I gew up in a family that didn't celebrate Christmas, except as a day of prayer. It was the Lord's Day in our home, and held no elements of what I saw around me for the Christmas holiday celebations. So I have always wonder how this holiday formed in the many different countries around the world. I thought it might be interesting to ask everyone how Christmas was in their homes when they where children, and what of those times have you pass on down to your families. I would love to hear what those days were like, and I bet many of you have some funny stories to tell about Christmas as well. With all the differenent nationalities in this country, and our members from other countries, I think we can all learn and enjoy something new. So dig deep into your memories for those Christmas wishes and dreams.
An interesting idea for a thread Ina Where I am sometimes, my home anyway I guess my childhood was the complete opposite, being brought up in a non religious family, though we were officially Church of England, we never went to church nor taught to pray or observe any Christian rituals. My infant school was attached to a local church so I did go to services there organised by the school as well as daily morning prayers. So with this background and the fact that I was born during the early part of WWII, my early experiences were of simple Christmas celebrations. We decorated a real Christmas tree on Christmas eve, and in the early days received a Christmas stocking containing fruit and chocolate bars, and one main present and more fruit and some small items, like a book. Christmas day was spent visiting my aunts and uncles houses for a celebration dinner or tea with lots of sweet things which I loved particularly trifle, followed by party games. As the country recovered from the austerity years after the war, materialism started to creep in and I now had a brother and a sister, we received ever increasing numbers of gifts, these were put in a pillowcase and left on our beds while we slept, so we awakened to them coming apparently from Santa Claus. I would become very excited during Christmas eve and go to bed early waking up in the early hours, feeling the weight of the sack of gifts on the bed would start unwrapping very early, much to the dismay of my tired and exhausted parents. . I have all good memories of Christmas associating it with the smell of cigar smoke lots of fun and jollity and of course all the gifts
I moved a lot but my warmest memories of Christmas were in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. We lived in a 19th Century remodeled Creamery in the country where there was a wishing well and a wooden paddlewheel they used for making cream or butter. It was white-washed stone with black shutters and a bright red door. We often had snow and our pond would be frozen over. We would skate and sled, then drink hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. Christmas Eve we would attend Candlelight Service at an historic one room church called Presbyterian Church of Deep Run. Every year our grandmother in upstate NY would send a huge box of homemade fudge, peanut brittle, toffee, knitted hats, gloves, scarves, afghans, homemade dolls, potholders, dishcloths, crocheted towels & pillowcases. Mother & Daddy would always put an orange in the toe of each stocking and then unshelled nuts, candy, and trinkets. We would make Christmas sugar cookies and leave a few & milk for Santa. The unspoken rule was that no one went into the living room to see what Santa brought until everyone was awake and ready. That was about 4am. Daddy would go first, light the fire and turn on the Christmas music…as we all huddled together at the top of the stairs. Then my 2 sisters and I would all run together and simultaneously open our presents in a random unorderly fashion. There was always one bite taken from one of the Christmas cookies. One year my older sister marked the oranges from the refrigerator to prove it wasn't Santa…so that's how we all found out the truth. We would then have a light brunch and a Christmas dinner about 2pm in the afternoon (ham or roast beef)….leftovers at suppertime.
The caroling is a tradition that the Philippines had inherited from the US, that was my impression when I was young although now I am not really sure because I have learned that caroling is not popular in the US. But anyway, it is one important activity of the Christmas season here where children would sing Christmas songs in front of the house, waiting for something from the house owner. The activity starts on December 16 and ends on Dec 14. However, some kids start as early as the first week of December and sometimes some carolers, particularly the teenagers would be singing carols until New Year's eve. The Christmas season wouldn't be complete without the carolers.
I grew up celebrating Christmas in the Hungarian tradition and that wasn't with a Santa Claus...St Nicholas came on Dec. 6 and filled our shoes we put out the night before. The Christmas tree and the presents were bought by angels or baby Jesus, I don't quite remember that part. And it always was on Christmas Eve, December 24. Although as a parent I switched to Santa Claus because it was less confusing for the kids, but also because for me Christmas Eve was more beautiful with the tree lights on and we all looked good and not sleepy and in pj's. I will write more about our traditions but I'm still at my daughter's and it's my grandsons birthday today, so I'm a little busy. Also, I woke up not feeling well. Great topic, Ina....Christmas for me was always magical and it still is...
We sang this song in Hungarian on Christmas Eve and then by some magic while my father distracted us my mother would have everything under the tree from Baby Jesus or the angels. We weren't really a religious family though...
I still know that song by heart and my children knew it too, although now I'm sure they have forgotten as the Hungarian they knew is very limited now...mine is perfect!
@Corie Henson , these happy little children singing Christmas Carols from the Philippines are absolutely adorable….
I also still have a lot more to tell about my Christmas, today I just wanted to tell in general how it differed. The month has only just begun, so I will share a little more every day! I'm really enjoying reading about everyone's Christmas, even though some are sad stories in childhood, it's all part of our experiences. It's also a difficult time for those that lost loved ones around Christmas...thankfully I never experienced that. And I have an abundance of good cheer at this time of the year to hopefully affect the sad mood others may have... And maybe put a smile on your face.
What a great thread! I enjoyed everyone's input. Growing up and living in the Northeast, our Christmases take a little from several different cultures, since so many different nationalities live here. Being Polish, we, along with the many Italians, French, Portuegese, Lithuanians, Irish,Slavic and Lebanese people were usually Catholic and never ate meat on Christmas Eve during my childhood. It was always, "fast before Feast". That didn't stop us from enjoying wonderful seafood dishes on Christmas Eve though. My Italian friends enjoyed the "dinner of the seven fishes" although often it wasn't completley seven. At my house, we usually had fish cooked in butter and onions, some kind of potato or rice, a vegetable and often salad. Sometimes we combined dinner with our Italian friends and ate meatless pasta, with tomato or clam sauces, antipasto,and always fish. We sang and played Christmas carols and welcomed guests making rounds to wish Merry Christmas before it got too late. Christmas Day was usually roast turkey but sometimes ham with the usual sides. Being an only child, I suffered no lack of presents.
We also ate seafood on Christmas Eve, Ruby....on Christmas Day we usually had Prime Rib. I kept the seafood tradition going with my family on Christmas Eve but I think I made different things for Christmas Day.
Wow. It all sounds like the stories I would get from the library, and sneak into my room. @Terry Page , My husband was born in 1942, and he to would tell me of Christmas mornings when he would look at a picture of his father thinking he was Santa. His father was in the Army and he didn't get to meet him until he was four. @Lara Moss, your childhood memories paint several visions of Norman Rockwell pictures such as I would see in magazines in the '50's and '60's. What a great story to tell the youths in your family. Can't you just see the bright twinkling in their eyes. Your videos let us see that all children want to beleive in Christmas. @Chrissy Page , What a beautiful song. Is it sung in Hungarian? You know now, that you'll have to find out if the angels or Baby Jesus brought your tree and gifts. So it was St. Nicholas that came on December the 6th. to fill your shoes with goodies. Were the tree and gifts that were brought by the angels, or baby Jesus, part of the St.Nicholas thing on December the 6th., or were they part of the Christmas celebration on the 24th. I'm confused, in Hungery were there two different occassions? @Corie Henson , The US does have caroling. It is done in my neighborhood every year right here in Texas. I've lived in Boston, Mass., and Tulsa, Oklahoma, and I saw caroling in those places as well. So If you get to come here around Christmas time, you'll be able to hear some.
Lol, Ina...I know I'm confusing. It was Baby Jesus that brought the presents on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, St. Nicholas Day was Dec. 6 and we put our shoes out and if u were good you got candy and fruit and nuts but If you were bad, you got coal. We always got small toys, lol. We didn't always do the Dec. 6 thing though. The song was sung in Hungarian, that was my first language. I did start kindergarten in Pittsburgh and didn't know a word of English, but by first grade I spoke it fluently ...kids learn quickly! Also, I wasn't born in Hungary nor did I live there as a child but my parents came to the states In 1950 something. So they did Christmas the Hungarian way for us, at least when we were young.