Christmas Traditions – What Were Yours Growing Up?

[Suzanneiom]

As we’re getting closer to Christmas, I thought it’d be nice to see about everyones childhood Christmas traditions.

When I was younger, we always put our Christmas tree up on the 1st of December—without fail! We’d head to latifs and A&S Warehouse to pick up all our Christmas lights & decor and we’d cover the house in those classic 80s and 90s-style decorations.

Christmas Day was spent at home with a big dinner, and then on Boxing Day we’d have a family party and my mom would cook again but it would be picky bits, buffet style.

I’d love to hear what everyone else’s Christmas traditions were when you were growing up! If you have photos of any 80s 90s Christmas decor even better.

 

[Astoness]

hi suzanne..i am the eldest of 6 children and christmas was always so special...mom and dad made sure of that even though we were not mega rich...our tree went up on christmas eve..we usually made our own hanging decorations which was all part of the fun..this video was taken in 1963 when i was 10 and i can relate to it so much after we were all set up dad would pop over the road for a few pints with his mates and mom would put her feet up with a small glass of apricot wine and dad would always be back in time to play santa..must have been hard work dragging 6 christmas sacks up the 2 flights of stairs we had as some of us slept in the attic lol and of course our christmas stockings would be hanging empty at the bottom of our beds waiting to be filled up with small gift..an apple and orange..a few nuts and if we were lucky a few pennies at the bottom of the stocking..it will give you an idea of what christmas day was like back then and i would not swap it for all the world..ps the video does have sound

lyn

 

[Suzanneiom]

Fab video Lyn…. I love looking into the past
Sounds like you have lovely memories of Christmas time …..
BUT one question now as an adult do you still put your tree up Xmas eve or earlier

 

[Astoness]

Fab video Lyn…. I love looking into the past
Sounds like you have lovely memories of Christmas time …..
BUT one question now as an adult do you still put your tree up Xmas eve or earlier

ahh good question...i admit to putting my tree up about a week before christmas..my excuse is that my 2 grandchildren 9 and 3 live next door and i like them to get excited on the run up to christmas well thats my excuse and im sticking to it...

lyn

 

[Suzanneiom]

Arrrr that’s lovely your grandchildren live next door……
I put my tree up far too early

 

[pjmburns]

Like Lyn our tree never went up until Christmas Eve. (Mom objected to needles all over the carpet). The crib went up last but baby Jesus didn't go in until Dad came back from Midnight Mass.
I still put my tree up on Christmas Eve.

 

[Suzanneiom]

Like Lyn our tree never went up until Christmas Eve. (Mom objected to needles all over the carpet). The crib went up last but baby Jesus didn't go in until Dad came back from Midnight Mass.
I still put my tree up on Chrustmas Eve.

Yes I had a real Christmas tree once and I wouldn't really get one again because of the needles.

 

[pjmburns]

I was an only child but like Lyn had a stocking (Dad's old army sock) with little bits and pieces - if I was lucky a chocolate bar in the toe, a slide for my hair, an orange and so on. Downstairs one "main" present plus a few littler ones.
One year I got to the toe of my stocking (opened in my parents bed) and said "I've got a Mars bar" - when I opened it there was a watch (my main present that year).
Later my Nan and Grandad (Mom's parents) came for lunch - a chicken reared by Grandad (couldn't afford turkey).
Boxing Day my other Grandad came for lunch (Dad's Dad - who went to his other son on Christmas Day).
Just a quiet family time.
Happy memories.

 

[boilerman]

Xmas is for kids, and I enjoy that they get excited by it, but it starts, way too early these days. I don't suppose my orange and selective nuts, in my stocking, have the same meaning these days. But we cant keep looking backwards

 

[mw0njm.]

at Christmas we always had a big turkey off dad gaffer he was a farmer, christmas day we got together and had a good chomp.

 

[mw0njm.]

now sadly it is'Bah, Humbug!'

 

[Stokkie]

I make it October, so the only Christmas traditions in my childhood home would be the making of puddings and a cake. I helped, or hindered with the stirring using my grandmother's large wooden spoon. It was one of the few times that spices and alcohol were used in our house. We still use my granny's spoon just for the stirring and get our children to stir if they are about.

The buying of food took place on Christmas Eve often as late as possible before closing time as the prices crashed. Mom knew there would be something on the table, it was seldom turkey as the birds were too big for the two of us. But a family friend 'Uncle Ivan' had done well for himself from a working class background, by night school study, talent and hard work he became director of an engineering company. He was invited to shooting parties. Their children had grown up and often Mom would be presented with a couple of brace of birds to dress and pluck. Our kitchen would be full of feathers, our reward would be the gift of pheasant, partridge, wild duck and Mom returned the cleaned other brace to Ivan.

Our tree was a permanent one made of green brush wired to a broom stale. Curiously the lights were not put on the tree, but hung from picture hooks on the wall in a boat shape. I learned something sad, Dad had struggled up Bearwood Road to buy lights from Timothy Whites for my first Christmas. He was very ill and would die in the new year. He couldn't manage to put the lights on the tree, but hung them on the wall. When I was older, I persuaded Mom to let me hang them on the tree.

When we moved to our own house a neighbour had a field near Hanbury in which he grew Christmas trees. We started our own tradition of taking the children to the field, choosing a tree and getting it cut for us. I love the smell of the fresh pine.