Yuletides of Yesteryear....

A Christmas picture from my childhood....sister Lynn on the right, my mother and me (L) 

Yesterday I was reading Sherry's post on her blog, "Country Wings in Phoenix".  She was recounting her childhood memories of Christmases gone by.  Since I had similar memories, I decided to share them here.  I don't think I've even ever told my children exactly what they were like...so now kids, you'll know!  The anticipation for weeks (2 or3 as we never saw decorations until after Thanksgiving) ahead was so much fun yet Christmas was so very simple compared to what ours is like today.  We always had a cut tree but most of our decorations were homemade with a few glass balls and lots of tinsel that the cat ate.  On Christmas Eve we had church services and since I was raised in a parochial school, a Christmas pageant!  We all had to learn our lines playing various Biblical persons, often in costume and were very nervous. The whole community came out for it and following in the Fellowship Hall was always the Christmas gift....a brown bag of goodies for each child!  This was a large grocery bag full of nuts to be cracked, oranges and apples, (even these were seldom seen delicacies..) various hard candies and chocolates!! Chocolate cream domes, orange sugar slices and chocolate covered nuts were the best!  We only had candy twice a year, -at Halloween and Christmas...such an anticipated treat!!

Then we went home to our family Christmases....ours always opened presents on Christmas Eve.  It seemed magical because of all the festivities and then the dark, starry night.  There is something special about seeing the tree lit in the dark with all of us gathered around.  We often had some kind of treat that mother had made to start with.  Then each of us had a gift,...very often only one, to symbolize the gift God gave the world.  Each of us took a turn to watch the others open and appreciate what was in the package. My favorite was a ballerina doll that I had for years.  Another year it was the original Barbie with the blond hair and striped bathing suit.  The simplicity of it all startles me as I recall how Christmases used to be.  Now I enjoy having many gifts for the children and grandchildren to open and be excited about.  It ends up being a lot of work to bake and shop for weeks until the first gifts I wrap I've forgotten that I had purchased! It seems so special and yet as I remember the simple times, I know we were just as excited and happy. Do I over do it?  You bet! -and will I next year?  My resolve is always not to.......and yet?