I was 6 years old at my granddaddy's house way out in the country. It was Christmas eve and my granddaddy,several cousins and I went out to find the perfect tree to decorate that night. After decorating we had hot chocolate and got to stay up late waiting for Santa. There was a full moon and snow (almost Norman Rockwell like) and sure enough we soon heard sleigh bells. We peeked out the window and way off in the distant we could see old Santa and his reindeer. We were hurried off to bed upstairs, but could still hear all the commotion downstairs. It was hard going to sleep that night and in the morning we went downstairs to find our homemade gifts. Much to our surprise a few years later, we were told that a neighbor had hitched his horses to his wagon and rang a bell as he came up the lane. To this day I could still swear that it was old that was there
Mine was when my son started to walk. My daughter had started walking round the furniture at about six months, so I had expected my son to walk early at least by the time he was 12 months old, I even had him at the doctors when he was 18 months old but I was told not to worry and a couple of weeks later he started walking the week of Chanukah what a great present I still remember this and it was 30 years ago
My best Christmas was when I was about 6 or 7 years old. We had an old oil fired space heater in the living room. Me and my 2 older brothers had gotten up at like 4 am Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought us. We played with the toys until about 5 am and then we all got sleepy. My two brothers went back to bed. I got our Rat Terrier, Bounce, we layed down by the stove, but it wasn't lit so I got some old winter coats and me and Bounce covered up in them and went to sleep. Mom and Dad got up about 6 am and I woke up. We unwrapped the presents and Mom decided to pick up the coats and put them away. She picked them up in a pile and Bounce was inside. About the time she straightened up, Bounce woke up and decided to come out. He jumped out of the coats and Mom screamed and just about passed out!
Interesting isn't it how every one is remembering Christmas' from long ago. Your question brings back memories of those long ago Christmas for me also, and one in particular. I can't remember just when it was, (I'm 67, and memory is fading fast), but, we were just kids, my brother and sister and I. Mom and Dad always tried hard to keep the mystery of Santa going, I guess that I, being the oldest, knew the truth, but didn't want to spoil the fun. We waited until Mom and Dad went to bed, Their bedroom was just next to the living room. We surly didn't want to wake them. We got up and snuck out side and around to the living room windows and tried to get a look at what Santa had left. We thought we were being very sneaky, forgetting completely all the foot prints in the snow. After a bit, Mom came out into the living room, and came straight to the window we were at and motioned us to come inside. It turns out that our neighbor, who was getting their Christmas ready spotted us kids snooping around the outside of the house, and called Mom and Dad on the phone and spilled the beans. We didn't try that again. Tom
When I was 12 or so, we knew Grandma and Grandpa would have to move out of the house that my great-grandfather built when he came out west. It was too cold for them since they were in their 70's &80's by then (Mom was a change-of-life baby), and had to get up every morning to light the woodstove. Looking back, Grandma must have been pretty blue, and when I was spending an overnight in December, told me she didn't want to bother with a tree this last Christmas. I could have none of that. So I spent several very cold hours hiking through the woods with a limb saw until I found the last Perfect Tree. I don't think the rest of the family ever knew that final Christmas almost didn't have a tree. ..
My holiday memory is more recent than the other postings so far. Last Solstice I was in Ireland and was extremely fortunate to be inside Newgrange for sunrise. For those not familiar with Newgrange, it's a long, passage tomb built around 3200 BCE. It's oriented so that on the winter solstice just after sunrise the light shines through the "roof box" specifically made to catch the morning light and shines it down the length of the tomb illuminating all the way to the back. It's just breathtaking.
My most memorable Christmas? I think I must have been about 10 years old. My family is German and we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. After dinner, my father, my sister and I would go for a walk to look for Santa. My mom would stay behind to wash up the dishes. When we returned from our walk, Santa would have already been to our house and the presents would be spilling out from under the tree (amazingly my mom would never hear or see a thing!) Well, this particular year we decided to go out early because dinner was late. When we came home my sister and I were very upset because Santa had forgotten us. We proceeded to eat dinner (with sad moping faces)and in the middle of dinner my father insisted that I go down to the basement and get him a beer from the bar. When I got downstairs, the tiny Christmas tree we kept in the basement was buried in presents!!!! Christmas was saved! My mom told me a few years ago that they felt SOO bad for doing that to us!!
I am amazed at the number of you that have replied. And like others have mentioned, most of the memories are from our early childhood. If Christmas and the holidays could just be the way they were. Times were more simple, people appreciated things more,and we seemed to enjoy the laid back life style (I did). Today the holidays are so commercialized that we seem to forget the reason for the season. Thanks to all that responded. It was very interesting reading how you recalled your most memorable holiday.
Every Christmas I thought my brother got the best gifts in the world and I got old dolls and stupid dishes and junk like that.I would cry and want to play with the things he got.He was 5 yrs older than me.Well the Christmas I was about 4 yrs old .My gifts was everything like my brother got except smaller .Ball and bat,cars, trucks,tractor and a doll and doll bed. I don't remember everything I just remember being sooooo happy.My mom always said that was my best Christmas.
