Your top 10 warm, fuzzy Christmas memories from childhood

[HardyGirl]

As the Christmas season approaches, I'm sure I'm not the only one who waxes nostalgic at this time of year. What are some of the things you remember that made you get that real Christmas-y feeling when you were a kid? Was it a song? A meal? An ornament? A family ritual? A certain TV commercial? Dig down deep and share your 10 favorite Christmas childhood memories with us!

[Werewolf]

One of the earliest toys I remember really begging my Mom to get me after seeing the commercial.

Yes, that is Dynagirl in the commercial.

[Mikey]

We used to have this cheap cardboard 3-D snowy town decoration.

It was about the size of a record album and had multiple lighted up (by one short Christmas tree lights strand) houses and trees in a snow small town setting.

I used to just sit there and stare at it and think I was there.

Funny thing was my own hometown wasn't much different than this thing so it wasn't like I was a city boy longing for a country Christmas

[HardyGirl]

I guess I'll answer my own question:

1) Playing the Harry Simeone Chorale Little Drummer Boy album. My mom had this album before I was born
2) Doing Christmas crafts and singing Christmas songs at school.
3) Begging my mom to light the fake fireplace in our wall unit. (an opaque log, w/ a rotating foil cylinder with flickering light)
4) Eating Christmas ribbon candy from Mom's candy dish
5) Getting Christmas Seals at school
6) Playing the Golden Christmas Storyteller album (w/ 6 stories)
7) Sitting in front of the TV after school, watching cartoons and making my Christmas list
8) Drawing pics of Christmas trees and Santa
9) Hanging the old Bradford Christmas star we've had as long as I can remember
10) Decorating the tree as a family on Christmas Eve

[Werewolf]

Okay, I was out holiday shopping with my Mom at Wards and she let me pick out one early present. I carefully looked all through the toys and picked out the MOTU Slime Pit and happily brought it up to the register. The sales clerk asked me who the gift was for. I said it was for me. The sales clerk was like "You... want this?" and I was like "Yeah! It's awesome!" The sales clerk looked at me kind of funny and said " I would have cried if I had gotten a Slime Pit for Christmas." My Mom and I still get a laugh out of that. Good times.

I still have it BTW.

[Nostalgiabuff]

man, I don't know about ten things, but pulling the decorations down from the attic, my parents dragging 5 kids through the snow and freezing temps to find the perfect tree which we then had to cut down and carry back to the entrance, setting the tree up and decorating. all fond memories. also, as a German family, we always opened our gifts on Christmas eve. with my family, we do it Christmas morning because we always went to my parents Christmas eve and even though my folks are no longer with us, I did not want to change our own tradition. so now on Christmas Eve we just get together with family and/or friends and celebrate the season

[Marvelmania]

I'll have to think about others but #1 for certain would be getting my hands on that JC Pennys & Sears Christmas Wishbook and going through it circling all the toys I wanted and dog-earing the pages! I'd have that catalog worn out after the first day! Just seeing one of those wishbooks and bam, I'm brought back to Christmas time and I'm a kid again.

[drquest]

We didn't have a fireplace, but we put up one of those corny cardboard fireplaces up each year. The type that had a light bulb in it that would spin the little aluminum spinner to make it look like a real fire was burning. I always loved laying on the floor next to it.

[Mongoose1983]

Ah, the big colorful celebrations at my Grandmother's house, with the family. Looking back, it was kind of a privilege. I do remember receiving a BMX bike, not the one I wanted though. Only one thing have survived for me, the last 40 years. Some December in 1980 or 1981 I picked this angel ornament at the Grocery store, I remember asking my mother if I could have it. Now it goes on top of my Christmas tree. It is THE one thing that's still with me from back then. As you can see, one bit of the wing is broken and the songbook he was holding got lost. It's been with me for how long, almost four decades. The day I picked it up I remember there were many of these. It would be interesting if you can identify this one, perhaps I could find some more used somewhere?



You all have a good week!

[enyawd72]

1. When my sister and I were little my parents always took us on a car ride through the residential streets on Christmas eve to look at all the lights...we drove around for a couple hours listening to Christmas songs on the radio, while the DJ would interrupt with updates on Santa's progress on radar!
Unknown to us kids, the radio station was about ten miles just outside of town with a lone blinking red light atop the transmission tower. My dad would drive within a few miles of it until you could just see the light through the snowy night sky and would shout, "Look, you can see Rudolph!"
We would get so excited you can't even imagine...it was absolutely magical.

2.Watching Rudolph and Frosty on TV...those two specials were as big a part of Christmas as anything.

3. Falling asleep in front of the Christmas tree...In the winters growing up, my parents used to close off the upstairs of the house because they couldn't afford to heat it. My sister and I had fold out beds in the family room in front of the Christmas tree, and every night we got to fall asleep staring at all those twinkling lights. It was awesome.

[HardyGirl]

^ That last memory sounds pretty awesome, Dwayne.

[Nostalgiabuff]

my dad would always take the kids out to look at all the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve too. it was really so my mom could put out the presents and then say Santa had come while we were out. but, I do always remember that. we did it a little when my kids were little but with having to go to my parents house there really wasn't time to do it and the tradition, unfortunately, faded away for us.

[PNGwynne]

Okay, I was out holiday shopping with my Mom at Wards and she let me pick out one early present. I carefully looked all through the toys and picked out the MOTU Slime Pit and happily brought it up to the register. The sales clerk asked me who the gift was for. I said it was for me. The sales clerk was like "You... want this?" and I was like "Yeah! It's awesome!" The sales clerk looked at me kind of funny and said " I would have cried if I had gotten a Slime Pit for Christmas." My Mom and I still get a laugh out of that. Good times.

I still have it BTW.

You're my kind of people, T.

[PNGwynne]

I have memories very similar to Sharry's & Dwayne's.

*Poring over the catalogues and making a list. One year, 4th grade, I was literally almost sick with worry that I might not get Bionic Bigfoot. I was obsessed with that toy. (I got one--early lol.)
*Driving into town to see lights, visit Grandma, and go to Burger Chef--burger bar!
*Seeing Santa at the mall--a long drive, but not as traumatic as A Christmas Story.
*When my maternal grandmother was living--they practically lived next door--we would go over on Christmas Eve, eat themed ice-cream novelties from Smith's Dairy, and watch Rankin-Bass. Usually Santa Clause is Coming to Town, but we watched all the specials. My grandpa would sneak out, circle around, and bring me and my sister a little gift. Mom says I said, when I was 3 or so, "Santa has boots just like Grandpa." I still have the suit, I formerly used it at college and work.
*Sledding and fort-building during those hellish Ohio blizzards in the late '70s.
*The school and church's music programs, & church on Christmas eve. Christmas music is the music I recalled most vividly until I was a teen. One high-school band concert when we played the Nutcracker Suite and received a standing ovation.
*Decorating the Victorian home I grew up in. Pine garland, a certain lighted globe in the hall which was the Santa night-light, and two trees--a formal one in the living room and a kid's tree in the family room... the kid's tree was cleverly reconfigured to look fuller from the front and fit into a corner to display all our home-made decorations.
*Brunch. We never had a big meal so soon after Thanksgiving. We have a big pancake breakfast for lunch after presents.
*Megos! With my autumn birthday, Christmas, and Easter, I used to be able to recall when I originally received my vintage Megos.
*My parents--they worked very hard to make the holidays special on a budget. We knew that even as children.

[Hector]

I'll mention one year that comes to mind...

Watching stop motion animation and cartoons on TV with my little sister, like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, and Charlie Brown Christmas...they bring fond memories indeed. Hearing Silent Night was another favorite of mine, very spiritual. My sister got an Easy Bake Oven, and I got a slot race car track set...that was 1970, Alvarado, California...just before we moved to Mexico for six or so years. Mexico's Christmas were nice too, but different, they didn't have that American pop culture vibe that I was accustomed to.

Speaking of the before mentioned toons...I have them all on scheduled recording on my Comcast X 1 DVR, I'll be watching them all for sure...