Your childhood Christmas’s

[Floridatilly]

My fondest Christmas memories from my childhood are:
I went to a CofE primary school and I loved going to church (parents didn’t take us) the soft candle lighting and the Christmas hymns just filled my heart with joy.
At home we always had matchmakers, shelled nuts and a nut cracker and tangerines so whenever I see or smell these now it takes me back to Christmas time!
On Christmas mornings my sister and I always got the same presents:
Nightie
Doll or teddy bear
Socks & knickers
selection box
Christmas Colouring book and felt tip pens or coloured pencils.
We also got a shared present, usually a board game, one year it was a record player for our bedroom 🤩

We was allowed a chocolate bar from our selection box for breakfast then played with our new things until dinner was ready.
For some reason the movie on Christmas evening was always wizard of oz 😂😂

[Gev]

I too went to a CofE school and the church was almost literally attached to it. We used to start practising or learning carols and songs well in advance. There was always a nativity in church and it was a big deal if you were chosen to play either Mary or Angel Gabriel (I was lucky enough to do both roles, Angel one year promoted to Mary the next!) Church was like a second family, so I used to love it when I was old enough to go with Mum and Dad to the Christmas Eve midnight service.

Christmas morning was the one and only day in the year that I was allowed in Mum and Dad's bed and I would sit between them opening presents. I loved the smell of the turkey cooking and still do, and remember my Dad taking charge of Christmas dinner. I loved the smell of the real Christmas tree and loved sitting just looking at the fairy lights. Every year Mum would be frantically trying different things to try to stop the needles falliing. One year she sprayed the whole tree with about 3 cans of hairspray! It's a wonder she didn't burn the house down!

Happy days x

[CazP]

I went to a local primary school but we still learnt all the traditional Carols back then. Used to love going to the Christingle service with Brownies too.

Christmas started Christmas Eve for us, waiting for our Grandparents to arrive. They stayed every year as my Mum is an only child. They used to sleep on a mattress in the living room so it was always exciting getting up and getting in bed with Nan after Grandad got up to put the kettle on. In later years, I had a double bed in my room so they used that and I slept on a put-you-up bed by the side of them. My Grandad was always an early riser, so I was up as soon as he was awake in the morning. My sister is 4 years younger than me and she was always last up! We were always waiting for her. I do remember one year my parents being woken at 3am as my sister had woke up and found her stocking on her bed. Needless to say that was confiscated until later morning

Christmas morning I remember my nan was always the one to take the giblets out and prepare the bird for the oven - we normally had Cockerel from the butcher in my nans village rather than a turkey.
I remember helping peel and score a hundred-weight of sprouts too

[Michyloulou]

My family were never church-goers, but coming from a large family I can always remember all the prep my Mum (Dad usually at work) did. There was a minimum of 11 of us for Christmas day & sometimes more and it was always open house time, which I loved with relatives/friends popping in. I can remember crates of tonics, mixers, Britvic orange juices & fizzy pop being delivered by the milkman straight into the garage! I can also remember the huge huge tubs of Quality Street & Roses my mum bought as well as bowls of nuts. My mum made all the usual Christmas cakes etc from scratch and prepped on Christmas Eve by cooking a ham or beef joint to accompany the turkey the next day. There was always a big stack of home cooked sausage rolls on Christmas Eve too.
We didn’t have stockings to take up on Christmas Eve, so we’re given a cotton pillowcase each! I can remember when we were all of school age, us all piling into Mum & Dads bedroom to open presents (7 kids!). One year me and 2 of my sisters (the youngest 3 of the clan), had asked for bikes. As we opened our stocking presents, my Dad said “I’m so sorry we couldn’t get you bikes, but hope that you like your gifts from Father Christmas”. We then went downstairs where 3 bikes were surrounding the Christmas tree! That has to be my best ever memory! My Dad then sent us on a bike ride to the local radio station who were giving away free batteries (having forgotten to get batteries for some toy or other!), so we cycled there & back to road-test the bikes & get batteries!

[Pumpkin Pie]

I remember when I was young waking up in the middle of the night and running through with my stocking to my parents room. My dad told me it was too early and to go back to sleep. I went back to my bed but opened my stocking up in the pitch black - couldn’t see a thing but I can still remember the excitement.

Another time I woke up and again ran through to my parents but stubbed my toe on something at the foot of the bed (again in the dark). It was a handmade dolls house with a red roof and painted flowers up the front. I loved it and I thought it was the best thing ever.

I also remember getting kicked off the school nativity play because I did not turn up for rehearsals during a snow storm. Teachers were harsh back then!

[Sandra & co]

I remember not many presents but loads of food, mum always made stuffing with sausage meat and giblets and she roasted a turkey and two ducks. My aunt and uncle always came on Boxing Day for another meal, if I got a card with a £1 note in it I was so excited and we always got a compendium of games to share. Because I didn’t get many presents because my parents were skint I went mad when my kids were young. We always went to midnight mass on Christmas Eve but at age 16 I said I’m not going anymore. I still love carols tho, they were happy days

[enjibenji]

You all had some lovely happy times.
The Christmas eve I remembered the most was my alcoholic father coming home and ruining it, so my mum, me and my brother got into a taxi to stay at my nans. Mum sat with the turkey in the tin on her lap and I had the goldfish on my lap in a flask as I was worried he would slosh over the sides of the goldfish bowl lol.
Can laugh about it now lol.

[greekgranny]

The Christmas I remember most was when my spiteful cousin trod on my brand new white sandals. I had always wanted a pair and was so proud of my present, I sobbed my heart out when she trod on my on my foot and left a really dirty mark on said sandals

[salmim]

My eldest brother got a racing drop handlebar bike, he was a teenager I would be 5.

"I'll give you a backy down hill" (to the brook outside the house)

So probably about 7.00 in the morning, pyjamas and slippers on off we went.

Halfway down the hill, really fast, my right foot gets trapped in the back wheel. Wham. Head over a**e onto the tarmac. He was worried about the scrapes on his Raleigh!

My foot and ankle, blood everywhere, big toe nail hanging off and scrapes, scratches and cuts on my head! Begrudgingly carried me and the bike up the hill.

No hospital, just hot salt bath ( early 60s. 😂 ) Germolene, plasters and bandages.

Limping around all through Christmas.

We live next door to each other now (he lives in the "family" house ! ) and I still point out the "hole in the road" when we take the dogs out 😊

[Princess Ariel]

Christmas was one of my favourite times of year, (it still is) I loved learning the Christmas carols at school, Christmas party and the nativity. It was one day of the year when mum and dad didn’t go out drinking and come back and fight and we all spent the day together, happy. It was also the only time of year we had fresh veg lol 😂 I also remember the nuts and nutcracker! When I see proper nuts this time of year I always get that sense of nostalgia.
We didn’t have a lot but Christmas TV, getting up at stupid o clock to open presents, we also had pillowcases and always an apple and orange at the bottom!
Honestly my memories of Christmas and our weekends away in Blackpool are the fondest of my childhood memories.