on the open fire.
Stiring the Christmas cake with my mum and making a wish.
Finding a 5 pence piece in said Christmas cake.
Satsumas in the stocking.
A whole selection pack to eat as you please.
The first Christmas after my dad got a job after being unemployed for nearly 5 years (we got spoilt :o)
The variety club Santa coming around on a float.
Getting all kinds of flavours of pop from the lemonade man.

Oh my word, I could be here all night.

My favourite memory of the dcs was tucking them into bed one year and DD being convinced she heard sleigh bells on the roof. Even now at 16 she is convinced she heard them. Magical :)

[BlueChampagne]

Last year, all sitting on the sofa watching The Gruffalo's Child then Dr Who after a bit Christmas dinner with all the family.

[DesperatelySeekingSedatives]

Childhood memory: About 20 people crammed into the tiny, dark front room at my grandad's house on christmas eve, eating lunch, pulling crackers and drinking. Us kids would sneak sips of whatever the adults left lying about and pretend to get "drunk". At some point we'd get grandad to switch on his ancient telly so we would could watch The Snowman. Then there would be a sudden rush at around 4pm so everyone could leave to go the crib service at whatever church they chose.

Adult memory: week before christmas 2010 and it snowed like mad and we got stranded in town. The snow had never been that deep since I was a kid and then 3 year old DD couldnt believe her luck. It was so quiet and christmassy with all the christmas lights but really quiet along the high street coz most people had either taken refuge inside the shopping centre, pub or were battling to get home! Wasn't so quiet and christmassy on the main road out of the centre of town though!

[Titsalinabumsquash]

Christingle in the local church followed by hot chocolate and brandy snaps.

The Christmas hamper meaning we could eat proper food!

Putting up decorations and singing carols with my DM

The actual day, getting up early to a house full of family and pressies and sweets (never had any of them during the year)

The kitchen full of 15+ people for dinner.

I bloody loved christmas as a kid, the one time of year we didn't feel like the family who were scraping by.

[Acumens100]

Stirring the cake, making a wish on the pudding with my mother. Cutting out marzipan angels with my big brothers. The Nine Lessons and Carols (was a cathedral chorister). Helping Daddy with the cake (he's a painter and he painted a Christmas scene on the icing each year in food colouring). Decorating the tree on Christmas Eve with all our tattered handmade decorations. The years it was my angel on top! The Snowman. Christmas Eve dinner with our family friends. Stockings in bed with everyone in the morning. Porridge from the big pot. The long walk before lunch in our new clothes. Board game tournaments until the tree presents (last thing before bed). Crackers, jokes, and paper hats that fell down over my ears. More carol singing. Visiting family...

OK, I LOVE Christmas.

[Vagaceratops]

Going Christmas shopping with my Auntie and eating at Pizza Express every year, it was the only time we ate out so it was brilliant.

The last Christmas I had at home my Aunt was too poorly to come shopping, and then she passed away just after, but I will never forget these times.

[JoInScotland]

My mother baking stacks and stacks of large gingerbread men.... my brother and I sitting at the kitchen table decorating them for our neighbours, family and to hang on the Christmas tree with sewing thread .... the smell of Christmas tree/gingerbread/oranges always means Christmas for me.

Making presents like sugar houses (look like gingerbread houses, but made from coloured, pressed sugar), sewing, singing together around the piano, the sound of my mother's sewing machine going late into the night on the nights leading up to Christmas Day..

We were so poor. We had holes in our shoes, and we still took joy in making things and giving to others. That's what I want to pass on to my son - the season being about what we can do, make, sew, bake and giving, and making others happy and content. If we get presents back, then that is even nicer.

[JazzyTheSnowman]

I used to build Gingerbread houses with my Nan before she passed away. It's been ten years since she died and the smell of gingerbread still takes me back.

God, I'm tearing up here. Such a sap, aye.

Last year's Xmas was beautiful. It was DS's first, and even though he was only 5 months old he had a whale of a time. I gave my DP a record player and so my MIL went and got down her old Christmas albums. We were all just sat around listening to these cracking tunes with a mug of hot chocolate. Right ol' proper singsong. Was brilliant.

[recall]

Mum sending me and mi Dad out to get holly

Dad going out and coming home with a real Christmas tree - it was frosty

Last Christmas Eve - we rent a cottage on a large country estate. It was just getting dusky, I took my 4 year old DD to take the Christmas cards to the other houses on the estate, there was fresh snow on the ground, we walked through frosted pine trees and the sky was a purpley colour. Then we went to the big house (where our landlords live) the air was all still and it was just beautiful - a perfect Christmas moment, because we were in the grounds of this beautiful old house, it felt like we had gone back in time ..... sigh....

[iloveholidays]

What a lovely thread OP - its making me cry!!

My memories are mixing the christmas cake, eating lots of marzipan, decorating the tree, waking up with stockings and running through to my parents to all open on the bed, eating a big lunch all laughing round the table, going to my grandparents on boxing day with all the family, oh I could go on and on...

Thinking about stuff like this makes me want my DDs memories to be just as happy!!