The simple things you remember most about Christmas

@jo10000
Omg what was that rubbish I wrote lol. Meant to say, it wasn’t unheard off for .......

Dad secretly making a Christmas pudding when everyone was out, then hiding it (ie in the loft under a hat) and saying he hadn’t bothered this year until ‘Ta da!’ on Christmas Eve. Decorating the tree with Mum and then standing with only the tree lights on and looking at the room reflected in the coloured baubles, as she had also done as a child.The little soft stocking ornament which our beloved family cat would repeatedly remove from a low bough of said tree - but only when unobserved. I miss them all.

@jo10000
It wasn’t I head off for my dgm so have to prod, shake and sniff presents because she forgot the labels.

I have wonderful memories of big family Christmases.

Waking at about 3am and seeing what was in the pilliwcase at the bottom of the bed. One year the most amazing present ever.. 13 hardback Famous Five books!

Every year Grandma giving out presents but calling for them back before opened as she'd never written out name tags and was worried she was giving them to the wrong person, and opening them herself to make sure. Then giving them back to recipient!

When I was v young and wanted to join in gift-giving, wrapping up mum's curlers and dead batteries and giving them out. Mum saying, 'I wondered where they went!'

hazeyjane I love that Teddy Robinson story. It's completely magical isn't it? My son asks for it now "can we have the story about that old bear?" I love reading it to him.

Laughing at the image of a turkey hung on the washing line!

I can remember one of the birds being crammed into the fridge, Dad hung one outside off the washing line because "eh, it's cold out" and we cooked the other. But it meant a good couple of weeks eating some form of poultry for every meal 😃

I was born in the 80s and remember Star War being on every Christmas, oversize bars of Cadburys Chocolate form my grandparents each and a ropey old cheap plastic train that travels around the tree and plays a tinny electronic sounding jingle bells. Its my cheap plastic Christmas train now and its still going strong probable 30ish years now (been in the family ever since I can remember it). I love it because to me it has been part of my Christmas (bar one spent in Afghanistan) all my life. It takes me back to care free family times when my dad and my grandparents where alive.

girlandboy Whatever did you do with them all?

Ah, and the never to be forgotten Christmas when Dad's usual order at the farm for a large Capon for Christmas dinner arrived, just as Dad got out of the car with a turkey that his boss had given all the workers and then Mum arriving home from her job having won the raffle of a.........turkey! Three enormous birds on Christmas Eve and only one small fridge with that little ice box at the top!

Paper decorations, chains that we made and the honeycomb Chinese lanterns. The pink feather angel on top of the tree, she was beautiful and I managed to buy a similar one a couple of years ago.

My Dad blowing up balloons, rubbing them on his jumper and "sticking" them to the ceiling. Mum didn't like him doing this because they made dark dusty patches on the ceiling!
Getting a tin of paints for Christmas that had about 100 colours in it.

Eating satsumas, watching the grown ups wrestling with the nut crackers, Morecambe and Wise on the telly.

Ah, the 1970's!

@DumbledoresArmy we had those!! I wonder if my dad still has any in the loft I could pinch

Ooohhh one more - Christmas Avon catalogue!!! I know Avon is still a thing now, but it was sooo exciting when the Xmas stuff came out and I circled (and got) perfume in the shape of clowns or an Edwardian lady😂

Wow this thread brings back so many memories. We also put up balloons in threes (it was always 3's no idea why!?!) which started out huge and ended up shrivelled by new year. We had an advent calendar with pictures only (no chocs/no gifts) which came out every year, and my Dad would be sat eating oranges and lemons (the candy kind with sugar on), and we all spent hours sat cracking nuts with a nutcracker.

Orange and clove pomanders
1980's coloured lights that looked like mini lanterns. so cosy and welcoming, I can't get used to all the icy white lights that are so popular now.
Lindt bunnies in the stocking, we thought they were the fanciest chocs ever.
The sheer sense of excitement in the days before Christmas where we sang and jumped around the house with joy. I saw my children doing it last year and it almost made me tear up.

@EastMidsGPs
Just saw your post for ‘stir up sunday’. Thinking of you

@EastMidsGPs
Yes it did stick to everything.
Regarding non alcoholic drinks I get my dc shloer at Christmas.

These!

This threads great!
I remember the smell of the wrapping paper & the decorations/fake tree.

The garlands hanging off the ceiling & the plastic Christmas pictures on the wall.

Eating most of a selection box for breakfast!

Christmas shopping at Donnington outdoor market!

Reading Teddy Robinson meets Father Christmas. I wanted so much to have the Christmas in this book and the Shirley Hughes books I loved, and the reality was pretty far away. The very best thing about Christmas was my sister and watching old black and white films up late with her.

PrivateParkin
Thank you. I have invited the NDN's two girls round ... reckon if mum 'shows' them what to do it will give her focus and inspired by this thread am going to encourage her to tell the girls of her childhood Christmases. Intergenerational sharing and all that.
Will get some fizzy cordial so the girls can drink 'wine' with us.
Was dreading it, now looking forward to it 😃

@EastMidsGPs I hope you enjoy your Stir Up Sunday

WhatKaty

Yes, that's the stuff attached itself to everything!

I have the loveliest memories of Chritsmas. And it really is the daftest, most simple things that made it so special.

We had the same advent calendars, with pictures behind the doors, every year. I used to look forward to opening the doors with my favorite pictures behind.

We had a set of three christmas cassettes, they came out every year also. The Beverely Sisters singing Little Donkey would have me and my sister in stitches - especially the harmonies after the key change near the end...

A sherry was a pre-requisite before presents could begin to be opened. My sister and I would be in charge of handing them around to everyone. We would always endeavor to make sure that no one would be sitting with nothing to open and that gifts were handed out evenly. We would save ours until the end and enjoy opening the pile we had accumulated.

The paper crown in the crackers would always be too small for Dad, but he would still be wearing it well until the evening and snoring on the sofa.

The fiasco of trying to get the pudding to light. All the men in the kitchen doing the washing up after dinner.

Getting all the left overs out later at night, for a bit of supper in front of the telly.

Advocaat with a glace cherry.

I feel a bit teary now. I live overseas and we don't get back for Christmas very much. I miss my family :-(

@EastMidsGPs
Do you mean angel hair by any chance ? My dgm used to do her tree every year with this. She didn’t add as much as the one in the picture