Favorite Memory Of Christmas

[Outtahere]

What is your favorite memory of Christmas when you were a child? A toy? A tradition?

I'll start this off with my favorite thing when I was a kid. I lived in a town that every Christmas Eve they would load up a flatbed with Santa, his sleigh and reindeer. It was all lit up and accompanied by a police car and a fire truck. They would go up and down every street in town no matter what the weather with Santa waving to all the kids.

We lived in a duplex, our bedrooms on the 2nd floor, I remember my mother letting us stay up until Santa went by. She let us open the windows, even though it was cold and snowing. to wave to him as he went by. The three of us were beside ourselves with excitement and couldn't wait to get to bed so he could come back and leave his presents.

As an adult I live on the road next to that town, I still get to wave to Santa every Christmas Eve as he uses my road as part of his route. This has also become a tradition for dh's children and grandchildren and hopefully someday his great grand children.

Oh and they have added a tow truck to the procession They also go out no matter what the weather, we've seen him in blizzards, rainstorms covered with plastic or nights so cold that they constructed a plastic enclosure for him.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by Outtahere

What is your favorite memory of Christmas when you were a child? A toy? A tradition?

My childhood Christmas memories pale in comparison to the adult ones... both good and bad.

Last year we really enjoyed watching the kids (of all ages) testing their new surfboards at White Plains beach. I suspect we'll be doing something similar this year...

[Khan]

Telling my mother I didn't believe in Santa.

[bosco]

coming home from University an avowed atheist and being forced to attend a Christmas eve service by my mom. Deciding I'd go to "make her happy." Eating a bunch of weed brownies and taking the "anthropological" point of view watching all the strange arcane lights, ceremony, superstition, and regalia. Best time I ever had in church!!

[Payin-the-Toll]

Going around with my Dad in 1955 in my uncle's 53 chevy station wagon delivering food baskets to the needy that were supplied by the American legion. Also, had a paper route starting at age 10 and always bought gifts for everyone---ran out of money one year and wrapped everything in newspaper with pine boughs for bows. I'm very stringent that it ain't a gift unless it's wrapped, and that doesn't mean sticking it in a purty sack.

[Goonie]

I have a couple that seem to stand out for me.

For many years as a kid, I got to go to the Christmas party that the factory my Dad worked at threw for the kiddies. They always had a movie, candy, cookies, and of course, Santa Claus was there to listen to your begging wish list....and then one of his cute young babes elves would give each little monster kid a wrapped present to take home. The presents were always really nice (not cheap crap) toys or games, depending on the kids age.

The second one that stands out, was Christmas of '68....Grandad gave me a super, neato, coool train set!!! It had a Santa Fe loco, cars, and caboose, and a small oval of track! The reason that one stands out, is because that ol' train still runs on my model railroad layout...but instead of a mere small oval, it can traverse about 300+ feet of track. It grew from a $29 train set, to a roughly $15k (so far) hobby.

We still have some of the games from those early parties, and I'll be spending ALOT of my FIRE time "Working on the Railroad"!!! I'll be Choo-Choo Charlie Goonie!

[TromboneAl]

When I was very young, my dad said "Wouldn't it be funny if all the tags on the Christmas presents were switched around?"

I was really in the dog house that Christmas!

[Ibid]

The year I was 12. Got a microscope kit, a chemical kit, and a folding pocket knife. My mom about had a fit but dad said if I was going to be a tomboy, I might as well play like one.