Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year, filled with love and magic and family…but what do you remember from being a child, what are those memories that have stuck with you, right into your adult life?
Sure there’s the obvious memories like sneaking into Mum and Dad’s room with our stockings on Christmas morning, and the feeling of utter disbelief and joy when we walked into the living room on Christmas morning to see ‘HE’D BEEN’…but here’s a few others of mine.
Marzipane Fruit Making at School 🍓🍌🍊
The last couple of weeks before Christmas during primary school were AMAZING. We’d alternate each year between either crafts, or a Christmas show. When it was crafts week, we’d make all manner of Christmassy things (you can guess the sort), but the one that’s stuck with me is Marzipan fruit! Shaping and dying it, adding cloves to make cores/stems, and rolling some of them in sugar to make seed effects. I used to love it, and I bloomin love marzipan.
Going On Dad’s Shoulders To Put the Spire Up🎄⭐
Todd and I always took it in turns each year to put the spire on the tree. It was a proper tradition, Mama P even wrote down on the box, year on year, who’s turn it was. But the tradition didn’t stop there! Whoever was putting the spire on top (it turned into a star in our last few years though) had to go on Dad’s shoulders. Which made sense when we were little – but the tradition never died. He was actually insistent on keeping it up, even when we were tall enough to reach the top of the tree ourselves, and even when Todd had grown taller than Dad! Which is why, 2 years ago, at age 25, I was up there again…
Tug of War 🏊♂️📦
A tradition in my home town…pub teams in a tug of war competition OVER the river Nidd…so guess what happens to the losers 😉 It’s a lovely Boxing Day tradition, and although I haven’t gone in the last few years (12pm on Boxing Day? I’ve still been in bed recovering from Christmas Day!), I’d like to introduce it into tradition again…at some point…
Bethlehemdale 👨🌾🌟
So at primary school, in the years we weren’t busy making Christmas cards and marzipan fruit, we were getting stagy – and Bethlehemdale in 2002 will stay with me FOREVER. It does what it says on the tin really – the Mary and Joseph story, but set in Yorkshire. It was one of (if not the most!) favourite things about primary school!
“Eh up, by gum, a change is happening it’s going to come. EY UP, by gum, a change is going to come”!
SHOUT OUT to anyone who KNOWS and sung that line in their heads 😉
Making Christmas Cards 🖍️✂️
I used to love crafts, whether that was at school or home, and I absolutely loved making home made Christmas cards for the fam. Felt tips, paint, stamps, glitter glue, shiny crepe paper – I was in my element!
Santa Visiting 🎅🦌
This has been a tradition in our town for as long as I can remember…a wonderful volunteer group spend the evenings in the run up to Christmas accompanying Santa on his sleigh around the estates of the town. They’ve got their buckets so you can donate (it’s a big charity group in the town), but the MAIN reason is so all the kids can see Santa! I remember waiting in such anticipation, and getting so giddy when Mum would shout ‘Santa’s coming down the street!’. The sleigh would be playing carols, and there he’d be. It was UTTERLY magical. I’ve always managed to miss him in my adult years since moving back here, but I live in hope, that one day, Santa will appear on the estate…
Have you got any specific memories from Christmas Past? Feel free to share below in the comments! Don’t forget, you can also catch up on other Blogmas 2019 posts HERE!
