Christmas When You Were Small

Pappy

Pappy

Living the Dream
Location
Moved back to NY from Florida. 🤓 2025
My folks were hard working masons and work during the winters was quite scarce. But, I always received a few nice gifts considering money was tight. I remember that checking out my stocking filled with little toys and nuts and always an orange. Such anticipation as to what could possibly be that large wrapped gift with my name on it.

We were allowed to open our stocking but had to wait for the grandparents to arrive before I could open any gifts. There were no Lego blocks back then but I would always receive the small inter-locking wood blocks to add to my collection.

One year, a large chemistry set adorned my tree. Wow, now I can cure a rare disease or blow up the house. Roy Rogers or Hopalong Cassidy gifts were cherish by me. I had some beautiful guns and pearl lined holsters that received much loving care by me.

Another year I got my American Flyer train set. I literally wore the wheels off that train set. One of my all time favorites. Then. It might be the Little Red Wagon with wooden slats that fit into the sides which allow me to pull my little brother around without him falling out. I put a lot of miles on this poor wagon.

I think my all time favorite gift was my first bicycle. A Western Auto bike with horn built into frame and a place to carry a person on the back. Of course I had to add, alight, mud flaps, basket, and strips of plastic on the hand grips. The bike was a little unusual as it was a 24 inch wheel bike. Most bikes are 26 inches.

As I look back on my childhood I realize I had a wonderful time and although we were fairly poor my folks did the best they could under the circumstances. Gosh, isn't it fun to reminisce?
 

Being the baby of the family I was spoiled until I was old enough to leave the house at 18. My father was a self-employed plumber so it couldn't have been easy to provide for a wife and four kids, but somehow he not only did it but was able to provide us with plenty of Christmas loot.

Slot-car sets, a new Stingray bike, Big Lou the talking / walking robot, cap guns and plastic pellet guns, my first electric organ ... yeah, I was spoiled rotten. :p
 
I can remember one year getting a blackboard, I remember my mother, my brother and myself walking down the long lane to meet the postman that brought two identical black boards....yes, we were poor too, but thanks to my wonderful parents, we were happy kids.
 

My parents would wait until the day before Christmas, and pick up a tiny live tree when the prices were lowest...kinda like a Charlie Brown tree. They'd hide it out on the fire escape so I couldn't see it. There were four of us kids, so my older siblings likely knew the routine, but I didn't.

I was made to go to bed early on Christmas Eve, and there were no presents or tree to be seen. When I woke up in the morning, there was a little tree on the table, with blinking lights, regular lights, bubble lights and hanging tinsel. Underneath the tree were a few small presents for all of us. I would get things like a jack in the box, puzzles, coloring books, etch a sketch, story books, clothes, or other little trinkets. Didn't have that much money, but a lot of love in the home for Christmas. :sentimental: :christmas2:
 
I didn't like dolls either, was scared of some of them. Soon nobody gave me dolls anymore, and that was good...better a stuffed puppy or something like that. I liked to play with guns, bow and arrow, cars and trucks, cowboys and Indians, etc. with my older brother. Never got any domestic gifts for cooking or cleaning, lol...my mother made me help her on a regular basis with making the beds, dusting the furniture, etc.
 
There were five of us kids. We got one nice present for Christmas. We always had a real Christmas tree with lots of lights - did anyone have those Bubble up lights? We always had those, but they quit making them a while ago. I actually found a place that still has them, and ordered some for my tree. I don't have a real tree, but have a nice artificial one with lots and lots of lights.
My favorite present as a kid was a Huffy bike when I was eight. I rode that bike all over the place.
I have always tried to make Christmas really nice for my kids and now that they have grown, they have done the same thing for me.
 
Yes RedRibbons, we did have the bubble lights too, forgot all about them. Used to love watching them. :D
 
I forgot one of my most favorite toys which was my Red Ryder BB gun. "you'll shoot your eye out, kid."
Never did shoot my eye out but got hit in the forehead once. Neglected to tell my mom about that one.
Most ornaments where hand made glass and when one broke it was a mess. We had some that were shaped like birds, Santa and many other shapes. Also the bubble lights were very popular.
 
My old Grandad had the answer for Christmas,
He put a double barreled shot gun up the chimney and let go with both barrels.
Bloody Christmas in cancelled this year he said.
Later I realized that the Mines were on strike and he could not afford presents.
In our village the way to unblock a chimney was to fire a shot gun up it.
F N safety was not a swear word those days. You made your own mind up to see if it was dangerous or not. We survived.
 
I remember seeing the bubble-lights in the stores but we never had them when I was a kid. I DO remember the larger-sized bulbs, though - the ones that nowadays are put outside - being put on our tree, which until my father passed was always a real one.

I don't remember the exact year that mini-lights made their appearance, especially the ones with the multiple lighting "modes" such as fading and twinkling, but I do remember laying down on my back beneath the tree and falling asleep watching them.

It was a tradition that I proudly passed on to my boys. :eek:
 
I agree about the kids nowadays, some of them rip through their presents, shoving them away for 'next', then in the end, they'll gripe because they didn't get the latest gizmo they 'really' wanted. :rolleyes:
 
Christmas can be a wonderful time of year; even when your on the ouside looking in. Christmas Lights, Decorations, Christmas Music and People Singing Carols. I love being part of a Christian Community; and love the atmosphere of Midnight Mass at our church. Like many of you; I also grew up in a loving caring family, although, by todays standards; we were (or would have been) considered extremely poor! But it taught me the value of money; and more importantly, the value of other people.

Happy Christmas Everyone; Hope you all have a wonderful time.
 
Growing up we didn't have much money, but I never felt deprived.

When I was 5 years old I wanted a bride doll for Christmas. I think it was because of the beautiful white dress formal my mother wore every year to the Marine Corp Birthday Ball. Money was very tight that year, and there was no money to buy me a bride doll. My mother took an old ballerina doll and bought a new wig for it. She then stayed up all night Christmas Eve and the night before to sew a bride's dress for the doll. It was beautiful I was so excited Christmas morning when I came downstairs and saw my beautiful bride doll that Santa had brought me. It was one of my best Christmases. Several years ago shortly before my mother passed away she told me it always bothered her that she couldn't buy me a new doll that year. I was shocked. I told her that was the best present I ever got for Christmas. It made it even more special when I learned what she had done.
 
Grandma Williams, my wife's mom, had raised 15 kids and most of them were busy as rabbits having kids on their own. Christmas at her house was total chaos at the old farm house.

The dining area consisted of two huge picnic tables, right next to an old wood stove. All the little ones would eat first and then clear out for the adults. Two turkeys were brought to the table as well as sweet potatoes, oyster dressing, cranberries, whipped potatoes and a multitude of other items. A huge bowl of whipped cream was passed around for the date, nut pudding and apple and pumpkin pies.

This was Grandma William's gift to all her children. The older ladies would help clean up, the men went hunting, the children acted like house apes, while a few of us went into the parlor to watch football. Grandma must have spent all summer making dollies as each of the adults got a beautiful one. We still have all of ours.

As Grandma Williams started to age, and Lee, her husband fell ill, the wife's took over and held the dinner a few more times, but time takes it's toll and soon the celebration stopped, loved ones passed and the farm fell in disrepair. Oh, I forgot the end of the day, Grandma Williams would come into parlor, sit down at piano and sing and play hymns at the top of her voice.

At lot of love in that family and precious memories for sure.
 
Pappy said:
Grandma Williams, my wife's mom, had raised 15 kids and most of them were busy as rabbits having kids on their own. Christmas at her house was total chaos at the old farm house.

The dining area consisted of two huge picnic tables, right next to an old wood stove. All the little ones would eat first and then clear out for the adults. Two turkeys were brought to the table as well as sweet potatoes, oyster dressing, cranberries, whipped potatoes and a multitude of other items. A huge bowl of whipped cream was passed around for the date, nut pudding and apple and pumpkin pies.

This was Grandma William's gift to all her children. The older ladies would help clean up, the men went hunting, the children acted like house apes, while a few of us went into the parlor to watch football. Grandma must have spent all summer making dollies as each of the adults got a beautiful one. We still have all of ours.

As Grandma Williams started to age, and Lee, her husband fell ill, the wife's took over and held the dinner a few more times, but time takes it's toll and soon the celebration stopped, loved ones passed and the farm fell in disrepair. Oh, I forgot the end of the day, Grandma Williams would come into parlor, sit down at piano and sing and play hymns at the top of her voice.

At lot of love in that family and precious memories for sure.
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How lovely....and I got a laugh about 'the house apes'...

The younger ladies in our family are beginning to have the holidays at their house...at long last.

This past Thanksgiving was at my granddaughter's house and my great granddaughter played Christmas songs on her clarinet, my 93 year old mom especially enjoyed that as she has always wanted a musician in the family.

...all lovely Christmas stories.
 
SifuPhil said:
I remember seeing the bubble-lights in the stores but we never had them when I was a kid. I DO remember the larger-sized bulbs, though - the ones that nowadays are put outside - being put on our tree, which until my father passed was always a real one.

I don't remember the exact year that mini-lights made their appearance, especially the ones with the multiple lighting "modes" such as fading and twinkling, but I do remember laying down on my back beneath the tree and falling asleep watching them.
Click to expand...


I remember those large outside bulbs too. I really love the mini color lights, that do all sorts of different themes. I have some for my tree and also some for outside. Most of the people on my block put up those white lights, but I love the color ones!
 
I was not a doll person. My Sister was 6 years younger than me, so I had to act like I still believed in Santa Claus.

I remember one Christmas when I was around 13 and I wanted my own pocket radio. I dreamed and worried about it for months before Christmas. Thankfully I unwrapped my very own personal radio Christmas morning.


I always remember the Christmas Eve treat of candy. My parents didn't allow a lot of candy, so it was special to me.
 
All the kids' bedrooms were upstairs and Christmas morning we were allowed to come down to the bottom of the stairs and wait...and wait...and wait, or so it seemed. My parents had to put the coffee on first and turn on the tree lights and the Christmas music. Then the Kraakens were released and we'd burst into the living room for the annual pillaging and looting. We had to take turns opening gifts and it about killed us, but it did make the festivities last longer. We always had to open our presents carefully, as my mother neatly folded and saved the paper and the bows for "next year". We'd always joke "hey, I had that paper last year!".
 
Nice story Jujube, I think my mom save the wrapping too when she could. :sentimental:
 

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