An old fashioned Christmas. 🌲🎄

HelterSkelter1

I do miss our Woolworths this time of the year. It just felt so Christmassy without being over the top. Boxes of lametta I have never seen since. Both DDs had christmas jobs there. Thirty plus years flown by.

You can still get lametta - some goes on our always real tree every year - we call it icicles. They shiver and catch the light.
I buy it online - never see it in shops any more.

And I forgot. Always Christmas morning service - when I often wore a present. I remember a hat from an aunt in Canada, and my first pair of stockings with suspenders and bra. 😊

I often puzzle myself for the nostalgia I feel for things I didn't particularly enjoy as a youngster, which was mainly much church going. Catholic household, catholic school it was two pronged from both quarters. Umpteen trips to church with the school on the run up, carol practice, carol service, visiting the crib culminating in Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, when the pub a couple of doors along turned out just as that was beginning and swelled the congregation numbers considerably, often standing room only. The religious aspect was very much the focus and everything else was secondary. We were actually visiting friends in the Cotswolds last December and went to Tewkesbury Abbey whilst a local junior school inside practising their carols, it was such a beautiful moment listening to them.

Like most of our generation, Christmas presents were not the outrageously expensive gadgets of today they consisted typically of items such as books, a doll, a game like Monopoly, a jigsaw, kaleidoscope thingy, I loved those and chocolate treats, a selection box, chocolate money were received with a lot of anticipation and I think appreciation. We were forced to write a proper letter thanking the people who'd given them. Christmas tree and homemade paper chains. I had no illusions about Father Christmas, our dad told us from our very early years, he didn't exist. He didn't like us believing in nonsense, unless it was religious nonsense. I did spin the whole rigmarole out with my own children, because I felt I'd missed out, until they tumbled, in fact I was really annoyed with my older son when he told his brother, "it's not Father Christmas who leaves the presents, it's mum and dad who creep into our rooms with a pillowcase full of them, they think I'm asleep, but I'm not"

Christmas dinner always seemed to create a massive kerfuffle in our house cooking the turkey and steaming the Christmas pudding. I remember the late chef Gary Rhodes saying the same about his parents, also my husband similar in his house? What were they all doing that caused mayhem and meltdowns? Talking of which, I had my own meltdowns playing family Monopoly in the aftermath of Christmas, it began before the game started my brother and I usually had a massive quarrel over who got the dog, then it went from bad to worse and I certainly couldn't cope with the bankruptcy aspect of it On the subject of Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, mince pies, I loved them from an early age, now it seems, a lot of the younger generation don't appear to like dried fruit fare. My parents gave us watered down wine with the Christmas dinner, quite shockingly when we were pretty young, not that I particularly liked it back then, I don't think that would be approved of now. It was the one night we were allowed to stay up and watch whatever "the big film" was, vague recollections of The African Queen and High Noon. Tea time was Christmas cake, and the only time of the year when there would be a biscuit tin with exciting assortments including chocolate covered biscuits an absolute rarity during the rest of the year. My parents spent a lot of time cracking nuts again reminiscent of that time of the year. After Christmas between then and New Year we'd see relatives and go up to London to see a "big" film such as West Side Story and El Cid were two I remember and being taken to the ballet to see Coppelia and The Nutcracker.

We had a huge tree. The top would be bent over as it was taller than the room. The reason? My dad bought it on Christmas Eve when they were half price. I guess few people wanted a giant tree. Then there were the lights. If one went out, they all went. Quite often they stayed out too.

I do miss our Woolworths this time of the year. It just felt so Christmassy without being over the top. Boxes of lametta I have never seen since. Both DDs had christmas jobs there. Thirty plus years flown by.

I’ve still got the little shades that covered the Christmas tree lights. My grandfather walked Plymouth until he found them. I would like to use them again, but I’m afraid that they would be too brittle. They have pictures on them of Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella and others. I have 10 shades altogether.

Our tree always went up a week before Christmas - much like mine does now. A fruit bowl on the side board and nuts to crack. Mum would have a bottle of sherry and Dad a bitter shandy. The meal was a capon (I think now banned) bought from the local farm, and always Christmas pudding with lashings of custard.

I remember it as a very loving cosy happy time, full of fun and laughter, with visiting relatives, card games by the adults and children sitting under the card tables playing with our toys. Much like our family get togethers at Christmas now. Daughter’s turn to host this year.

I do remember the streams of garlands from each corner of the room to the centre, all held dubiously in place with drawing pins. And balloons tied up together in the corners! Christmas tree overloaded with furry tinsel, lametta, glass baubles, clip on trinkets and elves.

Christmas cards from all and sundry on every flat surface, or hanging on ribbons from picture rails.

Plug in lights with miniature bulbs that inevitably blew and were all individual styles, voltage, wattage, colour and connection - needed a box of assorted bulbs ready as replacements. Good job daddy was an electrician!

Our Christmas tree didn't go up until Christmas eve. In the afternoon mum would put out all the treats she had been collecting for months - boxed dates, figs, nuts and chocolate.

We each had a pillowcase which was full on Christmas morning. Nothing very expensive just colouring books, crayons, games etc and one big present maybe a doll or teddy.
Just the five of us for dinner then my auntie would arrive later with my cousins.
It was wonderful and all the better for being very low key.

I have always loved traditional carols - they were a big thing in school assembly once Advent started - beginning with O Come O come Emmanuel, so that’s still a favourite, but I love so many.

An abiding memory is of the tiny little real 🎄tree, that was dug up from the garden every year, poor thing, until my folks were marginally less skint and it was pensioned off and allowed to grow and flourish. But I still remember the boy next door looking askance at it, and saying, ‘Has your Christmas tree had a heart attack?’ 😂

Despite money always being very tight until I was a teen, my folks made a real effort, stockings were always bulging with little things, and the excitement of waiting for 🎅🏻 was huge.

We always had a turkey, crackers, etc., and usually at least one grandmother and aunt would come to stay. I expect they chipped in!

HelterSkelter1

Esmay. Stay home...dont go to those neighbours. It sounds awful

I agree Esmay
Say you’d like a quiet one this year. Buy a luxury ready meal, some cheese and a bottle of your favourite wine.
I’d rather have the telly for company on The Day.

Well, the 1950's were slightly different for me. No tree - maybe towards the very end of that decade the first faux trees came out and I think my parents purchased a small table top one in white (they never replaced it). Few decs were put up mainly those we made ourselves.

By the time we went into that decade I was coming out of childhood, so even my Christmas stocking (pillowcase) ceased. 25th December was my parents wedding anniversary and we made more of that celebration that anything else.

Towards the end of the decade celebrations were taking place, but these mainly involved the christmas meal, By that time, my parents were grandparents (not by me), so a lot more fuss was made of it on behalf of their grandaughter. Each year she was given the fairy on top of the Christmas tree to take home, and that was replaced annually.

Christmas just lasted for two days back then. Even New year = not too much as New Years Day was NOT a public holiday, so work as normal.

My younger sister and I lived with our parents in a huge rented terraced house (we even had our own playroom downstairs!) in Old Trafford. Not much money but plenty of love and attention. Our Christmas presents were usually second hand (I began to notice, being the eldest - Miss Marple). Baby dolls with clothes I do remember. Not so much the dinner to be honest - most children don’t notice really when young - it’s just ‘food’ isn’t it?

By the time we moved things were different. Mum and dad had a mortgage to find with the Abbey National and the fact we both passed the 11+ there was expensive school uniform to buy.

I remember second hand ice skates. Mum had scrubbed them up and applied copious amounts of Meltonium whitener (few cracks from liberal use) and a Timex watch (not second hand - ina box!) one year.

For a couple of Christmases things were a bit fraught with tension between my parents. Dad would get a bit lairy down at the pub, pre-dinner, mum would be cross. No grandparents on either side with us to help deflect the anxiety therefore a couple of memorable Christmas days for all the wrong reasons…

Then mum got a new job, full time instead of part time. Things got easier. Smiles returned. It made me very aware that lack of disposable income creates untold stress within a family. I often think of young children on Christmas Day whose parents are doing their best - but struggling.

We used to spend Christmas day with my widowed grandmother. We opened presents under the tree in the morning.

At lunchtime we ate turkey followed by homemade Christmas pudding with almond sauce. We pulled crackers and wore the paper hats.

At teatime we had homemade Christmas cake Which had a thick layer of marzipan on top and a layer of white icing on top of that. My grandmother used to put a selection of very old figures on top of the cake. There were several reindeer, a big robin, an eskimo with an igloo, and a snowman.

I used to play with a large snow globe that only came out at Christmas, it had Father Christmas complete with a toy filled sleigh and reindeer. I used to love to make the 'snow' swirl round like a blizzard.

Like many families we watched the Queen's speech on television but I always wanted to get back to playing with my presents.

Esmay. Stay home...dont go to those neighbours. It sounds awful

No magic of childhood Christmasses for me. Of course back then only New Year counted in Scotland. We did get presents from Dad's kind patients. Things like diaries, books and home made tablet (which we weren't allowed to eat). My kind Gran did her best and bought us actual toys or items that we wanted. My other Granny gave up practical presents like clothes. No fun though. On alternate years lunch would be with one set of grandparents at the golf club or a roast lunch at the other grandparents. Nice but not festive.

I thought my childhood christmases were magical and tried to re-create it with my own children.

I suppose shops nowadays have to order their supplies months in advance, then have to put it all out in November to make room for the Easter eggs....

We get out the Christmas mugs and tea towels on 1 December, don't have anything else special. Oh and always kedgeree on Christmas Eve, no idea why.

Thanks for the tip, I'd never heard of BOD. Started watching it last night on BBC iplayer, it's lovely.

My father was in the army, so we never knew from one year to the next where we would be next Christmas. During my childhood I had Christmases in six different places in the Uk and in 3 different countries in Asia and 2 in Europe.

However whereever we were, Christmas day was alwayss the same. It meant no matter where we were we had Christmas traditions and knew exactly how the day would go. All these traditions came into the family from my father, whose own father had also been in the army and introduced these fixed traditions to his family. It meant that when my sister and I spent one Christmas with our grandparents, the day was identical to the one we would have had at home

I have to admit that the Christmasses of my childhood weren't magic.
My mother hated the season and complained a great deal about the chaos and expense.

I tried to give my childhood wonderful memorable Christmasses .

I've spent the last three Christmas days with my neighbours.
They are a family ,who are continually at war with each other .
They never stop complaining about each other continuing this habit throughout the year .
If invited,I'll spend most of Christmas day waiting for the lunch .
It is always burnt and almost stone cold .
The grown up daughters sit around the table glued to their phones and wanting to be elsewhere.
Gifts that I buy for them aren't even acknowledged with a bat of the eyelid.
Their faces faces remain impassive.
Their parents don't speak to each other .
I usually sit drinking wine with the husband who is completely ignored by the rest of his family .
I make attempts at conversation and feel like a court jester with bells on my hat.

My parents had pubs with restaurants when I was growing up.

These were decorated on 1st December, then it was all go until New Years Day.

I can remember them being so very tired, the pub opened from 12-2pm on Christmas Day, my maternal Granny was always with us. I remember helping her cook the lunch on our huge professional kitchen from a very early age.

One year I woke up and Santa hadn’t been went into their bedroom they were sound asleep. Santa had left my stocking in Mum’s wardrobe, as apparently he thought I was awake.

When I had my children Mum confessed that they had just been so busy they fell into bed and forgot.

I remember sitting on a stool at the corner of the bar, with someone playing the enormous grand piano, other memories are of all the Christmas music on the Juke Box when it arrived I was fascinated by it. This would have been mid sixties.

BlueBelle

I m sure the build up was only a week or two
Now our charity shop had to put the cards out start of September and the Christmas clothes and good as new presents end of October They have been flying off the shelves I m sure we won’t have any left soon but totally spoils it I think

In early September I remarked in a charity shop that the Christmas cards were already out- I suppose in a slightly sniffy way.
The person behind the counter said more and more people want to spread the cost- and this made me change my attitude a little.
However when I was little my parents had very little money and eleven kids so I'm not sure it is all about spreading the cost.
I made a decision last year that I would buy earlier but I haven't- maybe there will be nothing left by mid-December but I'll take that risk...

My memories in the early early 60’s are rekindled every year, we always had a real tree, as I do now, we still preserve some traditions inherited from my Mum and Dad. I love Christmas.
One of my greatest pleasures in the lead up is coming downstairs in the morning, switching the tree lights on and just sitting quietly with the smell of pine and glow of lights reviving memories.

It was simple but so much better. The Christmas tree, the scent of pine. The stockings at the end of the bed, a real treat in the bottom, a mandarin orange! Present opening. Notes made so we wrote our thank you letters on Boxing Day. Dear Auntie G who never saw us, but without fail sent a modest postal order.

And the meal! A whole roast chicken! then, if weather permitted, out into the street with the news skates or similar to play out as other kids emerged post big dinner.

I m sure the build up was only a week or two
Now our charity shop had to put the cards out start of September and the Christmas clothes and good as new presents end of October They have been flying off the shelves I m sure we won’t have any left soon but totally spoils it I think

We always had Christmas with my maternal grandparents My grandad loved Christmas Nan was the cook… me being an only child amongst four adults it could get a bit boring after the first flush but I did love it
We too had real candles (what a fire hazard and no fire alarms in those days) on a real tree and ceiling decorations using drawing pins and going from one corner of the room to to middle and then to the other corner
My dad always bought me a Rupert album, even long after I had got past them 🤣and I d have an Enid Blyton of some kind and sit happily reading sometimes playing board games
My grandad used to put a little table tree in the middle of the table with a ribbon and a little present to each place setting
Nan would be busy cooking We always had celery and ham for tea and my grandad bought a jar of pickled walnuts( I use to love them) and remember cracking the nuts with silver coloured nut crackers
Boxing Day would be visiting my other grandparents I don’t remember presents from them maybe there was and I just dont remember and going for windy walks on the seafront
Then it was over fir another year and back to normal