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?

[Northumberlandlass]

We didn't have a chimney - 1970's. So Mum (and Dad if he was there) would put newspaper squares from the back door to the Christmas Tree, then put on biggest wellies run around in the garden to make muddy Santa foot prints to the tree.

Carol singers at the door (although I do still go to sing at care homes)
Christmas Concert Parties
Sherry
Matching PJ's

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

The main thing I remember about my childhood Christmas is going downstairs one time on Christmas day night after being out to bed I went in the living room and my parents and Grandma (who was staying over) were rolling my brother's skateboard to each other across the floor and on it were the nibbles etc they were sharing they rolled it to each other tomtale their turn. This is the one and only time I have ever looked at my parents and thought that they could actually be fun not just grumpy and shouty. Until they saw me then they were grumpy and shouty again.

[ShowOfHands]

80s Christmas.

[girlywhirly]

I was a child in the 1960’s, and I remember going for a day shopping in London with my parents. It was magical to me, and we always used to go in Hamleys and Selfridges to look at the toys.

The Christmas tree at home was about 2ft tall, silver tinsel and standing on a table. Christmas cards hung from vertical strings, held on by little pegs, and we had those foil concertina decorations across the ceiling.

I loved the satsumas and dates. The sweets and selection boxes made with proper chocolate, not adulterated with palm oil, and even though it was just my parents and I, Mum made the roast chicken dinner seem more special.

Mum was good at making her money go a long way, I remember tiny hand knitted dolls clothes in my stocking that cost very little from school and church Christmas fairs. There was always an apple and an orange in the foot. Bizarrely, the stocking was a nylon one, of Mum’s!

[Needadvicetoleave]

We all used to wait in the hallway to gather before we were allowed in the lounge. We'd then get dad to check that 'he'd been' (I only later realised it was to check we hadn't been burgled in the night). When we went in the lounge the tree lights would be on and our main gift would be set up ready to play with (a play kitchen one year, a barbie dream house another). It looked so magical.

[Hairq]

Satsumas taste of Christmas and excitement to me because we always had them in the house from November. They never taste as good by Christmas week though / the season for them
Must be drawing to a close then.

The local shop would start stocking chocolate tree decorations.

Leaving sherry out for Father Christmas in a special fancy looking sherry glass.

Waking really early on Christmas morning and the tingly excitement of seeing a lumpy, heavy stocking on the door handle. I never let myself open it until my parents woke though - I loved the anticipation of looking at it.

All the adults falling asleep in front of the obligatory Christmas Day Disney film, log fire burning, while I curled up
By the fire and cracked nuts and ate Quality Street and Roses, throwing the wrappers into the fire.

The smell of the tinsel that had been in the loft all year.

Singing Christmas carols in assembly at school and learning the songs for the Christmas play.

My mum having the rest of the WI over to do their 10 step cake icing stuff (make the cake, feed the cake, marzipan the cake, ice the cake, decorate the cake etc) throughout November and December.

Foil garlands everywhere.

[susurration]

Mum used to wear this jumper that had the christmas song about 'you better watch out, you better not cry, 'cause santa claus is coming to town.' The original tacky christmas jumper!

I would always get excited too about christmas plays at primary school and at secondary school, the christmas assembly when the headteacher would dress as a chicken and sing The Twelve Days of Christmas.

[Maverick66]

Tinsel trees.
Multi coloured lights in shape of flowers.
New clothes.
Selection stockings.
Decorations on the ceiling.

[MargoLovebutter]

The monumental excitement of watching the Wizard of Oz or the Sound of Music. Sounds ridiculous but we never went to the cinema when I was growing up, so these were pretty much the only films I had ever seen until I was about 9!

[Hairq]

And I wish wrappng paper was still like this - the most kitsch designs, almost as thin as tissue paper but so satisfyingly crinkly and crackly.

[theluckiest]

Go on...who else made one of these?

My mum & I spent HOURS making it. 'Teas brilliant. And a bit shit. And completely flammable.

She still has it in her Christmas decs box

[Excitedforxmas]

Sitting in bed eating chocolate for breakfast!

[crochetmonkey74]

Hairq
I'd love wrapping paper like that again- my Mum would buy 20 sheets for a pound off the market from those big racks!

[LizzieSiddal]

My most magical memory is seeing the real Father Christmas.

We were just about to go up to bed, on Xmas eve and Dad shouted at us all to come and look outside as he could see something flying in the sky. We all went and looked and could see bright red lights in the distance, it was most definitely the real FC and his sleigh.

[PrivateParkin]

I love that wrapping paper too. At the bottom of my screen I can see an ad for an Essie nail varnish advent calendar. Eye roll. What's wrong with a few black and white pictures of robins, Nativity scenes etc?! I always get a picture advent calendar for myself even now - there s a great shop nr the natural history museum in London that we absolutely loads of them - it's a right treasure trove.

[theluckiest]

Oh the weight of the pillowcase full of pressies against my feet on Christmas morning - flannelette candy-striped pillowcase of course complete with an apple, bag of chocolate coins and a satsuma (why??!)

God, I loved Christmas. The anticipation was so wonderful and so unbearable all at once. Turkeys hanging up in the butcher's shop, party games and crafts at school, going on the family booze 'big shop' in Presto's (no booze for me but a large bottle of cherryade was even more special), a bowl of nuts complete with ancient nutcracker and a large metal tin of Quality Street.

I still love Christmas and have just asked the kids - DS1 says he loves it more than the Xbox (praise indeed) and DS2 says that he wishes it could be Christmas everyday. Thankyou Wizzard...

[Bloodybridget]

My father used to take us to Mass quite early on Christmas Day, it would still be dark; when we passed other people in the street we'd say Happy Christmas to each other (inner London so speaking to strangers was very unusual ). After Mass dad would always make the same joke about going for a swim in the pond on the common, the cue for us to shriek that we wanted to go home straight away to open our presents.

[Notreallyarsed]

Mum and I getting the boxes of decorations down from the loft and sorting them all out. A mish mash of decorations collected over the years and the mangiest tinsel ever the boxes smelled of Christmas and it was really magical when I was wee.
It’s the first Christmas without her this year and I’m dreading it.

[MrsHathaway]

Reading under the tree with only the twinkly multicoloured lights to illuminate the page.

Salvation Army brass band did a route much like Rotary Santa does here now.

Decorating the trifle while the adults were clearing away the Christmas dinner plates. The mouth feel of set custard, soaked sponge, chocolate buttons and jelly diamonds all at once.

[mossyroundhill]

This thread is so lovely

[Hairq]

Yessssss privateparkin picture advent calendars are the best! I was practically WEEING MYSELF every morning with the excitement of findout out what that days picture would be.

[OSETmum]

Being allowed a shot glass of Advocaat with Christmas dinner (to be sipped not downed 😂) and feeling all warm and fuzzy 😂.

Having to followed Dad down the stairs to the living room for presents (why do dads have to go first?).

The smell of tinsel and Dad getting annoyed that the lights were all tangled again. This has never happened to us in my adult life, I wonder what he did to them?!

Being allowed to choose a sweet from my grandad’s ancient Santa shaped sweetie jar and his tiny electric train that went round and round.

I spent some of my childhood in Saudi Arabia so this is a weird one but Christmas things were banned and confiscated at the airport then resold on the black market in a locked room at the back of Toy Town (a massive toy shop). 😂 we went and got a scraggly fake Christmas tree. My dad tried to make it nice and my mum said it was rubbish so my dad called her spoilt as she’d had a ‘richer’ childhood than he had. That’s the only time I remember them falling out! Also, taking our presents out to play with the other children on the compound and the heat being so unbearable in December! That’s an unusual childhood memory I guess.

[happinessischocolate]

Going to midnight mass it was the only time my parents set foot in a church all year and my Dad whispering to me at midnight happy Christmas

Getting home from midnight mass and being allowed to open 1 present, so I’d open the LP and then fight with my DS over who could play their record first.

Memories of Christmas with my kids will always involve them opening 1 present before bed on Xmas eve which is always new pyjamas

[PrivateParkin]

Hairq yes me too - and I had to take turns with my sister!! I can't imagine my DC getting at all excited over a picture advent calendar!!

[MrsFassy]

Having steak and chips for tea on Christmas Eve, then playing cards for pennies with the hustler that is my grandma, while both she and I kept pinching our faves out of the Quality Street tin. Top of the Pops before dinner on Christmas Day. Watching Santa Claus the Movie on Christmas Eve, snuggled up with my grandma. Playing my electronic football game with my grandad the year before he died. The foil decs and the tinsel, the special snacks we only had at Christmas. The trip to the Co-op in town to see Father Christmas and go on his "real" sleigh.

I'm pleased to say I've created a lot of similar memories with my own DC. I asked the 14 year old her fave Christmas memories, they were the walks we take on Christmas Eve to look at the lights, the day we put up the Christmas tree, the panto the local club put on every year (truly the cheesiest thing ever but never fails to have me cracking up then welling up every year) and Late night shopping with a hot choc and donuts, just the two of us.

I love Christmas and everything about it, and I'm thrilled that my DC do too. They love our traditions more than anything else and I hope they have such fond memories as I do.