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?

[LemonysSnicket]

AND WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAAAAAAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAAAAR! Every year the same sound track and it fills me with joy.
I do remember presents but also a cold crisp country walk ( I live in C London now), bubblegum and Xmas eve Pjs

[dontcallmelen]

Yy the striped flannelette pillowcase, topped with a satsuma in purple tissue paper, the sheer bone shaking excitement of Christmas Eve & knowing that Father Christmas was coming, the tacky wrapping paper & decorations no ‘themes’ in the 70’s.
Does anyone remember the hot chestnut sellers? Usually in the street market, Carol singers & the school nativity play & mass on Christmas morning & a big mad party Christmas night, my DF family all singing & dancing.

[MomToWedThorFriday]

Every year, on Christmas Eve, a present would ‘fall off’ Father Christmas’ sleigh at my house. I had to go around everywhere searching for it. Once it was in the vase of twigs literally behind my head, but the first time it was on the washing line. It was a box of little chocolate shapes - white and milk - lion king shapes! I don’t think I remember any other present more than that one, I was so, so excited.
I love Christmas

[MomToWedThorFriday]

Oh, and thinking that Father Christmas was definitey real, because I got a box of Pocahontas tissues in my stocking one year when I’d developed a cold the day before!

[ShatnersBassoon]

Dontcallmelen - I loved getting a paper bag of chestnuts from the sellers with their little stoves. Great memory.

[Strokethefurrywall]

I remember waking up at 5am and my sister and I excitedly opening our stockings. We used to have close family friends come up to stay with us from Somerset, so 4 excitable girls all cramped in the same room with our stockings, opening packets of hair bands and Avon nail varnish.

Then downstairs to open the million gifts under the tree (presents for 9 people add up!) whilst dad says "say cheeeese!" and taking photos on his Nikon.

My very fondest and treasured memories are off our annual family trip to the Royal Albert Hall to listen to the Bach Choir sing Christmas songs. Back in the 80's they would have all the kids come and join the choir on stage to sing. It was magic, I would love to take my kids one year. And watching Rotary santa come down our road on his sleigh and we would go out to wave at him and he'd get down from his sleigh and ask us what we wanted for Christmas. Every year we would do this, even going out to see Santa when we were in our teens.

I love Christmas so much, for me it starts when the tree goes on up on 1 December (or before because we celebrate Thanksgiving here too) and ends New Years day when the tree comes down.

[Doobydoo]

Oo fab thread. Films like the wizard of oz.Mary Poppins.Sound of Music ....niw we can see them all year round. Chestnuts.Satsumas.twinkly lights and the crisp evenings and smell of fires and for some reason playdoh!

[LemonysSnicket]

@dontcallmelon they still sell hot chestnuts in paper bags round Leeds city centre at xmas

[ALemonyPea]

I grew up abroad, where it was summer for Christmas.

We’d get up at 6am and open our presents under the tree. Out stockings had choc coins, a satsuma and a banana in, and if we were lucky (if the shops had them in) we’d get a selection box in the shape of a stocking as well.

My dad used to bbq our fried breakfast, we’d swim all day and have a turkey dinner, even though it was 30 degrees outside.

Then we’d have a huge party with other expats.

We didn’t get many presents, it was more about the families being together and celebrating.

[IJoinedJustToPostThis]

"It wasn't what was in it that was the thing, but the possibility of a world with magic in it."

Beautifully put, Johnny.

Carol Ann Duffy has written a poem "Another Night Before Christmas", which I bought in beautifully-illustrated hardback, and recommend to everyone. I cried when I read it, because I am a colossal sap over Christmas.

[Frouby]

I am the oldest out of 6. When I was little I used to wake really, really early. Like 4am early and creep downstairs. My mum would always be asleep on the sofa guarding our presents in case any of the little ones woke up and came down and raided them.

I used to wake her up and I was allowed to open one present and it was always a book. I used to sit and read the book while she went back to sleep. Surrounded by 6 piles of presents she had scrimped and saved and got into debt to buy. We always had a real tree and a tin of roses open and a gas fire on low that used to make that purring noise.

We didn't have the easiest of childhoods for various, depressing reasons but I always remember those really early Christmas mornings eating roses and reading some Enid Blyton or pony book by the light of the tree lights with my mam asleep.

She still loves Christmas now and makes my youngest sister sleep at hers Christmas eve so she can watch kids open presents first thing Christmas morning.

[Olivetappas]

All the family playing cards for pennies lol

[whatkatydidnext1]

Omg I have a lump in my throat reading these. We had the same advent calendar every year. It was really pretty and covered in glitter. No chocolate inside. And us three kids used to take it in turns to open a window. Our tree was very understated and the tinsel was bald but we loved it. Watching Christmas top of the pops. We had another Christmas Day at my gm on Boxing Day. She did a lovely tree. She used to do stuffed dates with marzipan and a walnut on top, and tree presents. And bless that woman’s heart, we were three boisterous kids but she always got out her best china which was very expensive ( I inherited it ) so that we felt special. Her last Christmas there was no decorations. We didn’t know she was dying but it was obvious something was wrong. I left her house in tears and brought a small tree for her. A good 50% of my decorations were hers and I absolutely treasure them. I’m very lucky I have some lovely memories.

[IJoinedJustToPostThis]

Back on topic: the excitement the first year we were allowed a chocolate advent calendar (I must've x been 11), the disappointment of realising it had to be shared with my siblings, the school Christmas Fayre (must've been dull for DM, brilliant for me), the red/green/blue splash of light from the tree, reflecting on the ceiling when the rest of the room was dark, chocolate for breakfast, pretending to still believe in Santa, not sure if that was more for my parents or me, pretending to be asleep when they put the stocking on the end of my bed, streamers in the living room, hoping it would snow, being allowed to watch the first half of a non-educational film in school, tinsel as an itchy hair bobble.

[Ginorchoc]

The one day a year I could guarantee I’d get some food.

[rainbowjoy]

Some of these have already been mentioned but being allowed on Christmas Eve to put the treats out on our nest of tables. Nuts, after eights, orange and lemon slices. My sister and I would argue over who got to eat the centre jelly. Choosing our corona soft drinks that the milk man delivered. Only time of the year we were allowed cherry aid, lime aid, orange aid. It was always kept in our shed and one year it was so cold all the glass bottles froze and broke.

[theluckiest]

This is a wonderful thread - definitely one for Classics.

Thought of another thing - I knew it must be Christmas when the Radio Times Christmas issue was out. We would spend a good hour going through it with a fine tooth comb and circling what we wanted to watch. The big Christmas film after the Queen's speech was a must.

[notthegumdropbuttons]

Oh this is lovely, I plan to come back but for now it was the sound of the crinkling wrapping paper at the bottom of my bed and my late dGm commenting on how moist the turkey was multiple times during dinner. I couldn’t look at my df because we’d both laugh. Ah to hear about moist turkey again

[Sassandballs]

What a really lovely thread, thanks OP.

I do have happy tears reading these too. My DM & DF always made our Christmas's magical, memories to cherish.

I was born in the 70's, my memories are a skinny silver tinsel christmas tree which multicoloured lights & these baubles, which cut you when they smashed (when the cotton wasn't tied properly). Those foil concertina decorations on the ceilings with balloons.

Our house always had a lovely christmas smell too.

Our stockings were my dads sports socks & always had a walnut & a tangerine at the bottom without fail every year.

Myself & my DB always got branded pop, actual pepsi & coca cola instead of the usual pop man drinks.

We always brought the dining table into the lounge to have christmas dinner too, still no idea why!

I absolutely love Christmas.

[mumonashoestring]

The smell of tinsel And the trip to get the Christmas tree, and unpacking the box of decorations with the orange silk baubles with silver thread that looked like (70s) festive little oranges. The smell of cigar smoke on Christmas day, Dad getting up early to light the sitting room fire so the house wasn't frigid, the blu tack holding up the foil lanterns slowly melting during the day and dropping decorations on peoples heads. Taking the dog for a freezing cold long walk on Boxing day and going home to soup.

[clippityclop]

I love this thread! Singing Away in a Manger at primary school, making paperchains, going to school with glittery hands from opening my advent calendar with tiny pictures, helping my nana make Christmas cake, being given 50p to go shopping on my own (big thing!) per person to buy a present for the Christmas dinner table, crackers with curly fish inside, watching Morcombe and Wise and eating Quality Street. I'd forgotten about Neopolitan chocolates, gorgeous things...

[73kittycat73]

Thank you *ShowOfHands) you've just brought back some memories for me:
Oh yes 80s decorations. Paper honeycomb shapes which snapped closed, foil chains, cardboard figures with pull strings to make them dance, lantern lights, Chinese lanterns, a crap tree and too much tinsel.

Plus a selection box which was a plastic stocking covered in netting.

However, you can never have to much tinsel! ;) :D

[73kittycat73]

Bastard bloody bold fail.

[oobedobe]

Ddad going out to buy the biggest tree he could find a few days before Christmas.

Decorating the tree with Mum then watching TV with just the glow of coloured fairy lights on.

Getting a box of thortons toffee from my Granny.

Choosing a pillowcase to leave out on Christmas Eve and waking up to that heavy feeling of it full of presents at the end of your bed.

[beepbeeprichie]

This is so lovely. God I miss my dad.
The proper filament Christmas lights, not the harsh LED ones you get now.
We had turquoise tinsel. I thought that very exotic!
We used to have Nat King Cole and Dean Martin Christmas records. When "the little boy that Santa Claus forgot" came on we used to shout to my dad and he has to jump up and move the needle on the record player on so we didn't listen to the "sad song".