Your favorite Christmas memory as a child....

[Disney1fan2002]

Christmas was MAGIC to me, I have so many.

It would have to be the Christmas I was 11, turning 12 a week later. I wanted a red 10 speed bike in the WORST way. I knew mom and dad could not afford one, but I asked anyway. Mom pulled me aside about a week before Christmas to say she was really sorry, but did not think they would be able to afford the bike. I was disappointed, but didn't let her see it (yeah, RIGHT, LOL, like she couldn't tell).

So, Christmas morning we all wake up, and I am silently praying that somehow, a miracle happened, and I would see the bike. My heart fell when I saw no bike under the tree. (the big gifts were always put together, so I would of seen it out in the open). I tried to get excited as mom handed out the gifts, but I was so disappointed. I really wanted a 10-speed. About half-way through the gifts, I saw something BEHIND the tree, that sparkled...IT WAS RED!!! I let out a GASP and my eyes widened, I was about to scream in delight, when my older sister POUNDED me in the arm. She didn't want me to let on that I saw it, so my mom could have a chance to surprise me. I could barely contain my excitement. The gifts were finally handed out, and my mom asked if I would check behind the tree to see if she missed anything.....I let her know I was on to her "game" because I saw the bike. My one regret was telling her that. She missed the excitement of me seeing the bike for the 1st time because of my jerk sister. She was disappointed. But boy, I loved that bike. I had it for years.

 

[LoveWDW]

We used to have Christmasses at my grandparents'. I guess my very favorite memory, out of many happy memories, was when I was about 6 or so and crept down the stairs at first light. The house was silent, everyone else was still in bed. Each person had a pile of presents around the tree. My pile was higher than I was. I still remember the excitement. I tiptoed back upstairs then and waited for permission to get up.

I also remember Christmas dinner at my grandmother's. And second Christmas at my other grandparents' who lived an hour away. They had an aluminum tree and lights that bubbled. They liked to have each person open a gift one at at time. My grandfather one time got a little yappy toy dog. It was the hit of the day. It was a struggle to eat a second Christmas dinner the same day, and everything was so good.

The best toy I ever got was a beautiful doll whose mouth moved when she said Mama when you squeezed her tummy. I wanted that doll so much but knew it was asking for a lot, so I accepted that I wouldn't get her. But somehow my parents managed it. I still have that doll.

My sweetest memory as an older person was the Christmas after I got engaged a couple days before I had to go back to graduate school in another state. I came home a day or so before Christmas. Christmas morning my mother led me into her bedroom and showed me this shiny trunk shaped thing she uncovered as we walked in. I was puzzled about what it was at first. Then I realized- a hope chest! I had never given a hope chest any thought at all. It made me cry.

Another favorite (before having my own children) memory was the Christmas present I gave my father one year. I wrote down all the happy memories I had of my childhood and how much I appreciated all he had done for me and been there for me. He treasured that present more than any other he had received. Years later he still brought it out- well-folded and falling apart. Rest in peace my beloved father.

 

[momsgoofy]

I think my best memories of Christmas would have to be any of my childhood simply because my whole family...parents, my aunt on Mom's side, Granny (Mom's mother), my 3 sisters and as I got older their husbands and children...so probably any Christmas until I was in high school. Being with the whole family is what I miss the most. My Granny has been gone since my freshman year of high school, my aunt since 1992 and my mom died in 1999. Somewhere in the early 90s our family kind of hit a skid where it was too much for us to all be together due to strifes between siblings and spouses. After my mom died my 3 sisters didn't speak to my dad, their step-father, so I've never had a full family Christmas since. And now, we have so many parts of the family to visit with since nobody gets along anymore or some are divorced and time has to be split that it drives me batty with anxiety and worry. DH and I decided after last year that we'd had it and since we can't make everyone happy then we will just make them all mad...we leave for WDW Saturday to spend our first Christmas there. I think it may turn out to be one of the best Christmases I've had in years!

 

[Tinkertude]

When I was a little girl I got a telephone call from Santa every year. As I got older I sorta recognized the voice, but it was more fun to not know for sure. I believe.

 

[kdibattista]

I always loved Christmas night... after all the rushing around had passed. I remember just laying on the floor gazing at the tree.

It's funny this was brought up. My family had a tree topper that we used every year. About 10 years ago, when I was 19 my mom decided to get a new one... I was so upset that I was crying. It just would not be the same without that ugly blinking angel from the 70's. She called me up this past weekend because she came across it and wanted to know if I wanted it. I can't believe how hideous it is but I still love it. I'm trying to get DH to get it working again because it will be up on my tree

 

[720L]

Me and my brother getting up at 4 or 5am to get into our stockings and check out how many presents we got from Santa.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I always loved Christmas night... after all the rushing around had passed. I remember just laying on the floor gazing at the tree.

It's funny this was brought up. My family had a tree topper that we used every year. About 10 years ago, when I was 19 my mom decided to get a new one... I was so upset that I was crying. It just would not be the same without that ugly blinking angel from the 70's. She called me up this past weekend because she came across it and wanted to know if I wanted it. I can't believe how hideous it is but I still love it. I'm trying to get DH to get it working again because it will be up on my tree

OMG! LOL, my DH and I were had an argument this year, he wanted to replace our star! Why? Because we have to tape a plastic spoon to the botton so it with sit in the topper. BIG DEAL! It has been the tree top for 10 Christmas'! He was even trying to get the kids on his side. Sure, nothing like teaching them about traditions. I am so glad I won!

 

[mountaineer]

My mother and I used to watch the sky for Rudolph's nose. I really liked that.

When my son was 3 I woke up around 6:00. I could hear him stirring so I hurried back to my room to let him come and wake us up. He never came out. Finally he started yelling at us. We went and opened his door. He had woken up early to go to the bathroom but heard Santa walking around so he stayed in his room and peed his pants. He was afraid Santa wouldn't leave anything for him if he caught him out of his room while he was there.

I will treasure that forever. It was purely accidental and one of my favorite memories. My son just turned 7 and still talks about hearing Santa on Christmas morning.

 

[missypie]

When I was little, our stockings were always filled the traditional way...a tangerine, a few nuts, etc. (Never any non-edible gifts.) One year, mom and dad told us to check the toe. In each was a tiny box...both of us girls had a "real" birthstone ring (I don't think the stones were real, but the rings were the kind that were sized [not adjustable] and were real gold.) What a surprise!

Of course, a few months later, my sister smashed my hand in the car door and my ring had to be cut off my finger......

One more memory that would only be cool for a little kid. My dad was the pastor of a small Baptist church. One Christmas morning my mom had a migraine and I guess we were too noisy for her, so dad brought us to the church to play with our new toys. I can still picture us racing down the halls of the church basement playing with our new stuff. It must have been a bad Christmas for Mom, but how many kids get to RUN down the halls of their church, yelling and playing with their toys?!

 

[Missy1961]

I have many happy memories of Christmas mornings thru the years. Of course, we kids were not supposed to go downstairs to look at the presents, but we always would go downstairs anyway. My favorite memory was Christmas of 1970. My youngest sister was born that September. When I went downstairs to peak (after my younger brother dared me to go), I heard my mom's voice--"Merry Christmas, honey". She was sitting in the living room, giving my baby sister her bottle! I said "Merry Christmas, Mom!" and ran back up the stairs! I was sure I was in trouble, but Mom just told me later she loved the look on my face when I was caught.

 

[holycow]

Oh my...you guys have me crying this morning!

Mountaineerr!!! that is too cute!

Thank you for sharing all of your memories.

I do have so many of them but I think LoveWDW helped me remember one that is close to my heart.
I was 16 or so and we had Christmas as usual opened presents and ate breakfast but a few hours later my Dad came in and said hey, Santa just came by and dropped this off for you. I came out and it was a new stereo. Christmas just isn't the same since Dad passed on. He always made it so magical for us.

I also loved waking up on Christmas to a new fallen snow ....I know! You all are probably sick of snow but coming from a girl whose been on either coast and hasn't seen snow in 30 years or so those memories are still so magical!

Thank everyone!
HOlycow
Lisa

 

[mickeyfan2]

Mine is a little different.

When we were kids, my paternal Grandmother would let us play under the tree (skiers, coffee grounds roads, cars, sledder, nativity etc.). We we allowed to play with everything but the nativity. Each night she would put every thing back and get the tire marks out of the coffee grounds roads. Since would could not touch the nativity (this rule came into effect after all of baby Jesus's escapades), we could put the skiers on the cretch roof and all the cars would line up in front of the nativity. We called it the drive-in nativity. All the cousins still laugh about it. When I told DH the story he was in tears. This type of thing is in par with my personality.

Today my paternal grandparents are no longer with us, but I do have those skiers and cherish them and their memory.

 

[kdibattista]

Here is my treetop that I'm hoping DH can get to work... I told you it was bad!!!

 

[holycow]

She is Beautiful!....lol

hope DH is handy and can get her to glow again!
HC

 

[C.Ann]

I've told this story here on Christmases past, but without a doubt it has to be the "shoe box" that I received from my Grandma every year right up until she died at the age of 96..

Grandma didn't have a lot of money, so each year she would take a shoe box and fill it with all sorts of little doo-dads: pencils; a candy bar; erasers; one or two pieces of costume jewelry; a pair of gloves; a little knick-knack; a pack of gum; some hair ribbons; etc.. Then she would wrap the shoe box with red and green tissue paper and tie it with a fat piece of red or green yarn..

No matter WHAT was under the Christmas tree - no matter HOW big the boxes were - the first thing I would want to open would be Grandma's shoe box.. There was just something so special about it..

Since Grandma's been gone my Christmases have never been quite the same without that "shoe box" to look forward to - except for one year when my DH decided he would do the shoe box for me.. It was really strange how it came about.. He had been out shopping - picking up little things to put in my stocking.. After going through the register, he put the bags in the shopping cart and walked out to the car.. When he took the bags out of the cart, there lying in the bottom of the cart was a big piece of fat green yarn.. That's when he remembered the story of Grandma's shoe box and made sure that I had one that year.. Never did figure out how that piece of yarn ended up in the bottom of that shopping cart, but I like to think it was a message from my Grandma..

Now as a Grandma myself, I do the same thing for my granddaughter every Christmas.. Hopefully it will be a tradition that will live on long after I'm gone - just like it has from my own childhood..

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I remember when my sister and I were really little and we would be driving home from our grandmas down the freeway Christmas eve late at night....and you know those tower things that have a blinking red light?....We would get so excited because we saw Rudolph in the sky....my mom still talks about that....

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

I wish I had a favorite Christmas memory,but I don't. Our Christmases were always so terrible..mom and stepdad fighting, real dad picking sis and I up to go to Grandma's but bashing mom the entire time..that sort of thing.

I'm trying to make Christmas special for DS, since I didn't have any 'special' Christmases. I didn't put up a tree this year, but the entertainment center is decorated with all of my Santa dolls, a bouquet of faux Christmas roses (I forget what they are really called..big red flowers with yellow bits in the center) and some tinsel garland one of my coworkers was just going to throw out.

TOV