The first Christmas that I can remember was when I was four or five years old. On Christmas Eve day, my Dad brought home a huge tree for our little house. I heard them say that it was out of the top of a Pine tree because that was where the best ones came from. The decoration ceremony began with lights and ornaments; seemed to me like every color I could imagine was being used. There was laughter and fun, the smell of baking was coming from the oven; I think it might have been a cake or something, maybe cookies.
As the day gave way to night, the wait began for Santa Clause; talk of what could be coming, toys and such filled our conversation as the time passed ever so slowly. I can't remember when I've been more anxious. I suppose that Mom and Dad must have known that sleep would be a long time coming. My Dad said that he heard something, pulled the living room curtains back ever so slightly, and just barely peeking through he shouted, "It's Santa Clause, run and hide in the bathroom; if he sees you up he won't come in". Off we ran like frightened puppies, Dad right behind us slamming the door shut. He said, "Quiet so he doesn't hear you". The giggling and whispering was uncontrollable. After a short time we heard a knock on the door. Mom said, "He just left". We ran to see as fast or faster than we did to hide. There were only a handful of toys, but the toys aren't what I remember. It was the joy, laughter and love that I remember in our little house that night. For me, it will always be called Christmas.
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Hey Barry,I have memories like that also.I remember mother decorating the farm house,my brother and I were the 5th generation to grow up there.I remember my mother baking fresh bread and great big turkey or ham.My favorite dessert was fruit salad.She would cut xtra apples and orange's,extra cherries mmmmmm then chill it for several days in the fridge,when you would take the first bite felt like your teeth was gonna bust out but it was delish!!!!!! I remember decorating the tree as a family.But I guess one the most important things that has been forgotten nowadays is that what gifts we got were things that we really needed like shoes sock,winter shirts,pants,etc.Daddy would alway try to get us one gift that we wanted as long as it wasnt to expensive,but like you Barry those gifts arent what I truly remember.I really remember being thankful for a new pair of shoes or a shirt that my momma had hand made,but most of all I remember going to church and keeping Christ in Christmas.Loved the caroling,and the Christmas plays or pagents.I truly believe people have lost they're way when celebrating Christmas.they forgotten what its about.And big businesses such as Wal-mart have commercalized it so much that in some ways except for the family time and the church time it's just not that fun anymore.And that is sad.Cause everybody expects the latest,greatest most expensive gift nowadays.Its so bad I have even heard my wife say "You brother I bet spends 50.00 dollars apiece on our kids I'm going to spend 100.00 dollars on they're one kid.Where does it stop? Since when do we really put a price on love? Or just to say I was just thinking of you this year,here is little gift.Times have definately changed and its gonna get worse with a people forgetting the true meaning of Christmas,especially if Christmas becomes XMAS and Christ is totally forgotten about.I hope this year with the economy the way it is let's remember some of the old fashion values of christmas.
ReplyDeleteI too have similar memories of Christmas. We didn't have much money or a nice house, but we always had lots of food and love. I think the only Christmas gift I can recall from childhood was my first Barbie Doll. The memories are of smells from the kitchen, family coming in from out of state and just enjoying the simple, happy memories.
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