Favorite Christmas Memory

[npt1]

Hello Everyone,

 

With Christmas on the way, it jogs my thoughts to Christmas memories.

One of my favorites is when my dad waited until all the gifts were opened and didn't give me my

"special "gift" that I has so been hoping for. He hid it behing a living room chair and said to me that

maybe all the gifts were not placed under the tree. I tore the house apart looking and was so happy

to find the wrapped gift, A brand new pair of hockey skates. I was on cloud 9 with glee.

 

What is your special Christmas memory???

 

Joys of the season to everyone here.

npt1.

 

[Big Cliff]

Wow, that would be hard to top, match maybe but top?

 

I don't really remember it but apparently when I was about two I got up early Christmas morning and opened EVERY present under the tree. I guess my poor mom had a heck of a time writing thank you notes (yes that was what you did back then) to people thanking them for the lovely ????? LOL. According to the reports I got I had a lot of fun!

 

The other one was one year (I was a little older) I saw a cook book that I really wanted. I didn't think my mom or wife would think of getting it for me so I bought it, had it wrapped at the mall and marked it : To Cliff from Santa. Christmas morning as I distributed the gifts I held it back until the last. When I opened it I acted all surprised and thanked Santa profusly. Sue thought mom had bought it for me, Mom thought Sue had bought it for me, and it wasn't until a couple of years later and they were talking about cook books that they realized thet neither of them had given it to me and the jig was up. Yes Veronica there really is a Santa LOL.

[manitoubass2]

Mine are really just the big family get togethers we had when i was a child. Just 2 weeks of great times, visiting with family from afar, eating amazing food, the smell of all the fresh baked goodies, man it was amazing! Watching the grandmas drink margaritas and dance was a bonus lol. Herb alpert records playing on vinyl in the evenings, and HNIC with gramps, dad and all my great uncles and uncles. Sadly, that all went away when the great grandmas and grandmas passed away. Nowadays its every christmas. Having your own children is the best gift! Watching their excitement is enough of a present for me and my better half. We spend our holidays eating, sliding, playing shinny on the outdoor rinks and ice fishing. Every year just seems to get funner and funner!

[lew]

Mine are really just the big family get togethers we had when i was a child. Just 2 weeks of great times, visiting with family from afar, eating amazing food, the smell of all the fresh baked goodies, man it was amazing! Watching the grandmas drink margaritas and dance was a bonus lol. Herb alpert records playing on vinyl in the evenings, and HNIC with gramps, dad and all my great uncles and uncles. Sadly, that all went away when the great grandmas and grandmas passed away. Nowadays its every christmas. Having your own children is the best gift! Watching their excitement is enough of a present for me and my better half. We spend our holidays eating, sliding, playing shinny on the outdoor rinks and ice fishing. Every year just seems to get funner and funner!

 

You just summed up what Christmas is all about

[Big Cliff]

Now this is a good thread, brings back so many wonderful memories!

[manitoubass2]

Whatcha gonna bring all of us this year Big Cliff? Lol

Edited December 1, 2013 by manitoubass2

[Handlebarz]

My child hood memories of Christmas include parties each night at a different neighbours house so there would be 12 nights of kids up late and parents having great times and lots of booze. Christmas morning dad would lay on the floor passing out presents. The day would be spent with family and neighbours.

 

Now it's kinda the same way but we don't party each night away. We watch the same cartoons all December with new movies mixed in last night it was ELF as we set the tree up. Christmas Day I crawl around the tree announcing who the presents are from and watch the paper fly. I truly love just sitting around and enjoying these days with my family. Life is to fast and I enjoy the lazy days.

[bigugli]

Nothing beats Christmas Eve like a Scandinavian open house. Hanging around the kitchen for 2 weeks as Gram created all the special cakes, cookies, breads, and sampling them all. Then shopping at the specialty delis and butchers for the great treats. More sampling.

It took all day of the 24th to get everything ready. 2 full tables of food and goodies and copious stockpiles of beverages. By 6 o'clock, folks would start knocking at the door. Family, good friends, neighbours, would wander through our home until 3 in the morning. 50-60 people in the one night. all so happy to see one another. Those Christmases held a magic all their own.

It's been 20+ years since the last open house. The elders are all gone. Gram died a month after Robert was born. All the families scattered to the winds and seemed to lose touch and connexion with each other. The in-laws don't have those kinds of ties. Nobody seems to care for that kind of gathering any more?

[Ralph Field]

It was always entertaining to watch our cat climb and tip over the Christmas tree year after year.

[limeyangler]

For me it was all about being at home. Fondest memory is my dad under the tree handing out the presents one by one to everyone, that tradition was is still going but we have not shared an xmas with the folks since we moved here 7 years ago. My other favourite memories are the great food and hilarious conversations at the dinner table with some amazing, funny, kind and generous friends and family. I also always loved the anticipation of our Christmas stocking at the end of our bed in the morning….CHOCOLATE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!!!!!!!!!!AWESOME!

 

 

 

Merry xmas to you to npt1, nice post.

Edited December 2, 2013 by limeyangler

[grizzlybri]

great topic first off, and all great stories.

 

Mine is when I was fairly young maybe 7 or 8, so 20+ years ago. On Christmas morning as every kid does I could not sleep and wanted to peek and see what Santa brought. So My brother and I decided to go down stairs and peek. We walked every quietly to peek and all of a sudden we heard a loud booming voice, " WHO IS THERE?" My brother and I turned around and ran back up stairs to my room. At the time we both thought it was Santa himself in the family room. Later on we found out it was my dad who back then he was having back problems so he was sleeping in his favorite lazy-boy chair and we woke him up. Little to say that I never tried peeking after that christmas

[NAW]

To many good memories to list them all!

 

Anything from cats / dogs knocking the tree over. Eventually my dad started to tie the tree to wall with a few lengths of rope.

 

One year a snapped my wrist really badly on Boxing Day. i spent the rest if the holiday in London hospital. My parents had just got a diverse the month earlier.. My dad drove there from T.O. In a horrible snowstorm to see me. Something I will never forget. Some exctremely strong family emotions. Makes you realize everyone is human.

[Nipfisher]

Since my boys were born (10 and 4 now) my celebrating has changed. It is all about them now.

 

 

Best memories are our family Christmas trees from up North. You all know the "Charlie Brown Tree". Well......the Buchmann tree was worse. My grandpa, or my step dad, would travel along the Northern highways in search of a tree that would never be chosen for Christmas.

 

I remember a few that were so skimpy and weak we selectively put the lightest ornaments on it then doused it with a couple boxes of tinsel on it.

It was always the laugh of all our buddies.

 

2nd good memory will not sit well with all of you, but in Kirkland Lake there were a few bars that were open on the 25th. After supper it was off to the Miner's Inn and we would stay out boozing until 3am.

[bigugli]

I guess the other thing about Christmas that I cherish was this. I grew up in a home where Christmas was not 1 day. It was a season. Like a symphony, Dec 1st. started softly and quietly like an opening movement. it then quickened, a week before, to a rising crescendo and peaking as a glorious noise on Christmas Day, and the noise didn't stop til New Years Day.

There was something to do with Christmas happening every day. I could write a book on every activity we indulged in at Christmas.

[mercman]

I guess mine was the last Christmas that I got to spend with my Mom. She had been sick, and diagnosed with Dementia a number of months before. Coming into December that year, she became worse to the point that she didn't recognize me, and would sit there staring off into nothingness. Every once in a while, she would have a lucid moment, and would look at me with tears and say, "I don't think I can make it till Christmas, Paul"

My Brother, sister and I were prepared for the worse. Then I got a call at work a week before Christmas, and when I answered, I was shocked to hear "Hello Paul !!! It's your mum" She had miraculously popped out of the disease and was just as normal as I remembered her to be. We had our Christmas that year and she remained like that until July, when she slipped back into her Dementia, and passed away last October.

I will always cherish that Christmas as the best ever. Given the gift of my Mom's presence for one last Joyous Christmas as a family.

 

Merry Christmas Season to all of you. Believe in Miracles because more miracles happen at Christmas time than at any other time of year!!

 

Paul

[Big Cliff]

Whatcha gonna bring all of us this year Big Cliff? Lol

 

If I could bring you all anything it would be my wish that you all had as much happyness in your lives as I have had in mine. I am very blessed to have a wonderful wife, two fantastic kids, and so many wonderful friends!

I guess mine was the last Christmas that I got to spend with my Mom. She had been sick, and diagnosed with Dementia a number of months before. Coming into December that year, she became worse to the point that she didn't recognize me, and would sit there staring off into nothingness. Every once in a while, she would have a lucid moment, and would look at me with tears and say, "I don't think I can make it till Christmas, Paul"

My Brother, sister and I were prepared for the worse. Then I got a call at work a week before Christmas, and when I answered, I was shocked to hear "Hello Paul !!! It's your mum" She had miraculously popped out of the disease and was just as normal as I remembered her to be. We had our Christmas that year and she remained like that until July, when she slipped back into her Dementia, and passed away last October.

I will always cherish that Christmas as the best ever. Given the gift of my Mom's presence for one last Joyous Christmas as a family.

 

Merry Christmas Season to all of you. Believe in Miracles because more miracles happen at Christmas time than at any other time of year!!

 

Paul

Well Paul, I am so sorry for your loss but your story is absolutly heart warming. So many of us wish we had even one more day with a loved one, I'm glad you had your Christmas with your mom, I can only imagine how special that was for you and her!

Edited December 2, 2013 by Big Cliff

[manitoubass2]

Nice reply big cliff! And paul thats a very heartwarming post (as many others in this thread are)

[Governator]

We always had a great Christmas' growing up. Go to grandparents on my mother's side for full scale Turkey lunch then off to Dad's family for Turkey dinner lol. Every year the house changed on my Dad's side to a different Aunt/Uncle. So every 5th Christmas was the best when it was at our house (not in my Mom's mind hahaha).

 

I now have a 4 year old and a 1 year old. My older son and I were about to watch a Mickey's Christmas movie on the weekend. Before it came on he was asking me if there will be presents in the movie, maybe Santa Claus? I said probably and he goes "I'M SO EXCITED", then he hopped on his little couch with his blanket. Just made me feel all warm on side knowing the best Christmas memories are still to come.