Christmas Past

[Northern Lass]

What Christmas or New Year traditions do you remember?

Someone on rootsweb mentioned setting an extra setting at the table.
This rings a bell I am sure my gran did this.

Those who experienced Christmas in wartime britain, how did you celebrate?
how did rationing affect the festivities?

let us know on this thread what Christmas past was like for you?

[sparkstopper]

To those of us who spent our childhood in the war years, rationing
was the norm. All my family (Aunts, Uncles cousins etc) would
all meet at my 'Grans' on Christmas Eve.. I and my cousin only
lived in the next street, so would probably be first there. I remember
walking along the darkened street(No streetlights) with a small torch
with Masking tape over the glass to lessen the beam. On arrival we would
sit in front of the open fire, the chimney breast had a crack in the brickwork
which would get wider the longer the fire was in...My cousin and I would look
through the opening and try and guess who was walking up the 'passage' at
the side of the house, and who would be the next to arrive. Presents were
given during the evening, usually something homemade. My uncle or mother
would play the piano and parlour games were played. As children the lack of
'goodies' to eat never entered our minds.

[Northern Lass]

Thank you for posting that Sparks
I don't think we realise us 1950's and 60's kids that the generation before us
had it tough with the war.

Any more memories please do post.

I used to love hanging the stocking on the fireplace,
has that died out now for the kids today?
I suppose they are used to better things.

[Annie]

I have some lovely Christmas memories when young during the war, we would all gather at a relations house took it in turn each year for Christmas, Boxing day and New Year.

We were never short of food though it was not the kind they have today, one Uncle kept pigs so we always had pork, a few of us had hens and grew our own veg and salad, everything was homemade or baked.

Present were always an Enid Blyton Book or a annual , new shiny money, aplle and a orange and the other things were mostly home made, one year I had a book that had a cut out doll and lots of outfits loved and treasured it for years.

We all played lots of games adults and children alike, and finish off with a sing song round the piano with my dad playing, and during that a knock would come on the door and it would be santa claus on his way back to lapland with a few pressies he had left , it was years before we realised it was one of the gown up.

They were happy times.

Annie

[Northern Lass]

Got tears in my eyes here that is lovely .........thank you so much Annie
My mum tells me of her childhood in Rowley Regis at Clifton st
not much money think one christmas no pressies at all

[Antie Em]

My dad worked as a moulder in a foundry all his life and the only time I can remember him being off work was when he had a real bad back injury - I'd be about 11 at the time, with three younger sisters. We had no money for presents so mom borrowed money to buy the two little ones a doll. I remember going to Dudley to a toy shop in Wolverhampton Street with mom to get the dolls and then she had to tell dad what she'd done. He hit the roof, he would never go into debt - and the next day made us take the dolls back. Mom was really fretting about us having nothing for Christmas, but had a surprise the week before when boxes arrived on a van from the Red Cross. Father Matthews, the priest from St Michaels had arranged it and we had more presents that Christmas than we'd ever had. I remember I had a projector, which showed pictures on the wall, and the two little ones each had a doll. Mom still talks about it now.

[Annie]

It happened to a lot of children not having any presents, we were lucky we had lots of Aunts and Uncles on both mam and dad's side, even though we were not rich we got some pressies from Aunts and Uncle's who's children were grown up. It was the family parties that were more exciting than than the presents because we did understand that it was hard times.

[Rob]

This is a good thread Nortern Lassie.
It's nice to hear peoples memories of christmas past.
Have i told you about my first pair of Stanley Mathews football boots?

[Northern Lass]

This is a good thread Nortern Lassie.
It's nice to hear peoples memories of christmas past.
Have i told you about my first pair of Stanley Mathews football boots?

No! never heard that one from you
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

tell us somat different!

[MarkCDodd]

I used to distribute Christmas hampers as part of the Freemasons.

We would get a few names of those needing charity and when delivering their hamper, we would ask them if they knew anybody in need.

By doing this we would have a few names at the begining of the night but get enough names from those we helped to be able to distribute hundreds of hampers over a couple of nights.

A lot of people can get very depressed having to accept charity but by getting names from them they felt they have contributed to making others happy and made the acceptance of our gift more palatable.

That was always a highlight of my Christmas.

It was a bit scary though when we had to have armed guards when delivering to some of the Housing Commision flats

[kdp]

I agree kids today dont know how lucky they are, I am going to make my 2 read this thread! Very moving stories.

When we where kids, tho I'm not going as far back as the stories on here, money was always tight, but by far my best memories of xmas are being with family, I have quite a large one and we would go around nan and grandads after dinner, TV was banned! We played sharades and santa always came, bringing gifts, cheap but cheerful, then the turkey sandwiches and us kids would 'put on a show'. The best of times

No stockings on the fire place, but we always put a pillowcase on the end of the bed, something I do with my own children now. Ours were always filled with books and little knick knacks, and downstairs at a reasonable hour, for our main presents, Usually dolls or board games. Trouble with children now is that there is so much more stuff for them to want! I remember the year I had a bike, that I'd wished and wished for, It wasnt there in the morning, but I hadn't expected it to be, but was presented later after dinner, I cried I was so shocked!!

My Dad too worked in a foundry and always at xmas, for the extra money, I have few memories of him being there at xmas when I was younger, and those that he was are a little extra special.


Merry christmas everybody!!!!

[nessa]

Hi,

I remember playing Johnny Mathis Winter Wonderland every Christmas morning and having a new christmas dress and shoes, also the shops being closed for at least two days no pressure to go to the sales.

Nessa

[Antie Em]

Hi,

I remember playing Johnny Mathis Winter Wonderland every Christmas morning and having a new christmas dress and shoes, also the shops being closed for at least two days no pressure to go to the sales.

Nessa

D'you know Nessa - I remember when the shops closed at 5.00 on Christmas Eve - sometimes the day before when Christmas fell on a weekend. I always remember thinking thank goodness the shops are shut, no more shopping until after the New Year.

[Northern Lass]

Hi,

I remember playing Johnny Mathis Winter Wonderland every Christmas morning and having a new christmas dress and shoes, also the shops being closed for at least two days no pressure to go to the sales.

Nessa

yes new shoes and dress and jim jams!
black patent shoes all shiny ....lovely

[nessa]

I nearly forgot Eric and Ernie on the telly in the evening.

Nessa