by Gigi Fitzgerald
from the Gourmet De-Lite series by Peg Cochran
Welcome to the first day of our month-long extravaganza Have A Cozy Christmas!
I don’t know about you, but I love
Christmas. I always have. One of my earliest memories is of my father
reading Twas the Night Before Christmas to me on Christmas Eve. I was around three years old at the
time. As a matter of fact, that’s one of
my only memories of my father—he died fighting a fire at the end of that
particularly cold and icy January.
Other
memories include lying awake on Christmas Eve praying for the time to please
hurry! so we could run downstairs and see what Santa brought us. My sister Pia and I always had matching
nightgowns to wear from Grandma Russo.
On
Christmas Day the house was filled to the brim with the Fitzgerald and Russo clans. Grandpa Russo always made his elaborate
antipasti platter, my mother would do a turkey with all the trimmings followed
by roasted chestnuts, Italian pastries and several kinds of pie.
What are
your favorite Christmas memories?
One person
who comments will be chosen at random to win a copy of Allergic to Death from
my Gourmet De-Lite series featuring Gigi Fitzgerald.
I will also
be giving away a copy of Murder Unmentionable from my Sweet Nothings Lingerie
Series written under my pen name of Meg London.
Have A Cozy Christmas!
Posts
My favorite memory was when I was young coming downstairs Christmas morning. It was still dark and I'd be very quiet. I'd turn on all the Christmas lights and then sit in front of the tree, oooing and ahhhing. I'd always take off my glasses for a bit and look at the tree that way too-it makes the lights look really neat. Then I'd go upstairs, tromping up as loudly as I could, use the bathroom-again being loud. Then I'd peak in my parent's room-"Are you up yet?"
ReplyDeleteI love this series..Great read..My favorite Christmas memory is one we share every year. A small town near my house, McAdenville is known for being Christmastown, USA. We always go as a family to see the lights and spend time together. Love this.
ReplyDeleteKimberlee
http://girllostinabook.blogspot.com
girllostinabook@hotmail.com
Lots of great holiday memories. But one of my favorites is decorating the tree each year. I have a December birthday and the tree always went up on that day. After my dad placed the lights, it was up to me to add the decorations. To this day, I enjoy unwrapping the ornaments and reminiscing about the origin, who gave it to me or what vacation it represents. And yes, we still try to put up the tree each year on my birthday.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memoeries is the family getting together and baking pies and then drinking cocoa and decorating the tree! cricketgirl33@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite , will be when i celebrated away from home, only my friends and my teacher. she gave everybody a christmas present, including me :D
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memories are of attending candlelight Christmas Eve services at the local church with family members who are no longer with us. This would only happen during the years where it was my nuclear family's turn to host (we and our SF Bay area relatives alternated). We sometimes would go caroling with the choir. Thank you! kateivan (at) aol (dot) com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memories are of decorating the tree with my family and then watching the lights twinkle.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memory is unwrapping our presents and then watching our mom unwrap the present we gave to her.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were little, we had to wait for my father to get up before we could go down and see what Santa left. He wanted us to wait so that he could go down first and turn on the tree lights (they did all the tree trimming after we went to bed on Christmas Eve) so the magic would be at 100% when we went down. In all the years he did this, we never once tried to sneak down before him although we didn't understand why.
ReplyDeleteI found out after I had my own children that it was that first look, so full of wonder, at the lighted tree that meant so much to him.
My favorite memories are of the Christmas Eve parties we threw. We would open the house for friends to stop by on the way to church, after church or just to hang for the evening. There was everything from munchies, to spiral ham, to endless deserts. The house would be ringing with music and laughter and I loved it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memories are of baking with my Granny. She tried hard to teach me all of her secrets, but nothing ever tastes as good as what she made. Then on Christmas morning I would get up very early before anyone else. She would find me in the family room sitting in front of the heater. When I was very young she would make me ice coffee (mostly milk, a touch of coffee and an ice cube or two - we were way ahead of Starbucks) and then when I got older, I make the coffee for both of us. We'd enjoy a quiet moment or two before all the chaos began. She's been gone almost 19 years, but every Christmas morning as I make the coffee, I feel her with me.
ReplyDeleteBeverly AKA Booklady
A favorite Christmas memory was riding the Santa Claus Truck when it came to Norfolk, Ne. Children and Adults lined up to ride with Santa in this specially constructed truck with a large Rudolph with a lighted nose, on the front. As the ride began, Santa visited with all the riders, asking them what they wanted for Christmas. A candy cane was given to each rider. By the time all the people had been spoken with, the truck was returning to the starting point and new riders eagerly came aboard the truck for their ride with Santa.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memories are also with my Granny. She made the ultra-thin Moravian Christmas cookies and I was allowed to watch and sneak bits of cookie dough. I had a little cooking set of my own that had animal cracker-sized cookie cutters. Granny always made me a tin of my own little cookies, and I was NOT a sharer at that time. None of the commercially produced Moravian cookies out there, with one exception, come close to her special touches.
ReplyDeletePat, I have to know--which brand is the good one?
DeleteMy favorite Christmas memory is trying to shake all my presents and my mom getting mad at me and telling me not too and the excitement of waiting to be able to open my presents on Christmas morning. My mom always made the best Christmas dinner and my favorite every year was always the stuffing, you can never go wrong with stuffing.
ReplyDeleteAnother favorite memory was staring out the window for hours hoping to see santa in his sleigh. And my dad would tell me you have to be asleep before santa comes but every year I did the same thing hoping I would see him.
What a neat site! I'm glad I found it... And I always love winning a new book!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun series to read. Thank you for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memory - is waiting for the morning to see what Santa had brought us this year.
I think my favorite memory will always be my dad singing Christmas carols and my mom's baking...
ReplyDeleteReading the Night Before Christmas to the boys when they were still at home. I have even been known to call them on Christmas Eve long distance and read it over the phone! I can just picture the eye-rolls - but no one ever interrupted.
ReplyDeletePlease put my name in for Murder Unmentionable only. I have Allergic to Death in my TBR pile!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
My favorite Christmas memory was getting to help decorate the Christmas tree. And the excitement of getting to what Santa had brought for all of us.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memory is getting a special doll with a bunch of clothes.
ReplyDeletenlb1050@yahoo.com
We were very poor (I didn't realize how poor until much later). Santa would always bring toys and then he would bring me a bag of walnuts--walnuts were too expensive to have every day.
ReplyDeletethanks--
So many lovely memories...they are bringing tears to my eyes. I used to read Twas the Night Before Christmas to my girls, too! We had to get all comfortable on the couch with a big fluffy throw to snuggle under. Sadly, they are now too old for that but I have a beautiful granddaugher who will soon be old enough to hear the story!
ReplyDeleteWe grew up in South Dakota on the prairie. There were not a lot of evergreen trees. My parents would buy a tree in town, sometime when we in school, and then on a Saturday my Dad would go hide the tree somewhere on the farm. So we would go out and hunt for our Christmas tree. Mom would often make fresh donuts for us to eat when we came back with our tree. Then we would get started on the decorating. It was such fun!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memory is decorating our tree and hanging up on stockings on Christmas Eve. I'm one of 7 kids and we each had our own collection of ornaments. We would get a new one every year on St. Nick's day (Dec 6) and those would be the first to go on the tree. The youngest would go first and then on up to the oldest (that's me!). Then we would hang the rest of the ornaments. After that, we would hang up our stockings, youngest first and then on up. It was always a fun night!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. I haven't read any of your books yet, but both sound like fun cozy mysteries and I am always looking for new ones to try!
~Kristin @ Always With a Book
My favorite Christmas memory is when my dad surprised me with a REAL electronic keyboard. He knew I snooped so he hid it at the neighbor's house! I was shocked when I opened it Christmas morning!
ReplyDeleteI think it's watching the faces of the young chidren for me. The wonder and joy.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to get reading these great books. My hubby said i'f i'm not on computer i'm reading via kindle
ReplyDeleteSo many books, so little time
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas memory is from Christmas eve. My grandparents always brought a car full of gifts (it seemed), but we weren't supposed to know that. We three children suddenly went into the bedroom when their car approached, laid face-down across the bed, and started making lots of noise. At least, as the oldest, that was my memory. I knew what was going on, so maybe I was in charge of keeping my younger siblings from hearing any commotion as Santa grandma & grandpa unloaded the gifts. (Probably our parents unloaded their stash too, although, like someone mentioned above, we were pretty poor too.
ReplyDeleteI'd really love to win a book!
One of my favorite memories of Christmas is of my father playing Santa. He enjoyed it so much that it was fun watching him.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Christmas wasn't complete without the Sunday school program. I remember one year when we were supposed to bring a branch to be part of a Christmas tree. Everyone else had balsam. Mine was from a Norway pine. At age nine, I was embarrassed my mother gave me that branch. Now, I'm happy I was different. Regardless of the program, the treat at the end was a brown paper bag filled with Brach's hard Christmas candy and peanuts.
ReplyDeleteWatching all the Christmas specials, especially "Rudolph", and listening to all the Christmas music.
ReplyDeleteBaking shortbread with my Great Grandmother
ReplyDeleteMy brother, sister, Dad and I would put the Christmas lights on the outside of the house. For the inside my brother, sister, Mom and I would decorate the tree and the house.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fall/winter fan, but i spend most of my time reading, what better way to spend those cold days/nights but reading good books.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fall/winter fan, but i spend most of my time reading, what better way to spend those cold days/nights but reading good books.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memory is as a little girl sneaking out to find a blue stuffed teddy bear dressed in pants and a vest sitting under the Christmas tree. I took him back to my bedroom for a few hours and then put him back under the tree before anyone else was up so that no one would know. I had that bear for years and it was my favorite toy.
ReplyDeletewhen i was 12 my mom had just left her second husband and we were staying with a friend of hers. all six of us kids were awake at about a couple minute before seven am. we went to ask the friend if we could open present yet. she said at 7 am we could. well 2 minutes later it was seven am so we woke up her and my mom and had christmas.
ReplyDeleteFor almost 30 years, my mom, sisters, daughters and now granddaughters get together to make kieflies. Lots of work and laughter.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite childhood memories is about my mother. She had a theme tree every year and it was always fun seeing what she would choose for decorations. The only disaster was the year she flocked the tree with artificial snow and decorated it with golden glass ornaments. While adjusting it for that perfect view ...yes, it fell over and all of the ornaments were broken. There was a quick trip to the store for replacement ornaments to make sure the tree was decorated by the time my sister arrived home from her first semester of college. We also had a tradition of driving around the neighborhood hunting for the best Christmas decorations. We always finished the tour with a cup of hot chocolate with either marshmallows or whipped cream. Memories are the best!
ReplyDeleteI remember, as a girl living in Midland, Texas, driving to Fort Worth to my grandparents. I remember looking at all the Christmas trees in houses along the way. When we arrived in FOrt Worth, we'd get on the freeway past downtown. We knew we were close when we saw the Coca Cola Santa CLaus on the billboard! We'd turn off onto the street that would take us to our grandparents. When we passed the Mrs Baird's bakery, I'd always open the window to smell the baking bread.
ReplyDeleteNone of my mother's 5 siblings moved very far away and we'd all gather at Grandma's, aunts and uncles and cousins. About 40 all together. I loved the big crowd (still love big crowds). I have a fond memory of me and my cousin Mary eating together on the steps to the second storey, balancing our plates on our laps. My cousin could actually alternate bites of chocolate cake and *sil* (Swedish pickled herring). I couldn't even eat sil! Still can't--but I have that memory.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memory, is being at my Grandmother's with all my family around and wondering what she made me for Christmas and eating her homemade candy. The second best is what book Santa would bring me!
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky. Growing up in Europe, we got presents both on St. Nicolas Day and Christmas. On St. Nicolas it was always a small present and a 2-foot tall speculoos cookie in our shoe. The more traditional gifts came after midnight mass on Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI went to a Catholic convent school and every year our family "dressed up" 12 bottles of wine for the nuns. My favourite was the year they were Knights in shining armor with white and red flags and lances.
Going to midnight Mass and getting to open one present when we got home. It made it easier to wait for morning.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this lovely Christmas blog, Meg. It's great fun reading all the special memories. Since I'm lucky enough to have had MANY years of memories, it's hard to pick just one, but the last two have been special. As a surprise, Hubby and I read and recorded The Night Before Christmas for our three little great-grandchildren to listen to when we're no longer here to celebrate with them. The looks of joy on the faces of our grandchildren (and our grown children) and the tears in their eyes made another very special Christmas memory for me. Needless to say, we had to make a few more recordings by request of the rest of the family to stay out of the dog house. Such a simple gift, but one that will keep the memories going.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Christmas memories is receiving a box of makeup from my mom with a note that read "Now you're all grown up."
ReplyDeleteI remember going to Downtown Cleveland to see the Christmas decorations with my family. The windows were so beautiful. They were filled with animated figures that moved in time to the Christmas music. The lights twinkled and sparkled. The final stop was the giant decorated Xmas tree that stood five stories
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memory was the year all of "the kids and grandkids" went to visit my grandparents. We all descended upon their tiny 1 bedroom house for 3-7 days and had a BLAST - although the sleeping arrangements were a bit tough. It was a simple Christmas but definitely one of the best!
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve service at Christ Episcopal Church - because when you got to stay up that late - you were no longer a "child"
ReplyDeleteEvery year, my two sisters and I get together with my mother and godmother to have a baking extravaganza! We spend an entire day (sometimes two!) baking and laughing. It's so wonderful to be able to share those stolen moments with one another now. And this year, we get to add my beautiful little niece to start a whole new generation in the tradition. It's going to be a blast!
ReplyDeleteBeing an Air Force brat, many of my childhood Christmases were spent overseas away from the family clan. But, we had our own small celebrations and I loved seeing the world. Learned a few new traditions along the way!
ReplyDeleteI looked forward to all the decorations and making cookies !
ReplyDeletePatti S.
My parents used to belong to a boat club and there was a Christmas party for the kids every year, with Santa Claus showing up by boat.
ReplyDeleteI loved waking up Christmas morning and sneaking a peek at the packages around the tree. It was so-o-o exciting!
ReplyDeleteKathy B.
I always loved Christmas morning. I remember getting my first record player with a single of Some Day My Prince Will Come and The Chipmunks Christmas Song. Some great memories.
ReplyDeleteggriffey@bellsouth.net
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in a Jewish home doesn't allow for many X-mas memories, but I do have them. We lived upstairs from the family's real estate office. The family that occupied the other apartment were Polish Catholics. Patti and I were very close friends. She would teach me carols while I attempted to teach her how to read Hebrew. LOL
ReplyDeleteOne year the parents' decided that since Chanukah and X-mas overlapped the kids would get their presents at the same time. Patti's uncle climbed up on the roof in a Santa Costume. He stomped around up there till he was sure we were all awake, and then descended down the ladder with pillow cases full of toys for myself, Patti and her younger sister. It was one of the best holiday seasons I'll ever remember. Yes, I always got to help trim the tree also.
NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com
All these memories are so wonderful! Thank you for sharing them with me. They've brought back a lot of my own memories.
ReplyDeleteNora, your story reminds me of my younger daughter, Belle. For some reason (probably because her father was in the hospital and I was at work--that happened a lot and our friends always helped out with babysitting) she was at her friend's house the first night of Hanukkah. They had a small gift for her and let her light a candle. The mom made latkes for dinner. Ever since (she was around six and she's now 22!) we have had latkes during December and we light a candle in honor of all our friends who celebrate Hanukkah!
Okay, now who has ever snuck down in the middle of the night to see what Santa brought? I remember doing it once...it was so cold getting out of bed! But I didn't mind a bit and it was magical...so quiet and still.
My favorite Christmas memories include seeing Santa Claus at my bedroom window..and he scared me at first, until I realized it was "Santa Claus",!.. and I remember the Christmas that I received a lovely wooden jewelry box made on the island of Guam, ( my Grandad had bought all the girls in the family the jewelry boxes ) they were lovely!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Christmases was when I was ten years old and I got Smurf and Garfield stuff. I got two stuffed Smurfs, a large Smurf comic book (much larger than a regular comic - probably bigger than 8 1/2 by 11), a stuffed Garfield, and Garfield's book about cats (it had black and white pictures of different cat breeds and other cat facts). I still love Garfield and the Smurfs today and I'm glad they were in live-action movies.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of big books, does anyone remember those giant coloring books? They were huge! Too big for a kid to pick up and you had to lay it on the floor to color in it. I probably had one or two and maybe got one at X-mas.
I already have Murder Unmentionable, but I would like to win the other book.
catbooks(at)rocketmail(dot)com
This book looks really interesting. I will be looking for it at Amazon. :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memories include spending time with my wonderful cousins. The "adults" would head off to midnight mass at 10:30 (???) to listen to the music. We teens headed over at 11:45 and went to the quick downstairs mass. After mass, we walked back home and started the coffee. No food alowed until the grown-ups returned, but we had a great time just being together. Still love the cousin get-togethers.
One of my favorite Christmas memories was the year I was chosen to be the narrator of the Christmas play at church. I was so excited that I finally no longer had to be an angel or a shephard.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memories are Christmas Eve. We always go to my Aunt and Uncle's house on the river and eat fried shrimp and oysters! That is life in Coastal Alabama!!!
ReplyDeletecaradube@bellsouth.net
Christmas has always been a very special time for me, including family, church, and decorations. I love picking out a "just right" gift for friends and relatives.
ReplyDeletelovesdogsandbooks@yahoo.com
My favorite christmas memory is any re-created every year as i watch my son decorate the tree. The joy in his eyes warm my heart.
ReplyDeleteI always like to drive around and look at the pretty lights on houses. We have a street called Peacock Lane with awesome decorations.
ReplyDeletekaye.killgore@comcast.net
My favorite memory is actually watching my granddaughter light the Chanukkah candles last year by herself for the first time. The look in her face was so proud. And knowing she gets to unwrap a gift after.
ReplyDeletea.connolley@gmail.com
I have several favorite Christmas memories. We always opened presents on Christmas Eve. After celebrating with out extended family. Two of my favorite Christmas are the year I got my Cricket Doll, I wanted her so bad and my parents got her for me. I still have Cricket after 25 years.
ReplyDeleteAnother favorite Christmas was a year all us girls got together (my mom, me, my aunts, little cousins)all girls we had a Christmas Brunch at my Aunt's house. We had a ball.
I forgot to add my email address MinDaf @ Aol.com
DeleteHeading to Florida and warmer weather.
ReplyDeletebobbipad@gmail.com
My favorite memory is from years ago when I came in to light the candles on the first night of Hanukah and found a trail of yellow note cards. When I asked what they were, my Dad said, "It's the Yellow Brick Road. You follow it." At the end of the trail were all fourteen of the original Oz books . . .
ReplyDeleteElektra
elektra @ untilmidnight.com
My favorite Christmas memories will always be my beauitful Mom who had such joy of creating a gorgeous Victorian Traditional Christmas every year. Her smile, Her traditional English dishes that amazing everyone, gorgeous table sets with real silver and the family china, the most beauitful antique decorated tree you can imagine and the greatest joy of the season. That will always live in my memory as the best Christmas memory, what my Mom created for her family out of love for her children and love of the season. I miss her so this time of year is especially difficult as I have no other family. My Mom had such joy of the season, she kept a Xmas journal which is one of my favorite blessings she left.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up we would always choose a night for my brother and I to stay the night at our grandma's house so that we could help her decorate her house in all of the Christmas galore. She would get the tree set up while we watched the classic Christmas shows. Then we got to put all of the ornaments on and set out the trinkets around the living room. After we were done, she let us wrap the presents that weren't ours and put them under the tree.
ReplyDeleteMy kids and I still make an evening of going up to her house to help with the decorations every year.
Saralyn
miller.saralyn@yahoo.com
I have two memories of Childhood Christmas's that stand out and both involve singing, which is funny because I am NOT a good singer. . . Lol! The first memory is going sound the neighborhood Christmas caroling to raise money for charity with my cousins. I have no idea if people paid us so we would stop singing, but I wouldn't be surprised! The other memory I have is of sharing the bed with my sister, and we oiled both be too exited to sleep, so she would force me to sing her Christmas Carols till I was almost horse, she out fall asleep, and I would be be left wide awake from singing. Now my sister and I aren't very close, and I would give anything to be bak in that bed together, giggling and singing.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Christmas memories was the year I helped Mom make sugar cookies for the first time & we put some out (with a bottle of Coca-Cola, of course!) for Santa on a Blue Willow plate. The next morning I had a doll-sized set of Blue Willow dishes next to the empty cookie plate.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memories are of my cousins and I waiting at the window watching for Santa to fly by. We would hear on the tv about his approach to the city and we would think maybe we should be asleep so he will come to see us. I was older than my cousins but I still went along with it.
ReplyDeleteNancy Oleksy
Oak Lawn, IL
My favorite Christmas memories were when my family really had to stretch the pennies. We had an old wood file cabinet where we put loose change on the top so my father would be able to take the bus to go to medical school.
ReplyDeleteBack then, my mother and I baked sugar cookies in different shapes for Santa and divinity fudge. My father squeezed in time to make homemade toys for me. One time it was a set of blocks in the shapes of columns, rectangles, triangles and squares. He painted them and I made so many different kinds of houses from then. Another Christmas, he made a bed for my doll (my uncle gave me one), another Christmas he made me a playhouse. I love Christmas so much because we could share a special time and be creative making our gifts from whatever we had.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
Allen, TX
My favorite Christmas memory is when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI hope to win the book.
Caroline McGee
cmcgees at att dot net
favorite memory is when I got my first wrist watch! it was a Snow White one and I was 6 :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure if we are supposed to post a favorite memory every day for a new chance to win but did want to at least post.
ReplyDeleteI love reading all these wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteKatherine and everyone else, just to be clear, you need to leave a comment on the new post each day to be entered in the drawing for that day. There is a new drawing for a different book each day.
~ Krista
I have fond memories of our family Christmas tree back when I was little. We each had our favorite ornaments, and my parents would sometimes move ornaments around on the tree so that we could "race" to find the changes first. Just a small thing, but it was fun, and it obviously stuck with me. Some of those ornaments have survived to decorate my own Christmas tree decades later.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memory was the year I peeked at all of my Christmas presents. Boy did I get in trouble!!!!!
ReplyDeletewfnren(at)aol(dot)com
Your book sounds like a fun read.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas memories came from the ones in which our family went skiing in Colorado. Living in Arizona, we loved that visit to the snowy areas.
JWIsley(at)aol(dot)com
When I pulled the Christmas tree down while reaching to adjust an ornament. Everyone screamed & then started to laugh.
ReplyDeleteWould like to read & review your book. Thanks for opportunity.
The year I pulled Christmas tree down when reaching for an ornament. Everyone screamed and then started laughing.
ReplyDeleteWould like to read & review your book. Thank you for opportunity.
As I get older so do my parents. So anytime we get to spend Christmas together is blessing.
ReplyDeletexzjh(04)gmail(dot)com
As I get older so do my parents. So any Christmas that we get to spend together as a family is a blessing Thanks
ReplyDeletexzjh04(at)gmail(dot)com
My favorite Christmas memory is when my now-husband and I decided to get married while sitting in front of the fireplace with a snowstorm raging outside. The best decision of my life!
ReplyDeleteLast night I put up my Christmas tree and I have two lighted Christmas decorations which I put in my living room windows. I always enjoy seeing the Christmas ornaments, many of which have special meaning to me.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrated on the Eve as did our German ancestors, yet that was also my parents' wedding anniversary. Now that they have both passed on, my fondest memory is of that time early in the evening when we'd already dressed for church. We three would sit together before the Christmas tree and have a glass of sherry and a slice of stolen (German bread), and I would watch how they looked at each other and me as we were there. Fond stories would be shared of their meeting, dating, and how happy they were when they adopted me. During that time, they would allow me to open one gift - always the first to go under the tree when it arrived by mail from my out-of-state godmother who remained Mom's best friend and was there when my parents originally met. This is my favorite Christmas memory.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember our having a tree until I was about 11 and had moved to California. Then it was a metallic one, but it was decorated magnificently. I must have received presents before that, but for some reason I don't remember receiving any. After we moved, an aunt in Ohio used to send us money in our Christmas cards to spend as we liked. Eventually I got too old I guess and the money stopped :) Funny what things we remember...and don't.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were little the thing i loved the most about Christmas was sitting under or around the tree at night. my dad would turn on the radio where they played Santa Claus is coming to town the tv claymation show. loved it. Dad would do the part of the mean burgermiester. my mom is from Germany so that had even more meaning to us. it was so much fun and meant so much to me. i love Christmas so much
ReplyDelete