Childhood Christmas Memories 2010

[rvgrammy1953]

We've probably done this thread before, but after finally getting to see the Live Nativity on the Pets page, I just had to tell a childhood memory of mine.....

My family always had animals....even before we moved to the farm when I was 11 yrs. old....And we always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve which was my Dad's Swedish family tradition....so, for as long as I can remember, after Christmas dinner of Swedish foods and some from my Mom's English background, either at our house or my grandfather's before he died, and after going to Christmas Eve services, before going to bed, Dad & Mom would bundle all 6 of us up and head to the chicken coop and barn where we would give extra feed, water and treats of apples, etc. to all the farm animals. It was Dad's tradition and he did it every year until he passed away in Oct. 2005. It was his joy to tell his children (and grandchildren) the story on how the farm animals were among the 1st of God's creatures to be present when Jesus was born. And how because of this, at mid-night, all the animals could talk....and to help them to have their own Christmas party, we gave them the extra food & treats to eat for the party. My generation and the next gave some really good treats, too....not only extra feed and apples, but carrots, sugar cubes for the couple of horses we had; the chickens got warm grain, outside dogs got beef bones from the butcher, cats got warm milk from the last milking of the day, pigs got milk and gram crackers, and on and on.....then we'd close the barn door and get really quiet to see if we could hear the animals would start talking early....lol....(Dad always arranged for someone to stay in the barn to call out THANK YOU & MERRY CHRISTMAS, to the young ones delight..)....Then it was a walk back to the house in the snow for bed cause Santa was coming.....

Just wanted to share a Christmas memory with all of you....Have a very Merry Christmas everyone....everywhere...

Lori and Ernie

[Liz]

What a nice tradition and Christmas memory, Lori.
I just came from a live Nativity in McIntosh, where it was our church's turn to feed the participants. There were many little angels, shepherds, holy family, & magi there with sugar highs at evenings end...after eating all the sandwiches, donuts, cookies & hot chocolate. There was a live camel & donkey there too, but alas, my camera was not there.

[BarbaraRose]

That is really cool! Love that story! Now, I will have to sit and think if I have anything I can share...hmmm....

[Bethers]

That's so nice, Lori- you know I think the animals all should get more and us less They are so unconditional in what they do for us. And I feel the same about the wild animals out there, too. We have usurped so much of their territory - why I think I enjoyed Canada and Alaska so very much - as they live with the wildlife much better than we do.

Ah, I love your story - wish I could have been there to hear that Merry Christmas coming from the barn. When I was really little I probably would have run like the dickens

[kdmac]

I have a special Christmas memory:

I raised my son, Matt by myself and it was only him and me. I raised him up in the church and read the bible stories to him. He is such a brilliant person that even as a little fella he had such a grasp on things.

Each Christmas eve I would put Matt in my lap all cuddled in a blanket and read the true Christmas story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. As I was reading I put down the book and said; "You know Matt, I have always wondered why the first people ever to hear the good news were the lowly shepherds out in the field." and Matt looked up at me and said, "Because, mommy, Jesus is the Lamb of God".

[mitch5252]

..

Lori, what an amazing story. And what a wonderful memory to cherish.
Thanks for sharing!

..

[snowball]

that is such a nice tradition! and the other recollections are very touching
thank you all
sheila

[Echo]

That was wonderful Lori. And what a super tradition for the family. I know that story of the animals talking on Christmas Eve but it's been years and years since I've thought of it. Can't remember if someone told me that story or if it was a book I had when I was very little. I know I would try to stay awake to not only sneak a peek at Santa but I would be so very, very quiet and listen so hard for one of the dogs to speak that I would fall asleep!! LOL

The one memory that has always stuck in my head was the year I was about 6 or 7 maybe. My 2 older brothers and older sister sent me down to ask Mom and Dad if it was time and we could get up? Went we had went to bed there had been only a few presents under the tree but when I got to the living room on my way to my parents bedroom I came to a dead stop! I was so in awe over the lite tree in the dark room with all the presents. I simply sat down in Dad's chair and stared. I didn't touch a thing, just looked.... My brothers and sister upstairs in the bedrooms got impatient with waiting began 'whisper' to me trying to find out what was going on? And if I had asked Mom and Dad if we could get up yet. The more they 'whispered' the louder they got and ended up waking our parents up themselves!!! Mom and Dad both came out and caught me just looking and laughed. The let us all up even tho it was still pitch dark outside. When we got done with presents? Mom and Dad both went back to bed!!! Even tho I don't remember it, Mom and Dad swore I had my hands behind my back with fingers locked together. I guess it was my way of keeping my fingers from temptation!

[Nasoosie]

I may have told this Christmas memory story before, but here it is again, as it made a huge impression on me.

In the very early 1940s (I know because either my brother, who is two and a half years younger than I am, either wasn't with us, or was too young to attend) my father took me to a huge Catholic cathedral in Hartford, CT, down the street from our apartment. There was a special childrens' service there, complete with Latin mass, incense-swingers up and down the aisles, a manger scene at the front of the church and tons of candles. I can still smell that wonderful incense to this day. I can also remember wondering why I didn't smell animal poop like I did when we visited the farm, asI thought the donkys and other animals were real. The mass was designed to provide Christmas presents for the city's poor kids, so each of us kids attending the service had a gift to give to the Baby Jesus. My gift was a stuffed baby doll like my favorite one I carried with me everywhere. We marched down the huge aisle and up to the manger, where we were to leave our gift. When I got there, I noticed that the baby wasn't moving at all. In fact, the baby looked either dead or not real. I climbed up on something to touch his face, nearly tipped over the manger, and discovered, to my horror, that the Baby Jesus was wooden! I hollered out in a very loud voice, heard all over the church, that the Baby Jesus was wooden, and that I was NOT going to give that puppet my baby doll! My poor father, totally embarrassed and wanting to hide somewhere, tried to explain to me (too late) that it was just a representation of Jesus, and that the presents were actually going to the poor kids of the city. He tried to wrest the gift from my tightly wrapped arms, but I literally ran away from the horror scene to the back of the church where I began crying loudly and swearing I would NOT give my present to a wooden Jesus. We left the church with my gift tightly held in my arms, as he tried to again explain what the service was all about. I heard none of his explanation, as I had fully anticipated meeting the real Baby Jesus and giving him a present as the Wisemen had done in the Bible story.

And that is my memory of the first Christmas I remember vividly! Poor Daddy!

[Echo]

Soos you really should have put a "spew alert" on that one!

I laughed so hard I had to make a mad dash to the bathroom!!! I well understand your confusion and misconception, I too had a a really hard time when younger trying to understand why everyone celebrated so much for a 'dead' guy!! The earliest memory of Christmas Eve Services I have I looked all over for 'Jesus' to say Happy Birthday. I was shocked when Mom told me he had been dead for year and years. What time she had trying to explain to me!

ps. thankfully she hadn't ever tried to convince me that there 'was' a baby Jesus!

[ali1257]

Lori and the rest of you...thank you so much for sharing. My childhood memories are better left in the dark recesses of my brain. But I can share my favorite Christmas with my boys. It was 1987, Jamie was 7 and Brandon 4. It was the first year we did not go to Ron's mom's for Christmas. I had put my foot down and said I was not traveling any more for the holiday. If they wanted to spend Christmas with us they could come to our place. Anyway, we celebrated the "Workentin" Christmas the week before...that was okay with me. With all the hustle and bustle I did not plan a Christmas dinner for the four of us. Christmas morning as we were enjoying playing Lego's with the boys I asked them what they wanted for dinner. In unison they yelled Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup from the can! You see I always made homemade chicken noodle soup and getting it from a can was a special treat for them. Ron and i looked at each other and said OK. So about lunch time I got 4 cans of chicken noodle soup out of the cupboard and heated them up. We had saltine crackers with butter along with the soup and then tons of goodies for snacks. Whenever we have shared Christmas memories as a family that one always comes up. It was one of our best Christmases ever. Merry Christmas everybody!!!