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I remember the board games all together sitting at the big table. I remember my mum cooking as if we we were 40 people and then telling us not to eat too much or we would spend a bad night. I remember my grandmas saying "Maybe this will be the last year I �m here with you" I remember the mist and the cold and the frost in the mornings.
Since my parents didn �t celebrate xmas, I remember when my kids were little My brother in law would go to the garage and get all the presents and put at the front door. My daughter who was 2 at that time would open the door and we could see her eyes shining and very excited. She would give the presents and unwrap her presents like there was no tomorrow. My son getting a jumping jack and he would punch it like a crazy We would have a lot of meats, turkey, pork leg, ham and seafood. My father in law �s birthday, so we always had a birthday cake.
It �s a pity, now my grown up kids don �t care for a xmas tree.
I remember sneaking down early in the morning to see if Santa Claus had come, and then sneaking back to bed after making sure he had.
I remember going to my Spanish grandparents place on Christmas Eve. I remember all the cousins getting together, gathering around the tree, picking up all the gifts and trying to guess what they were. Then at dinnertime, us kids would sit at a table separate from the adults and have fun and fool around, much more interested in desert than in dinner!
I also remember going to my Canadian grandparents Christmas Day. Here was different than my Spanish grandparents. I always remember watching Christmas specials on TV, especially "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde. It �s probably my favorite cartoon and still brings a tear to my eye when I see it. Also, Christmas my grandmother �s house was always full of food and laughter. I remember a particular favorite called "Nanaimo Bars"... very yummy! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanaimo_bar
I remember my mom making cookies. She would make a particular type of shortbread made with walnuts with lots of icing sugar covering it. also she would make gingerbread houses and we would get to help her decorate it. oh, and eggnog! I love the stuff� Too bad I �m lactose intolerant now and can �t have it.
There are tons of memories and all of them happy ones. I love Christmas, I love getting the tree, decorating it, the smell of pine, etc. Christmas is just a wonderful time of year.
Trying to only remember the good things, without grieving over happy days gone:
I
remember celebrating my dad �s name-day (we do that in Greece and his name was
Christos) and having a lot of people coming around.
I remember that New Year �s Eve when my dad revealed to me that there �s no
Santa. (The card on the gift read "Happy New Year! Santa-dad
Claus."...I actually laughed at that revelation!)
I remember being eager to decorate the Christmas tree.
I remember going around houses caroling and collecting some pocket money and
treats.
Christmas in NZ was hot and often threatening to rain, although it rarely did. Dinner was all my husband �s family in a cold windy carport,always eating home grown peas, beans and potatoes and chickens Poppa had raised himself. Dessert was a huge Christmas pudding (most unsuitable for the climate) but there was lots of money in it. Presents were given out under a big tree. The afternoon saw a repeat performance at the home of my parents with tired cranky children who then had to behave as they were the only children in the family. Another huge meal and more presents.
Boy was it a rush..... and don �t I miss it now that all the older generation has gone!
I also remember the family making zeppoli, which are Italian doughnuts. We not only had the sweet zeppoli, but zeppoli filled with fish as well. Strange but very good. At Christmas we still use this tradition as it was an old time favourite. Joy2bill I still am lucky as my mom will be 88 next week and she still makes the good things that the older generation used to make.
So many good memories... I remember singing and dancing with my sister while my father played a song on the record player. I remember the great family gatherings ..so many people around a table full of delicious food and my grandma giving us tons of sweets. I remember getting up and running to the Christmas tree to look for my presents and waking my parents up to show them all. I remember my lovely Nancy doll...so beautiful (I still have it). I loved having the twelve
grapes of luck , my sister had small olives.The tradition consists in eating a grape with
each bell strike at midnight of December 31. According to the tradition, that
leads to a year of prosperity. Each grape is eaten with each beat of the bell.
I have such good memories...I wish my father was still here!!!
My present Christmas is much the same as my childhood Christmas. Of course, now I know that Papa Noel (Santa Claus) was in fact my parents.
I remember the night of the 24 having dinner with family, including cousins, uncles, aunts, grandma, grandad, etc.
I was little so it was hard for me to keep awake till midnight. But, for the sake of presents, I did it !!!!!!!!!!!
When the clock struck 12, I knew Papa Noel was coming. My sister, cousins and I were told to go out to see if by any chance we could catch sight of Papa Noel. While we were wondering how Papa Noel could enter the house, how he could carry so many presents, an adult stayed inside the house putting the presents around the Christmas tree. So, then, they would call us..... hey...come and see.. I think Papa Noel has already arrived! Seeing the presents around the Christmas tree surrounded by family was sheer happiness :)
