Christmas Stories Wanted

Here’s an example.

Often, the tree spent a few days in the back yard before dad would bring it in and set it up. We, like most those days, had the big bulbs that would screw in, one good thing, you never had to hunt for the bad bulb. My parents had a lot of mismatched ornaments, and one day I asked why? My mom explained that when my parents got married in 1944, glass and the other materials used to make ornaments were in short supply, so their families gave them ornaments for their first tree. By the way, my specialty was the tinsel! Is that still a thing?

Christmas Eve we got to select one gift to open, and of course left the cookies and milk for Santa. My parents always went to my maternal grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve. I didn’t get to go until I was about seventeen. There were like fifty people packed in to about 300 square feet. Once you got in the front door it was everyone for themselves. And people were eating! I do recall occasionally going to midnight mass and/or telling my parents I did.

I was always the first one up on Christmas morning and had to sit around and wait! There are two toys that stand put from the early 1960’s, slot car racers and this neat helicopter that flew. Of course it only went in circles on a boom, but never the less, it was loads of fun. Prior to 1961, when my dad’s mom was alive, we would go there. She lived in a two family house with my godparents, my aunt Emily and uncle Connie. I was always special to them. They had a working fireplace and Santa would always show up to hand out the secret Santa gifts. After that we would go to my mom’s mom, who lived with my Uncle Frank and Aunt Dolly ( it was not as chaotic Christmas Day ). Aunt Dolly had the greatest nativity scene, there would usually be at least two Joseph’s and Mary’s, a baby Jesus bigger than them, assorted animals of various sizes and maybe a skier passing through. Uncle Frank would alway’s get several old spice products and wallets, as that’s what Aunt Dolly would tell everyone to bring.

Those were the days.