What’s your best, happiest or nicest Christmas memory?

[OrigamiPenguinArmy]

I’ll admit this is an unashamed attempt to start a warm and fuzzy thread because I feel we need more warm and fuzzy right now.

Mine would be firstly actually seeing Father Christmas flying through the sky on his sleigh. I’d have been around six, I was coming out of the church carol service on Christmas Eve into a cold and frosty evening. My grandfather pointed up into the clear sky and said he thought he’d just seen Father Christmas. I looked up and I swear to this day I saw the silhouette of the sleigh pass high overhead. It was pure magic.

My second would be many years later. I had a difficult birth with DD and ended up staying in hospital over Christmas. On Christmas Day there was hardly anyone on the ward, they brought Christmas dinner to the day room but only DH and I were in their and we sat in the quiet and ate this bog standard catering meal, which somehow tasted like the best Christmas dinner ever, with our tiny little, much longed for newborn daughter in her crib beside us.

What a lovely idea for a thread.

Mine would probably be dad doing a fry up on xmas eve. Usually the annual row would have been over by then and we could relax.

My brother's birthday is the week before and all my family would come to our house and would leave all the presents - it seemed there were hundreds.

Sleeping at my dgm's house right up until I was 27 and she died... Every year snuggling up in her bed (to myself) she had layers of blankets not a duvet. Bliss.

Walking home from my nan's on Christmas Eve. She lived two streets away and I went there while my Mum was at work. I would have been 6. I can vividly remember one of those icy cold clear sky nights, and me walking along being so happy that I thought I would explode.
That was also the Christmas I got a doll's pram and twin dolls, furniture for the dolls (made all through the Autumn by my grandad in his shed) and loads of dolls clothes knitted or sewn by our neighbour.

Another one much more recently but it kind of reminded me of my own memory was DD being old enough for the first time to "get" it. I'd been in bed with a migraine all day but perked up and took her out in that magic light hour at dusk. It was one of those Christmasses with thick snow (12-14 years ago) and we just walked round the streets looking at everyone's "pretty lights".

Midnight mass, haven’t been since I was a (weird and intensely religious) child 😀

Maybe not THE nicest Christmas memory but I remember in the 90's Cornwall had snow (one of the only times it snowed in December) and it felt very magical.

I remember pushing my doll's pram round the streets. Dm told me she did the same as a dc. Her dsis got a record player and she carried that round!!

Seeing everyone's christmas trees appearing, watching more and more lights getting turned on throughout December and almost bursting with anticipation as we didn't (and still don't) put ours up til Christmas Eve.

It must have been a hellish period for my parents as the reason we were driving around each night was that my brother was in hospital where it was becoming clear he had a life limiting illness and my parents were swapping over so one could stay with him while the other grabbed some food and some sleep. But all I remember from that time is delight as we played spot the new Christmas trees appearing each night.

Staying up late with my dsis, because mum and dad would be out, watching old films in front of the fire, stealing Quality Street.

Last Christmas for me, I was very newly pregnant with DD after a year of trying. I’d found out mid December and then got to sing Christmas carols at midnight mass with a tiny secret, knowing there would be my own baby in a crib come next Christmas. 2020’s been a shit show but I can’t wait for her first Christmas this year

Two favourite memories:

1. When I was around 7 I came home for Christmas to my mum following a stay with my dad and relatives in another part of the UK (parents divorced when I was very little) to find a magical display of Christmas presents under the tree, including a beautiful sewing box full of the loveliest little bits - knitting needles, wools, cotton reels... It hadn’t come as a set - mum had personally chosen every piece and assembled it. The box itself was beautiful too with a quilted and embroidered top. I was obsessed with knitting and sewing at the time as my grandmother had recently taught me how to knit. Mum was a single parent and my big brother is severely autistic, so even at that age I knew that her life was difficult. I was overwhelmed by the love and effort she put into all our presents. I felt such pure love and adoration towards my mum and what a loving and wonderful mum and person she was (is). I’ll never forget the love in her eyes as she looked at me as I opened that box.

1. After trying for a baby for several years I conceived DD5 via IVF very close to Christmas. We had an early scan to check the pregnancy was viable and I carried this beautiful secret all through the Christmas and New Year celebrations before I could announce it after our 12 week scam in the New Year. I felt so happy and fulfilled, finally being able to have a baby of my own and so bonded with my little bump.

I was about 6. My dad was on the Christmas night shift. I woke up at 5am and went into my mom with my sister who was 4. We were so excited but we couldn't go downstairs to see if Santa came until my dad got home, so we lay in bed and I stared at the clock for 2 hours waiting. The excitement when I heard the door open was amazing. He must have been so tired but we had an lovely morning of dad sorting batteries for furbys and mom cooking sausage sandwiches. I love seeing it all repeated now with my DH and two DDs.

I remember the first Christmas where I didn't "believe" in FC, going shopping with my mum for my little brother's presents... felt like such a grown up 😁😁
More recently when DD was 5 I remember her getting into bed on Christmas eve, not even wanting a bedtime story, and scrunching up her eyes as tight as she could so she could get to sleep and father Christmas could hurry up and get there

So lovely to read all of these.

My late mother in law, well into her 80s, came to stay the first Christmas after her husband, dh's father, passed away. On Christmas morning I went downstairs to switch on the tree lights and came back to find her giggling in our bed with dh and the kids opening her stocking.

One of my best memories is driving round delivering cards with my mum. We used to live high up in the Pennines and my memory is of snow in the headlights, singing carols with my mum and visiting lots of old relatives who always welcomed us with treats!

Another lovely one is me and my sisters turning off all the lights except the Christmas tree ones and lying on our backs under the tree looking up through it. The tree used to smell divine but the slightest movement used to cause pine needles to fall on us. I get my children to do this now.

I keep on having to remind myself that most of my Christmas memories are of being with the family, not the presents, big treats or even the food. Small traditions and comforting things mean more that piles of presents.

When I was four, wearing my long party dress (1970s) and a silver crown I'd made at playgroup. At that age, life held no glories greater than a long party dress and a silver crown.

I was allowed home from hospital on Christmas Day with my newborn. I was a c section so nobody thought I would be out so my poor mother was caught completely unawares, no turkey etc. but she still managed to produce a (non traditional) feast for us all.

My DD was born a few days before Christmas, when I was moved up to the post natal ward she was quite unsettled one night so I took her for a walk along the corridor to see the Christmas tree near the entrance to the ward, to try to prevent her waking the other babies in the bay. I remember standing with her in my arms watching the twinkling lights on the tree and seeing them reflected in her eyes. It was lovely, until a midwife appeared to tell me off for being out of bed and berate me for carrying baby in my arms instead of pushing her in the hospital crib .

Mine is going to visit my aunt and uncle one Christmas. All mum’s side of the family were there so Granny and Grandad, our family (mum, dad’ me and dbro) my aunt and uncle and their two (boy and girl) and my other aunt and uncle and their two girls. The “children” ranged in age from about 18 (me) down to about 8.
On Boxing Day all us children rehearsed a production of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes Cinderella with the two boys as the ugly sisters. I was the Prince. We raided wardrobes and cupboards for costumes and props and presented the production at about 6pm. It was brilliant and such a lovely time.

Taking my 4 small children to CenterParcs for Christmas. They had a huge full-sized sled with real reindeer and my children were absolutely mesmerised by it.

The reindeer were so beautiful and placid, it was freezing cold and you could see their breath in the air. Then it started snowing. It was so lovely, my children were aged 12, 7, 4 and 1 and the older 3 still remember it.
The rest of the trip was amazing too - we had a trailer for all the presents and my oldest son helped us wrap everything on Christmas eve.

On Christmas morning we had breakfast with ducks waddling past the patio doors as they unwrapped all their presents.

@SantasBritchesSpelleas you’ve just reminded me of a lovely memory ....1970’s here too, and wearing the full length party dress (with matching over-pinafore) that my mum had made me for the infant school Christmas party...complete with gold crown ❤️ I’d forgotten all about that...thank you ☺️

Love this thread

turning off all the lights except the Christmas tree ones and lying on our backs under the tree looking up through it.

We used to do this as well. I might go and do it right now actually!

My favourite memories are of sending letters to Father Christmas up through the chimney (open fire) on Christmas Eve, and my granny's Twelfth Night parties.

Happy memories

This is such a lovely thread. Much needed. Thank you OP and thank you to everyone else.

TwoBigNoisyBoys Christmases in the 70s were so special