Does anyone really remember Christmas younger than 7yo?

[3partypics]

DH &I were talking about our fave things from Christmas as a child, so we could carry on some traditions for our 2yo...

But I explained I couldn't really remember of any Christmas' before 7yo, he thought I was mad!

The first one I can remember was the last with my Gran, as we tried to make it quite special because of this, so I'm sure of what age I was. I then remember Christmas after that as I have vivid memories of visiting the cemetery every Christmas day etc.

I have no memories of opening presents with my DM before that as a little kid. Can't think of any particular presents from when I was little, but I know I did have some. I also can't really remember any feelings about the magic of Santa etc, although I did have an older brother who told me quite young. Aibu thinking that's fairly normal to not remember your early Christmases?

For reference, I'm 31/ a 90s kid.

Odd photo style memories and snippets. I don’t really remember opening presents at home or the tree at home but I remember church on Christmas morning. Children all bringing in one present to show off (apart from the unlucky ones who weren’t allowed to open presents until later on). I remember one favourite present I was obsessed by even though in retrospect it was probably the cheapest thing my parents got.

I have a lot of memories of the garden centre we used to buy the tree from each year and being allowed to pick a new bauble.

Nowadays with young DC I keep a special Christmas photo album with notes from the day and favourite photos. My DC love looking through it all year round. I’d really recommend it. At least it feels like Christmas could never be “wasted” because they’ll look at the photos from all years of childhood every year.

The earliest Christmas memory I can remember is when I got a furby toy. I would have been exactly 7.
So for me personally, I cannot remember any Christmases before age 7.

I have definite memories of singing a solo in a nativity in church, age 5. My grandad at Christmas (he died when I was 7) pratting about playing games, and a Christmas eve at their house staying awake on the Z bed, waiting to get tucked in and nobody came!!

Also have memories of some special presents I received too. Then the rest are all at other grandparents house and it all blurring into one with the same decorations etc.

No. I can barely remember anything. I do find this odd but my mum insists I was happy, describing me as perfectly content.

Even some of the later ones, I don't think they are actual memories. I'm not sure I actually 'remember them'. I think they may be things I have been later 'told'. Which is a slightly different thing.

I remember getting a chocolate smokers set which were a thing in the late 60s - pipe shaped chocolate (poor quality) etc also a packet of hexagonal shaped parma violets in a sweet selection box ( still have a sweet tooth now).

My first Christmas memory age 5, walking back to school in the dark to take part in an evening nativity, but nothing at home till age 6 when we got a huge card book about Christmas. After that the memories are a lot clearer

The 1st one I can truly remember is when I was 6 years old. It was my first UK Christmas and I hated it being so bloody cold. I was used to Christmases in summer.

Lovely and interesting thread.
I remember moments I think. I can feel the stocking on my bed. I can see my grandma’s tree and almost smell
the ‘snowballs’ and port. I loved the transparent wrapping on quality street. I remember a Sindy when I was 7 - the pram that came with her was broken so we had to take her back to Woolworths on Boxing Day to exchange. My grandad used to take us to the sales.
I think this is all after age 7 though. We were in the forces and I remember the houses we were in, or getting yo grandparents’ homes after a lot of travelling. Always envious of my cousins who lived near them and saw them more often.

I definitely remember the Christmas I was 5, because it was my brother's first Christmas and I was worried Father Christmas would get our stockings mixed up so I wrote him a note explaining which was which

I also I remember the one I was 4, I swallowed the tail of a sugar mouse from my stocking and threw up all over my bedroom floor in the early hours. Family legend now.

But the memories of the one I was 4 are vague-er and might be partly from hearing the story so often. Whereas I distinctly remember writing the note to Father Christmas after I was meant to be in bed.

Christmas was always a fairly fraught affair in our house, I don't remember specific Christmas days, other than a couple for memorable reasons ! I do have a lot of memories of being a very young child though.

I remember the Christmas when I was 4…only because me and Dsis had the most horrendous sickness bug, spent all of Christmas Eve vomiting while my mum and dad changed our beds a million times. And remember sitting nibbling toast while mum and dad had Christmas dinner 😂

I'm like you op! I have a really bad memory. Not sure why as my childhood was very happy but I barely remember anything before being 12ish and even after that my memories are patchy and hazy. I have trouble remembering Christmases a few years ago though also!

I remember the christmas i was 4 we'd moved house and knew my grandparents were planning a surprise my nan told me grandad was making me a tool box and i was made up. On christmas morning there was a card under the tree that said sorry about the tool box i was a bit sad mum told me to open the curtains and there in the garden was a beautiful wendy house that my amazing grandad had designed and built and he my dad and my uncle had put up christmas eve night in the snow. I still dont know how they pulled it off. Another memory was the cat going missing and coming back in the early hours of christmas day mum said he'd hitched a ride with father christmas

I have always remembered one Christmas when my presents were in a pillowcase and there were so many every time I put my hand in there was another one. I would have been three or four.

I remember being an angel at school aged 5. I remember getting a doll (still have it) I was 4. But I don't remember specifics, Christmases roll into one.

My DD's don't remember Christmas when we lived overseas, we moved when they were 5&3

Yes, I can remember one Christmas in Yorkshire when we were snowed in and another visiting GPS in London when my Grandad helped me make part of a craft kit I’d been given. Would have been 4-5 years old. But these are just snapshot memories- I don’t remember the whole thing.

I remember things that hurt or disappointed before 7 but no clear memories of Christmas day just because it was Christmas day.

I remember vaguely spending Christmas at my nan's house one year which must have been when I was very little. I also remember Christmas's in the house I was born in which we moved out in in 2001, and I would have just turned 8 the first Christmas we spent in the new house.

Like PPs though I have jumbled memories of those Christmas's but they're definitely there! I remember finding some presents with my brother one year

I remember being super excited because I got the beautiful Marzipan horse from Barbie and the Nutracker, I remember most of my horse toys actually! And my books. I got a lot of gifts at Christmas, but those are the ones that stand out to me plus random small items that I felt so chuffed to get like Tommy Girl body spray 😅

I remember we put the tree up reallly late, like the first weekend of the school holidays so around the 21st December? And exploding with excitement over that.

May I ask, was your hurt or disappointment related to gift giving at all? Of course pls don't explain if it is hurtful or triggering to you, I understand Christmas is such a hard time for many

I can distinctly remember one Christmas present and house we lived in so must have been 4 or 5. Half a century ago! Obviously very excited.

@Dreamwhisper yes I remember I got two books once and my brother got lego kits and 2 books and a space hopper. I remember thinking this must be mine so but it was also for him. Being a kid I asked how come *guy got four things and I got two things and my yelled at me really angrily, so I never got any explanation.

The first I remember was one where I got one of them sand pits shaped like a turtle…. Not sure how young I was though! But other than that they all blur into one.

I studied developmental psychology at uni and as part of that we studied infantile amnesia…. Apparently most people don’t remember life before 5 years old. I imagine there is some variation between people because we’re all a bit different, but most people on the thread seem to be around the age…. And as it’s a proper researched thing it’s existence gives you something to go ‘ha! I’m normal! Science says so!’ To your DP about!!

Going on the sleigh ride at Victoria House is my only specific memory of Christmas when I was young. It was amazing!! I don't remember presents etc, just a general lovely feeling around that time of year.