My Holiday Favorites:
Scents:
An orange being peeled, evergreen trees, fresh brewed coffee (OK not a holiday thing), the scent early on a winter morning when I enter my kitchen (smells like Christmas…I know, weird.)
Songs:
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Little Drummer Boy
Memories:
Driving around neighborhoods on Christmas Eve, looking at lights, while listening to Christmas music.
Staring at our garland draped, Christmas tree, as a little girl, all the while thinking it looked like a Queen dressed for a ball.
Running around the church with my cousins on Christmas day, where we gathered to celebrate. Also singing Christmas Carols while my Aunt Sharon played the piano. The day went faster than any others.
Going to sit on Santa's lap to take pictures. Santa turned out to be my dad in a Santa suit.
Getting up at 6:00 AM as a young mom, to put my very first turkey in the oven and looking out my window to see if I could spy other lights on. There was such excitement in the knowledge that I had joined the ranks of early risers on Thanksgiving morn.
Tastes:
Eggnog Latte, Pecan pie, Pumpkin Bars, mashed potatoes and gravy, and yams.
Sights:
Christmas lights on houses, winter wonderland scenes, old fashioned Christmas cards, my Old World Ornaments, evergreen boughs.
Sounds:
Children laughing
Tell me yours.
I remember the tons of presents. So please keep the memory alive!
You giva me lotsa cash I giva you lotsa presents!
My childhood Christmas memories are of Salvation Army Band music in our street, hand-knitted socks used as stockings (my mum used to hand-knit socks for my dad because he had such big feet!) Oranges – just like you, pipe tobacco, courtesy of my Uncle Alan, cloves – we used to make pomanders (stick a ton of cloves in an orange and hang them to dry).
The City Centre being decorated and the lights and storefront windows looking festive.
“The Sound of Music” movie, comedy specials on tv, The Queen’s Christmas message!
Roasted Chestnuts in little paper bags, Paxo stuffing, Brussell Sprouts (yum), drinking a shandy (7up with a splash of beer) and getting kissed by old bearded female relatives under the mistletoe!
I remember:
Mom wrapping our Christmas presents behind her closed bedroom door, letting me take them to be put under the Christmas tree each time she had a group. I examined each one on it’s way to see which had my name on the label, dreaming about what might be in each package.
Hanging the old fashioned tinsel on the tree, with my brothers, piece by piece. Of course, by the end, we were losing patience and throwing it on in globs.
Memorizing my Christmas poem to say in front of the whole church and being terrified. Watching my un-terrified, devil-may-care brother Don laugh all the way through his which was much to the chagrin of my proper, Sunday School Superintendent dad.
Lastly I fondly remember the Christmas my oldest brother, Ken with instructions from my parents, went to buy us a “nice Christmas albumn”(yes albumn) and Ken coming home with Elvis Presley’s brand new “Blue Christmas Special Collection.” We rocked our way through that Christmas season.
Yes, those were the good ol’ days.
Mom,
Those memories are so cool and I will treasure them. I had never heard the Elvis Presley story. Unbelievable for a girl who only heard about the “king of rock and roll” but didn’t get to experience it:)
Christmas was here when Mom put the Perry Como and Bing Crosby Christmas albums on the old record player.
My holiday favorites: smell of cinammon, baking cookies, (and then eating them), all the cool snowmen and other decorations I have collected through the years, taking Zack with Grandma and Grandpa to the Christmas tree farm wearing shorts and t-shirts (in South Carolina), “Oh Holy Night” “Angels We Have Heard on High”…so much more.
Best memory: I was 5. Mom made us matching red dresses and took a faux fur coat that she had got and cut off the bottom to make a matching coat for me (I still have it). We dressed in our matching outfits and went to a theater to see “White Christmas”. It’s been one of my favorite movies ever since.
My Holiday Favorites:
Scents:
Pine wreaths and garland, sugar cookies, Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin candles, brisk cool air right after it snows
Songs:
Anything by Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby, the Rock’s “Rudolph the Bald-Headed Reindeer” song from Christmas Eve service 2005, Reliant K’s “I’m Gettin’ Nuttin’ for Christmas”
Memories:
Going to the Nutcracker with Cambria last year
Turning off all the lights except for the Christmas lights, lighting the candles and watching Christmas movies
Spending Christmas Eve at my Grandma Georgia’s and singing Christmas carols with my cousins, and twirling around in one of my many Christmas dresses that my mom made me growing up
Tastes:
Hot cocoa with mini marshmallows, the coffee nudge (brandy, kahlua, coffee, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles) that my grandma makes on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning brunch, the peppermint mousse (sp?) that Cam and I had at the Nutcracker
Sights:
Christmas lights on houses, the three Christmas trees at my grandma’s house, Christmas decor everywhere, my niece looking at the Christmas tree, the Christmas pics that friends send it their Christmas cards each year (it’s fun seeing people change over the years)
Sounds:
House full of family with tons of conversations going on at the same time, Christmas songs playing in the background at the mall, the “wow’s” from little kids opening presents