Christmas as a child

[carolyorkie2010]

With Christmas not being too far away, I just wondered what memories you have of Christmas as a child? I remember having a big, white pillowcase stuffed with toys, annuals, selection box etc at the foot of the bed on Christmas morning; then there were always parties at grandparents and other family members, the smell of cigars, the box of chocolates being handed round.....  and the trip to see the pantomime. Also my Dad roasting chestnuts on the fire, hoping they didn't fall in! Happy days when there was a nice atmosphere to Christmas before it became too commercialised.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Ours was very much the same, very regimented, downstairs and dressed by 7.30am, nothing to eat until lunch at 12.30, eat lunch wash up, then open presents, one person one present at a time, took about 2 hours, my aunt rang from abroad at 3.10 after the queens speech, all queued up in the hall to say thank you for our presents, then sit down and watch TV. 4.30 tea consisting of cake, mince pies etc. Then sit down watch TV. Until 7.30pm then supper consisting of cold meat and pickle. We did this Christmas day and Boxing day.

We were not really allowed to play with presents so we didn't disturb the old folks. This was the same from when I was about 5 until 10 years ago at my parents house, then when we bought a bigger house at our house Boxing day only, Christmas day we are on our own.

Now since we have had a larger house we hold Christmas at our house, people can do what they want, eat sleep watch TV. Go for a walk, if they are not hungry I don't care, more leftovers, everyone opens all their presents at once, total chaos but I love it.

Don't get me wrong we were very much loved and had lovely presents my parents probably could not have afforded, but it just so unbelievably boring and long and we couldn't really be children.

Not with my son totally different for us.

[ed_blackadder_1]

I didn't mean to sound ungrateful and now feel very guilty, but I really have never been that happy at Christmas and would really rather be doing something else, we are not religious so we could do anything we wanted, we keep saying we will run away but maybe in a few years when............................... we are on our own.

[ed_blackadder_1]

I do love decorating the house though, and have a large number of Father Christmas that stand on their own, and we love going to Christmas markets, so its not a bad time really.

                                                                                

[**streety**]

Interesting to read everyones Christmas memories some better than others.
We had a small stocking then a few presents around the tree. 
Mum would decorate the most sparce sliver fake tree ever.  Honstly we laugh looking back at the old photos at that tree, it was so baron but we didn't realise it at the time and knew no different.
I remember walking home from school and seeing the twinkling lights at our window (Mum would never tell us when she was going to put it up) so that was really exciting.

Christmas day was loud and full of laughter shared with my grandparents.  Then we would do it all again at my Grandparents home on Boxing day.

We didn't have any money and not a lot of presents but I can honestly say that I was very very lucky indeed.  I believe it's a time for having fun with friends and family which is why I feel so guilty that I cant make the same memories for my children as we spend Christmas day alone.

[captainbovine]

that's true though fishy, Christmas day is usually boring in the end, once the tradition of presents and food is over with the rest of the day can be such a trial for some people.

As I've got older I now want to just relax, snooze, and maybe watch TV, but in my 30's and 40's I spent most of it bored out of my tree at Christmas

[vamo48]

I too believe it's a time for having fun with family and friends.  As a child, I had a big pillowcase of presents which always included selection box of chocs, coloured pencils and drawing book.  I used to call out and wake my parents and give them a running commentary as I unpacked each item!  The previous evening each parent would come into my room separately to help me pack a sock for the other parent - an orange, some nuts, perfume for Mum and shaving cream for Dad. In the morning they always acted surprised!

My main present would be waiting for me downstairs - often a wooden toy that Dad had made - but I didn't have much time to play with it that day as we set off for the railway station after breakfast, to spend a couple of weeks with my grandparents.  They lived in a big house and other relatives would turn up for dinner and my cousins and I played with balloons afterwards, or when older played Monopoly. Adults would often get boxes of chocs as presents, and I always volunteered to help out with the unpopular coffee creams! (I loved them.) Christmas is full of happy memories and certain smellls bring it back.