Your best - or worst - Christmas memory?

[jo10000]

Mine was the same Christmas. Finally had a little girl (adopted) after years of trying for a child but mum, who was hosting, was sick in bed all day. (Many people in family sick before, during or after that Christmas!) It snowed, but that meant family might not come to Christmas evening party and when they did one had had a car accident in the snow. What do you have fond, or not so fond, memories of?

[AllTheWittyNamesAreGone]

Worst. Watching my sister's open present after present when I got one.

Best. 11 years ago When ds1 was 4 and first understood Christmas. His face was magical.
Also last year ds2 was 6 and his excitement towards the whole season was pure sunshine

[ParkheadParadise]

Mine was also the same Christmas. Dd1 died in October and Dd2 was born in December. Christmas was awful. We went to the cemetery with Dd2, then came back home. I was so relieved when Christmas was over.
Dd2 was a surprise baby. Last year I did put on a brave face and tried to enjoy it. Luckily she will not remember her first Christmas.

[NerrSnerr]

Worst- year my parents separated when we were all late teens/ early 20s. My mum buggered off on holiday with my now step dad. We went to my dad and now step mum's in the morning and for lunch. Turns out lunch for us was a sandwich and they were having their big meal later. My dad dropped us back at my mums at about 1pm. My sister went to a boyfriend's house and me and my brother just sat around all afternoon with no festive food or drink in as we were expecting to be at my dads.

Best- when I was a small child about age 4 and I got the a la carte kitchen.

[Bearwithverylittlebrain]

Mine was when I had my little girl on Christmas Eve. The most magical Christmas despite having to spend in in hospital.

Hated every Christmas since though as she later died unexpectedly. I put a brave face on it though for the family.

[ToothTrauma]

I'm so desperately sorry for those for whom Christmas is associated with loss, especially of a child

[tigercub50]

I had some wonderful Christmasses as a child but the best Christmas ever was the first one with DD (she's adopted). I remember sitting in bed on Christmas morning, holding her on my lap & crying because I was so happy.

[Winteriscomingneedmorewood]

Dgm fell and broke her arm just before Christmas and we all had to make dinner. My dm and da could not cook whatsoever.
Also one year dgm dropped the goose as she was basting it and the hot fat fell all over her. She went to bed - some sort of shock - Tried to wake her and really thought she was dead!!
She has been dead for nearly 20 years now and Christmas just isn't the same without her.

[mailfuckoff]

When i was 8. My mother had left the family home and I guess Christmas hasn't been considered. My older sister told me to do her a stocking as father Christmas didn't exist and we wouldn't get one otherwise. Ended up with both parents and all siblings on Christmas day but don't remember any gifts. We had duck as there was no turkey left in the shops. I have never eaten duck again. It was the most miserable Christmas ever. My mum was seeing another married man and didn't want to be with us.

[MsAwesomeDragon]

My best Christmas sounds of but it was the year we had a power cut due to huge storms. My uncle and his wife couldn't get to us for dinner (no loss, they weren't very good company for children, and we got our presents a few days later). Grandma came to our house and pretty much hid from the storm in a bottle of festive sherry. The rest of us ate or Christmas dinner by candlelight (gas cooker so dinner was fine, although my mum probably hated cooking it in the dark), then played our board games all together by candlelight. It was really lovely from a child's perspective, we had loads of fun, there wasn't any boring TV on, we just did fun family stuff with Christmas party hats on.

[BellaGoth]

I'm so sorry for those that have suffered losses.

My worst Christmas was 2007, when DH and I attempted to spend time with all of our (divorced) parents on Christmas day. It involved Christmas breakfast, 150 miles of driving, then two separate Christmas dinners, followed by "drinks and nibbles".

Best was last year, first year DS really got it.

[jo10000]

I'm sorry for all those who lost someone at Christmas, how awful.

[UntilTheCowsComeHome]

My best Christmas was 2009.

All my family were together and we had a lovely day at my parent's house. My dad wasn't one to sit around watching TV, but he sat with us and we watched The Royle Family and all laughed our socks off.

He died 1 week later.

I'm so pleased we had that amazing Xmas with him and we were all together.

My worst Xmas was when my mum was getting very ill. She had cancer but was putting a brave face on things and wasn't letting on just how poorly she was feeling. She was going to come round to see us in the afternoon and told me on the phone that she was feeling well and looking forward to coming. She wouldn't contemplate being picked up, she was perfectly fine to drive she said.

She never came round. She was just too poorly but never let on. Going round to see her the next day I was shocked at how she was deteriorating. It hit home then that I was losing her.

[Mediumred]

Oh goodness, some very sad christmases here, especially for those who have lost someone, and so very sorry, bear, about your little girl.

I'm another one whose parents separated when my brother and I were young adults. My dad was having affair with his best friend's wife and they had announced they were in love and setting up home together. Mum made him stay so we could have a family Xmas, I was 24 and my brother 22 and it was excruciating. His mistress picked him up on Boxing Day morning as my wonderful and amazing mother who put up with all of his shit wept at the window.

One of the best was after he left and I went to visit mum in the little house she had to downsize to afterwards. There was a power cut cos of the weather, we'd both been given the Bridget Jones edge of reason books and we sat in our dressing gowns reading, drinking Buck's Fizz, laughing, getting sloshed.

She is dead now and I miss her so much. I have my own little girl now (well she is 9) but the lovely Santa phase is ending. I love Xmas but so sad that my mum couldn't see more of them with her.

[GingleBelle]

My worst Christmas was last year.
My Dad had died in April (after an 8 year battle with Cancer)
My Mum had died in November (6 weeks after a shock diagnosis off 2 massive brain tumours)
We were all still in shock and really struggled to muster up any kind of Christmas spirit. I am already dreading this year a bit but we've booked lots of Chritmassy events to try and keep us going.

I have 2 best Christmases.
One is from my childhood and is just full of warm, fuzzy feelings.
The other is the year that DD2 was born. I had a c-section on 23rd December and had to fight to be allowed home to Christmas. I was discharged late on Christmas Eve. DD1, who was 4 at the time, woke up to find that not only had Santa brought her presents - but he'd also brought her mummy and baby sister home. We had a lovely, quiet Christmas full of smiles and laughter. My parents came round in the afternoon for a cup of tea and cuddles. It was lovely

[EvilDoctorBallerinaDuckKeidis]

Best memory: getting my Christmas stocking with my name on in glitter. I have an unusual name, so it had to be specially done.

Worst memory: DS1 living on chocolates from the Christmas tree for a fortnight and getting diagnosed on January 2nd.

[TheWildOnes]

I have 2 worst, one was when I was about 6 my mums boyfriend smashed up our flat on Christmas morning and we had to escape down the fire escape to get to a car to go to my Grans, came home the next day and he'd trashed it even worse even cutting the head off one of my teddies and nailing it to the front door.
The other was Christmas Eve 2011 got a call from the hospital after my Gran having an appointment a couple of days before, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she died 5 weeks later.
I had lots of good Christmases as a child, all due to my gran, she made them all magical, if I can make my kids Christmases even half as enjoyable I'll be happy.

Sorry for those who have had terrible times and losses, you really feel it at Christmas when family should be together.

[Chrisinthemorning]

Goodness this thread has made me cry
Best childhood Christmas was staying at my grandparents and I got a sledge with a dolly sitting on it and then it snowed.
Since DS was born we have loved doing Christmas with him, we always have it here and making our own traditions. This year we are going to Lapland mid December.
Worst was when I miscarried in November and spent Christmas on metronidazole for a uterine infection, so couldn't drink despite not being pregnant. Then my friend announced pregnancy on NYE.

[fizzytonicplease]

My best Christmas was DS being born on Christmas day, he was two weeks early so it was a shock as I had no pains of signs before labour started, it meant that me and DH only had a beef sandwich on Christmas day as the hospital didn't have enough Christmas dinners because we were not booked in, all worth it.

My worst was me and DH (before we were married) it was our first Christmas in our new home away from family so I was feeling a bit homesick, DH had to work late Christmas eve and went out for some drinks, he came home drunk and was very hungover on Christmas day barely ate his Christmas dinner and went back to bed in the afternoon. This was completely out of character for him and he has never done anything like it since, just a shame It was on Christmas day.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

I can only just remember it now - can't have been more than 5 - but my father used to sing with a male voice choir and one year they all dressed up in Victorian costumes - top hats and all - and sang carols for charity outside the Old Curiosity Shop. We were taken in a horse drawn carriage for a ride past while they were singing. It was magical.
My mother used to have a Christmas card with a colour photo of them all singing outside the shop - God know what happened to that - probably just another thing she chucked out once she had dementia. :-(

[gemdrop84]

Mine was the same christmas...told this before but here goes..
My mum worked overtime during December and she used to put part of her wages in a tin and get presents etc from her work on christmas eve. This year my alcoholic father left with it..just before christmas. We had nothing, the electric and gas had run out and we had no food in. I remember my mum tearfully getting me and my sister dressed and taking us to my grandparents on Christmas Eve.
Anyway, we went to bed that night on the pull out bed in my Uncle's room. I woke in the night and heard some rustling. Got out of bed and saw my uncle, his girlfriend and her best mate with bags of stuff all over the living room. He got me some milk and took me back to bed. The next morning we woke up squashed and cosy with Mum to a sack at the end of the bed and presents under the tree from Santa. I got a Barbie and clothes for her. My sister got a baby doll. Mum got a few gifts for Santa too, perfume, chocolates-for the first time in a long time I saw her smile. We had a phenomenal Christmas dinner my Grandma made and everyone was there. It was the best Christmas for me but looking back I am so blessed to have had such a wonderful family around me. I lost Mum a few years ago now and here's my favourite picture of her on that morning.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

So sorry for all those with bad or unhappy memories, especially bereavements at such a time.

My worst isn't that bad, but it was v upsetting. My mother was in the earlier stages of dementia, and was supposed to come to us for Christmas as usual, with sister and niece who were visiting from US.

Shortly before I went to pick them all up on Chr. Eve - 60 miles away - my mother phoned to say she was sorry, but she really couldn't cope with a lot of people, noise, and fuss - she'd rather stay quietly at home.

A shame, but OK if that was what she wanted. I took down her presents and some nice food, brought sister and niece back here.

Roll on a few hours - everyone else was out, taking niece to see the latest Harry Potter or some such, and my mother was on the phone, furious. What was she doing all on her own on Christmas Eve? I was a terrible daughter, she was cutting me out of her will,! etc. etc.

It was no earthly use trying to tell her that of COURSE she'd been invited, she hadn't wanted to come! She simply couldn't remember. I offered to go down then and there to pick her up if she'd changed her mind - no, she didn't want that either, banged the phone down, so angry and nasty.

I was in tears for ages, it was so upsetting.
Thank God, by the next day she'd forgotten all about it.

[yawning801]

Oh god getting, my DGF is in the early stages too and your story has chilled me right to the bone.

[ClashCityRocker]

MsAwesomeDragon I came on to say my best Christmas was the one where we had storms and a huge power cut....wonder if it was the same one?

Listening to carols on my brothers battery powered boom box, doing everything by candlelight, playing victoriana parlour games....

Worst was the first one after my dad left. My dad was always so into Christmas - my mum (who, in hindsight, did all the work) less so. Dad had disappeared of the face of the earth two months earlier with the OW and whilst my poor mam tried to go through the motions of our usual Christmas it just highlighted how much things had changed. Next year we decided to do something completely different and it was a lot better.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

What sad but incredible stories here. This thread would make a great book of bitter-sweet memories.

gemdrop, what a lovely photo that is and how relieved your mum must have been.

[SheSparkles]

My worst was in 2009 when my mum died on 17th December. I've hated it ever since but I go through the motions for the kids.