I am going to tell you some of my favourite memories of Christmas and I hope that you will share yours here as well.
We didn't have a lot of money but we always had an amazing Christmas. Around Dec. 15 my Dad would decide it was time to go and get the tree. We went to the same lot downtown to buy it every year. The trees were frozen solid and tied up with rope so to me they all looked the same. But Dad would go around looking at all of them to find the perfect one. It was always a Scotch Pine. We would take it home and put it in the bath tub til it thawed. One year, as the tree began to thaw, we noticed a terrible smell coming from it. It got worse and worse. Apparently, a dog had decided to "mark" our tree the way dogs do. We had to take it back of course, and get another one. We still laugh about that particularly pungent tree 50 years later.
The best gift I ever received was a doll that I found under the tree when I was five .She was dressed in a "christening gown" that my Grandma had made. It was white and had ribbons and frills and lace all over it. The doll was lying in a little wooden bed with a pillow and blankets that Mom had made. It was perfect.
In those days chocolate and soda pop were not for everyday, they were special treats. My Grandpa always had a box of Black Magic chocolates that he passed around. Each of us would probably only get three chocolates so you had to choose carefully because when they were gone it would be a whole year til you could try again. One year my sister poked her finger into the top of several chocolates trying to see what was inside before she committed to them. My parents had to explain to her why that was not OK.
The best part was having our whole family together around a big table full of food. My parents, sister, Grandparents, my aunt and uncle and three cousins.There is a picture of me sitting at that table when I was about four years old and the look on my face is priceless. I was in heaven because at every place was a whole bottle of 7-Up for each of us.
Isn't it funny the things you remember?
And now I hope you will share your memories of Christmas, Chanukah, or any special holidays. And whatever holiday it is that you remember, may you celebrate many more of them, making new memories to cherish. Happy Holidays!