My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"
Bob Hope
This holiday season, we celebrate the spirit of the season by sharing some stories we’ve captured throughout the year. Whether old-fashioned or modern, our clients found love during the holidays by reflecting on traditions and creating new ones with family and friends.
Norma V., born on Christmas Day 1933, reflects on how her family made sure her birthday wasn't forgotten during the holidays.
“Mom wasn’t that big on desserts and I’m not either, but my birthday always included a homemade cake made by my grandmother. It was always celebrated a few hours after the rush and bustle of Christmas gift opening and celebrating. They tried to keep things separate and special for me.”
Over at her husband Bill V.'s childhood home, things were not festive until Christmas Eve.
"My dad would wait until last minute to get a Christmas tree because he refused to pay full price! He went up to the tree lot on Christmas Eve and brought one home. We kids didn’t care. We were there for the presents! One year, I got an army truck with a cannon out of the back that shot bullets and used to aim it at the ornaments on the tree. We caught hell for that!”
For Kathy T., the real fun came after Christmas when she traveled with her parents and siblings to the family homestead in Jaffrey, New Hampshire for New Year’s Eve.
“The homestead has been in the family for 11 generations. We visited Jaffrey frequently and my grandparents were always happy to host. All of us kids slept in the attic, which was a big source of fun. There were always cousins around and sometimes we had my parents’ friends and other faculty kids join us. On New Year's Eve, we often had parties in the attic, playing games, and staying up too late talking. During the day, we went sledding. It was so much fun.”
Growing up, Jim D. remembers all the family, the food, and also the chores leading up to the holidays.
"We spent Christmas Eve at Moddy’s, and then hosted at our house for Christmas Day. My mother was a great cook at Christmas, cooking all the traditional foods and hosting everyone in our unfinished basement. I always had to scrub it down before guests could come over!”
For wife Janice, tough holiday travel with young children led to a conscious decision to try spending the holidays at home.
“That first Thanksgiving, we got on the plane with all these kids and I was so stressed out that I decided to spend that Christmas just us in Minneapolis. I thought it was going to be awful missing out on visiting everyone, but it turned out to be so much more enjoyable. From then on, I just wanted to do Christmas wherever we were as a family. My mother came to us instead, sometimes visiting for holidays and always when a new baby was born.”
Angela V. spent her childhood Christmas at church before returning home to open gifts, a long wait that was somewhat torturous for a kid.
"After Santa came, we woke up early and sat at the top of the stairs until we got the okay to come down, swooping down the stairs to the living room. We waited for what seemed like an eternity to open gifts. Usually, we got toys and clothes, but, one year, I got a music box that I was pining for. Another year, a blue Schwinn bike sat next to the tree and I tried learning to ride it in the snow.”
For others, buying the presents is the real joy behind the holiday. Art Hill remembers the first gift he ever purchased with his own money, a present for his mother.
“When I was about 12, I went to our local gift shop called ‘The What Not’ and bought my mother a fancy ashtray for Christmas. Too bad neither of my parents smoked! Even funnier, my dad bought the same thing for her there and he was very disappointed that the owner, whom he knew, sold it to me.”
What are your childhood memories of Christmas or Hanukkah? Share them with someone you love along with that gift-wrapped present this year. Still looking for something to give your parents or in-laws? We can make up a Memoir for Me gift certificate up until the last minute!
From all of us to all of you, happy holidays!
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