Memories of Christmas Past

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I guess we all have different memories of Christmas past when we were young and they would differ greatly from, say, our children and grandchildren.

There wasn’t much money about when I was a child and certainly not in our household but my parents always did their best to give us a great Christmas dinner with some extras like homemade mince pies, wonderful trifle etc. It was all very last minute in our house because there was no money to save up for anything so Mum would be knitting away to the last minute to finish off a jumper for one of us or a knitted toy. Dad would bang on the kitchen window on Christmas Eve and hold up all the fresh veg from our garden and either a big chicken or turkey from his employer and it was marvellous!! We were set up then for a great feast!

Mum would be cooking all morning (having been to Midnight Mass) and would often be crying because she was so homesick for all her big family in Ireland. She was the only one not “at home for Christmas” and she knew she would be missing out on a lot of music, dancing and “doing a turn”. She usually walked down to the phone box and would ring one of my Aunties who had the luxury of a phone and often came back even more homesick. :cry:

The washing up seemed to take hours afterwards and we all helped out clearing away, washing or drying. Then we would watch TV, play a board game or if the weather was mild we might have a walk before darkness fell.

I do remember it often being bitterly cold and putting off going to the toilet because it was downstairs in what we called “the wash house” and was freezing cold. We had a fire in the front room and a fire in the kitchen but no central heating so upstairs was icy cold.

Sometimes on Christmas Day my Uncle and Aunt and children would come for tea and then we would go to theirs on Boxing Day or vice versa. She was also a great cook so we were guaranteed some festive cheer up there too.

It was a simple Christmas but we were warm and well fed and got some useful presents like scarves, gloves, books and a selection box and it was only in later years when I realised how hard it must have been for my parents to have provided all this because by the time they had paid the rent and all the bills there was no money left over to save.

I have so many friends whose kids have split up with their spouses and no longer see grandchildren or if they do they are clockwatching to return the kids on time often in a layby or outside a shop. Then there are families which they call “blended” where kids from different partnerships are all together under one roof or there are rows over who is going to have the kids for Christmas so at least we never had any of that, so I am grateful. I couldn’t be doing with that stress for sure.

Happy Christmas everyone! :snowman_with_snow::christmas_tree::snowman_with_snow::christmas_tree:

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Thank you for this thread. What wonderful memories.

I was thinking of Christmases past earlier today. I miss my dad terribly most of the time but Christmas time is the very worst.

Growing up, we were extremely poor but my mum and dad made sure that each Christmas was beautiful and special. We (four girls) would each receive a new outfit and a new pair of shoes for church on Christmas Day. That was such a treat since ordinarily, all my clothes and shoes were hand-me- downs. My elder sister was two years older than me. She always received all the new clothes and shoes and I was passed her hand-me-downs which included school shoes and uniforms as well. So, brand new spanking clothes with the label still on was such a treat for little old me! I recall, I would sneak into my parents bedroom and lay down on the carpet, pull the box out from under mum’s wardrobe - crawl under my parent’s bed carefully lift the lid and just look at my new pair of shoes. Then I would pack them in neatly and sneak the box back under mum’s wardrobe all ready for Christmas morning.

Truth be told, there was a lot of sneaking going around in our house during Christmas. Including peering through the Christmas crackers trying to identify the ring and then hiding the prized Christmas cracker in the tree for Christmas. But with four girls in the house all of whom were targeting that same said ring, that cracker was never where you last strategically placed it on the tree. Each sister knew exactly what the other sister was doing… I smile just thinking about those ‘ring’ fights!

Each Christmas we also received a small gift. It wasn’t much but it always left us with a smile and in good cheer. December was my dad’s bonus month. He would ensure that we had lots of sweets, crisps and a wonderful Christmas spread. As is customary in my community, we would hand out parcels of baked goods to the nearest neighbours on our street. There would be such a fight to take a plate of eats to the neighbours house. I just refused to walk to the neighbour because they would comment on how much you’ve grown, your hair, your outfit. It felt like a parade at times. Baking was a huge part of Christmas for me and the week leading up to Christmas was spent baking with my mum in the kitchen. I was the only daughter willing to help mum in the kitchen so I would claim that since I had helped mum in the kitchen, my sisters could deliver the baked goods parcels. That’s how I got away!

Lunch was at 14h00. We had roast lamb, gammon, beef, lots of vegetables, Briyani, roast turkey, trifle and cheesecake.

The evenings were spent visiting my cousins and exchanging gifts and perhaps another light meal at my uncle’s house.

December is blisteringly hot and humid. All the meats prepared on Christmas Day was packed away ready for the next day where we locals would spend some time at the outlaying peaceful beaches. So the next day was sun, surf, sand and cold meat sandwiches on the beach.

Actually, most of summer holidays was spent at the beach. My dad worked on the road as a sales representative and my mum worked in retail - the ‘high street’ was near the main beach. So, my dad would pile us into the car and drive into town. We spent from 15h00 to 16h30 at the beach or some times, at the swimming pool whereafter, we fetched mum from work. Those were the best beach memories ever! My dad was a lifesaver in his youth and he taught my sister and I to swim. The two younger ones were not really interested after they had learned the basics. I can still hear my dad calling us into shore. He had one rule - stay behind me!

Of course, the rebel tomboy that I was, I NEVER really listened. I always preferred it beyond the breakers at high tide in December. Floating on my back over the gentle sea swells, all khaki coloured around me, with a salty taste in my mouth and eyes stinging from the salty water, with the sun high above me shining in my face whilst I blissfully drifted on a bed of sun warmed frosted glass ocean. My slice of heaven. Until I heard my dad yelling, XXX come back, come back! The entire afternoon was spent at the seaside with an ice-cream cone to end the day. At the time, Durban was one of the best beaches in the world. But, I digress. That is how we spent the Christmases of my childhood.

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That’s a shock.

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I remember one when I had arrived for lunch and everyone was in a panic.The new electric Belling cooker didn’t work and the shop was closed of course.What does this do?I said as I twiddled the timer button and behold it sprang into life.We did have lunch that Xmas but at dinner time.

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Reminds me of my first Christmas as a newly wed. My Mum told me how to make perfect gravy using the giblets. I boiled them up with a carrot, onion and bay leaf and simmered for ages. I then strained it and pushed all the nice veg through the sieve. Then I discovered it had all gone down the plug hole as I had forgotten to put a pan underneath!! :rofl:

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I recall my three year old daughter getting up at 3am to creep through to see if Santa had been. I followed her since she woke me up to come with her, and we crept down the hall on our tiptoes. She shuushed me as we got to the living room door and made me wait as she slowly and carefully pushed open the door. The look on her face as she saw the lit up Christmas tree and assorted pressies is ingrained in my heart.:smiling_face_with_three_hearts: Of course she gathered up what was hers and scurried off to her room without ceremony, fell asleep and woke up again at 10am :roll_eyes:

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We didn’t have a lot of money, and although we weren’t on the breadline, we definitely had to be careful with money

Dad was a builder for the council and one year his gang had the job of putting up the Christmas tree in the village square
They had to trim some of the lower branches so it would fit into the hole properly

He brought home one of those (free) branches for our Christmas tree, but the problem was that although the tree is conical, the branches are flat, a bit like a fan
However, we always put the tree in the same place, up against a wall, and by the time we’d decorated it, it didn’t look bad at all.

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Sounds lovely except for the sea bit it’s lucky you weren’t eaten by a Great White .

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I had magical Christmases as a child and I’m sure that’s why I still love it now

Mum and Dad didn’t have much money but they were both genius at making good times out of not very much

I remember the advent calender opening every evening after school, going up on the bus to see the Christmas lights in the West End, decorating the Christmas tree, helping with the prep, baking and cooking, wrapping gifts, making paper chains and Mum’s Christmas cupboard where she started storing goodies from August onwards

Does anyone remember those chocolate tree decorations shaped like angels and filled with creme? I thought they were magic? And advent calendars that didn’t have chocolates, but were covered in glitter that got all over your fingers when you opened the doors to see the pictures?

There was always an amazing dinner, and home made Christmas pud Dad would set fire to with a spoon of brandy. And a sixpence hidden in it, wrapped in foil

Mum and dad made us toys, I remember a dolls house, a fort with nights in horses and a lovely knitted layette for my dollies

By hook or by crook Dad would get us to Southend on Boxing Day for a day trip and we’d come home to Boxing Day dinner, all the cold bits and pieces with a big bowl of chips

My granny usually came to stay, and she and her sisters introduced me to Snowballs, ( far to young but they didn’t make mine too strong)
And the grown ups would play cards for pennies and have a drink and us kids would play too. Knock out whist, twenty ones, New Market, I loved it

Stockings filled, always a selection box and bits and pieces, that was from Santa. And then presents with gift tags on so you knew who to say thank you to

And after Christmas we’d cut gift tags from the Christmas cards

And mum would buy a little packet of those calendar tags and we’d make calendars for the granny’s and aunties out of the cardboard from dad’s new shirt and cereal boxes and pictures from old birthday cards and magazines mum had saved

I still miss my mum and dad badly at Christmas but I know I’ve been incredibly lucky to have seen 65 happy Christmases and I try to make every year special

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Yes, the advent calendars didn’t contain chocolate. I think that they went right up to the 25th which meant opening double doors revealing a nativity scene.
We’d always have a copy of both The TV and Radio Times to plan our viewing. The BBC used to show a ghost story for Christmas, Lost Hearts was the best by far, classic!

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Lost Hearts still freaks me out :two_hearts: And later, Whistle and I’ll Come to you

Yes! I’d forgotten, there was a big picture of the nativity for Christmas Day

And the Radio Times. It used to have a section for children with colouring and stuff mum would do with us and I remember one year being thrilled with a bit about Captain Pugwash

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Lost Hearts still freaks me out too Maree.
I had a quick look on YouTube, unsurprisingly there it is.
I watched a minute or so and felt the shivers run down my spine.
Definitely one to watch and savour at leisure.
I’ll never forget the tune on that creepy hurdy gurdy type instrument.

lost-hearts-3-300x225

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The Beaches were well protected against shark attacks. Attacks were rare but it did happen in earlier years.

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most memorable times for me were those christmases in the 70s, I was in my 20s, single, living in london, back ‘home’ to the cotswolds for a week or two. Big family get togethers, silly amounts of food & booze, then more booze, carols on christmas morn, boxing day hunt, country pubs that would lock you in at closing time. I had four brothers, only two left now, this was typically the only time of year we’d get together. Life was glam, the music was free, drink driving was the lifestyle. Everyone smoked as well, like it was some utopian social experiment and like it was cheap. Three day week, petrol vouchers, power cuts, “Merry Christmas Everybody”, “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” …

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great memories d00d! You are so lucky to have had 4 brothers. remember in my late teenage years very cold winters and my friend and I going out in tiny mini skirts and skinny rib jumpers and knee high boots. We then wore big maxi coats over top which kept us warm as they skimmed the ground.

We may have been too young to drink but the pub turned a blind eye and we only had a couple. To get to our closest pub we had to run along an icy cold Quay with the North winds blowing and snow swirling. We used to laugh all the way and were gasping for air as it was so cold. It was bliss when we opened the pub door and there was a big fire blazing and such a lovely atmosphere. There was a juke box and it had all our favourite music. It would be blaring out and there were old men playing dominoes and some elderly couples just out for a drink and then all the local youngsters but it was great.

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yea … miniskirts and jukeboxes … for children of a certain age.