CB's Question of the day

[cabenson]

AS I sit here slurping my hazelnut flavored coffee and contemplating the 4 million cookies I have to bake this morning, I actually felt the slightest wince of Christmas spirit. Then it left, but I'm sure it will return when I break out the eggnog and rum this afternoon.

So, to help all of us who can't seem to get into the CHRISTMAS spirit-I'm over the PC correctness-here is today's question:

What is your favorite childhood memory of Christmas?

My answer: It was in the early 70's and we lived in a very small town that was right smack in the middle of the snow belt. We got creamed every year, and this year was no different- I bet we had almost a foot of snow and it was only December. My folks were still together and as a family, we trudged a mile through town to the ACE hardware store. On the way we saw many other families out looking at business's Christmas displays and shopping at the small assortment of shops downtown (we had one store that still sold candy by the pound.) We got to the hardware store and Dad told us to wait outside while he went in-we assumed it was a trip to get stuff he needed to work on the house. He came outside with the biggest sled we had ever seen! The runners were bright red and the wood was smooth and shiny!It was the most beautiful thing in the world! He and my mom took turns pulling us kids all the way home. It really seemed very magical with all of the lights shining and the snow and crystal clear sky. We got home and had hot chocolate-with marshmallows-and talked about how we hoped Santa was bringing us ice skates for Christmas (our town had a canal running through it). Good times, especially when 30-some years later we all struggle to find the time to be together.

Comments

[amazonqueenkate.livejournal.com]

When I was four, I was convinced Christmas was going to suck. We'd just moved into a new house, and everything was different, and when you're four, that's a big deal. That year, we'd lived in four different houses (all told) from our move up from Normal to Glen Ellyn (a three-and-a-half hour move) and I'd been out of school for almost a year, and felt crappy, I guess. Or so they say.

But to this day, I can remember Christmas morning. It was the first and last time we put the tree all the way downstairs in our family room (instead of the living room on the first floor) and I can remember vividly coming down into that room with all its beautiful, dark panelling and seeing the lit-up tree and all the toys underneath and around it. My parents hadn't had time to wrap many of the toys - it was also the first Christmas of my dad at a new job - but it was just amazing for me. And I still remember it vividly, even today.

It's also probably the last Christmas I had where my parents didn't majorly ruin something for me, so you know. ;)

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

You know, I'm not sure I could say which my fondest memory was. I have to admit that overall, my Christmases were rather idyllic. The Christmas after my grandmother died, though, was particularly special. She always spent it with us, and so of course we were missing her, but Christmas Eve I just remember we were all just laughing so much. I forget why, but I was explaining 'slam dancing' to my parents and demonstrated on my sister, and she went flying across the room and we all just laughed until we couldn't breathe. I remember it because it was such a sad time, but I still had this sense of total joy. Bittersweet, I guess.

[undrthtpaprmoon.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'm not really sure if I have just one.
There was one Christmas when I was about 2 or 3 and it was the Christmas after my father left and it was the first time we could have family over for the Holidays (yes, my father = prick). The house was full of family for the first time in my life. I loved it.

The second and I think the most special was about 7 years ago. It was around Christmas and we found out my grandma was dying of cancer. She lived near my aunt at the time who lives about 5 hours away from me. We decided to go there for Christmas to be close. Christmas morning came at my aunts. My grandma wasn't there, because of course she was in the hospital. I never expected to get anything from her. But there were 2 presents under the tree for me from her. I thought someone got them for me and just put her name but it was her handwriting. She must have gotten them before she got sick. I started crying. It was so unexpected and so incredibly special. So while it was a really sad time, I still had that little moment for myself.

[sooozie1982.livejournal.com]

I don't think I have one specific memory. We've always had traditions. My favorite part of Christmas used to be (and still is to some extent) Christmas Eve. My mom would always make chili, and we'd open presents from each other. Everyone was in a good mood. The anticipation between eating and the time to open presents was unbearable. And going to bed that night? fuggitaboutit. The rule at our house was "We're not opening presents before 5:30AM!"

[babeeaimee.livejournal.com]

One of my best Christmas memories was the year we had Christmas at the coast, staying at the low-budget portables my dad usually used for work. I guess I was about 6, and my sister was 9. We had a little tree we put on the table in the large dining room, and my sister and I drew all over the teaching backboards with coloured chalk. I was so suprised Santa knew we were not at home. Me and my sister got hobby horses and we alternated between chasing each other around on them, and lying on our bunks reading books and eating lollies.

[slcadet.livejournal.com]

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, my Dad and I would go up to a christmas tree lot near our house and pick out our tree - keeping in mind that this lot was *growing* the trees - not a chainlink fence around a bunch of cut trees- and we'd pick it out, and then a few weeks later, dad and I would go up and cut it down, and bring it home and get it set up, and there is nothing like the smell of fresh pine at Christmas. Dad, as he got older and my Mom and Dad moved to Oregon to retire, would decorate the ficus instead, or would put balls on trees outside instead, so I miss that memory a lot.

Winter Solstice at Chez Maroukian

[maroukian.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, my favorite Christmas… well, the fourth-century comes to mind when that ambitious Roman emperor Constantine, who by the way, was a really snappy dresser-- decided to move the celebration of Christmas from January 6 to December 25. Constantine followed the cult of Sol Invictus, a monotheistic form of sun worship that originated in Syria and was imposed by Roman emperors on their subjects a century earlier. That's also why Constantine decreed that Sunday -- "the venerable day of the sun" would be the official day of rest. [THANK GOD! I need a rest after working in a sweat-shop like this one all week!] Now, before Constantine, early Christians celebrated their holy day on the Jewish Sabbath -- Saturday. But then of course that was really discriminating to publications like the Saturday Evening Post— no one would pick it up until Sunday and the magazine would get soggy in the rain outside of places like Gus’ Newsstand.

And, CB, if you are willing to share that eggnog, I’ll tell you about the 12 Day Egyptian midwinter festival celebrating the birth of Horus, (no! not Hesus, Horus!) son of Isis (the divine mother-goddess, (not THAT mother-deity, the other one!)

[maroukian.livejournal.com]

PS: I really loved reading your Christmas memory. The sled, etc... I almost think you should write it up in a short story.
after you finish the manifesto, of course :)

[icarus-abides.livejournal.com]

We got to the hardware store and Dad told us to wait outside while he went in-we assumed it was a trip to get stuff he needed to work on the house. He came outside with the biggest sled we had ever seen! The runners were bright red and the wood was smooth and shiny!It was the most beautiful thing in the world! He and my mom took turns pulling us kids all the way home.

That's awesome dude. I wasn't even there and it's making me feel so magical and happy :)

Aww, this is liek totally one of the Cutest. Topics. Evar.

Overall, my favorite thing that we do every Christmas is getting the stocking wee early in the morn. Even now, with me being 21, I come home from college for break and STILL get a stocking. My parents used to wait until 4 in the morning or so, while my siblings and I were asleep, and prop them up outside our doors. Then, when we would wake up in the morning, we always knew that the stocking would be sitting there and we'd go get them from out in the hallway and all congregate in one bedroom (usually mine since I was the oldest) and sit on the bed and go through our trinkets. We'd sit there and giggle and pick through em until 7, the designated time to get the parents out of bed and downstairs to the tree. *nostalgic*

My favorite Christmas memory is actually probably going to sound pretty damn dorky to everyone except me. I was eight and had just started riding about six months earlier. (And see where I am with those four-legged beasties today?) I got downstairs and there were a bunch of little presents all wrapped up and placed in a little pile for me (just like there was one for the brother and one for the sister) But sitting in the middle of those, unwrapped, was a grooming box with a big bow on it. And in it, it had all these brand new brushes and horse treats and a crop and riding gloves. God, I was excited. Because all I could think about that whole morning was going to the barn later that day and showing the lesson ponies my new stuff for them. Still have the box too. The brushes are a little less shiny and a lot more dirty. The treats have long since been eaten. The crop and the gloves have been outgrown and donated to the niece. But whenever I pick up the box to go out to my horse, I swear that a piece of me is eight years old again. Can't help but get excited. *sad grin*

Ok, and so ends my sappiness for this holiday :)

[stargazer1960.livejournal.com]

Your story was awesome, baby.
My favorite story-
We had just moved to Texas from Ohio and my dad had lost everything in a business deal that went belly up. We were living five in a tiny ranch-style house with no AC in Texas and had been told that Christmas was going to be something of a disappointment because we had no money.
My siblings and I were 10, 9, and 7. We looked at each other and didn't skip a beat. Ran to our rooms without saying a word to each other, wrapped up our favorite toy and gave it to each other with the statement, "Now, I'm giving this to you, but I can play with it sometimes, right?"
Made mom cry out loud and run to the kitchen. Dad said he was proud of us for proving what Christmas was about.

favorite christmas

[raginhoops.livejournal.com]

It was my first christmas with my wife. She flew down to Louisiana with me to meet my folks for the first time. My brother's two girls were 9 and 5 and being the drama queens as they were, decided that we had to put on a nativity play. The 9 yr old director, writer, and star (Mary) had my father with a towel on his head playing Joseph and the youngest's cabbage patch doll as the babyjesus. Her sister stood above us all on a chair, solemn, arms outstretched as the Angel. My future wife was a shepard and I was a "sheep"! Out of the mouths of babes.
I always HatedChristmas but this is the first one that I Loved.