The simple things you remember most about Christmas

[crochetmonkey74]

I'm not one to judge - each to their own - but the juggernaut of Christmas 'extras' now seems mad and got me to thinking about my memories of Christmas- none of which were present based.
Things I remember most are : starting to see tangerines in the grocer, all stacked up next to the shelled nuts and with those boxes of dates. The grocers looked all lit up on the walk home from school- and it would make me feel really Christmassy.
My other big one is the feeling of a heavy stocking on the bottom of the bed- it was always filled with tiny things that I can't remember- but always a chocolate Father Christmas sticking out of the top!
We had a set of Christmas tapes from Readers Digest (just found a set on Amazon for way too much but bought it anyway)
also, we used to listen to the St Winifreds School Choir 'Christmas For Everyone' record and light our very cheap cinnamon smelling candle - even now any cheap christmas candle (the ones that smell of burnt plastic cinnamon) makes me feel all Christmassy

What are your simple festive memories?

[Sideorderofchips]

I'm resurrecting this thread as it's Christmas eve on an awful year

I remember the tacky Dec's, the food in bowls, the bells thst played music at my grans thst the batteries never seemed to die in

[Gonkytonk]

2020 - the weirdest Christmas.
From my childhood I remember the excitement at their being so many gifts for me (in our house they were always on the couch), and of sitting down to watch a long planned film (circled from the Radio or TV times) with my Dad. I also fondly remember the metallic folding bell decorations that my Dad used to drawing pin into the ceiling. At least one always fell down and you had to hunt the pin so nobody trod on it