What Makes Your Christmas A Happy One ?

[Bwy]

Often I hear stories from friends about how long they have had certain Christmas decorations.

I know when I was a kid my Dad would pack them away so carefully ready for next year when they went right back in the exact spot they were placed every previous year.

Now I am showing you something which to me is just so special and it makes my Christmas every year but to the onlooker it may seem like some garbage dragged in from the yard.

This Nativity crib was made by myself in early December 1962 when I was still a serving soldier using just my combat knife. I was on guard duty at the time and had found the board for it whilst patrolling the perimeter fence.

I made it for my baby daughter who was just 8 months old and her first Christmas.

My wife and I set it up in the living room and I felt so proud of my effort. (the figures were purchased)

On the 21 December sadly my daughter died but her memory lives on in this crib and is refreshed every time this is set up at this time of year.

This is in my opinion, what Christmas is all about, refreshing happy memories and bringing joy to others putting all selfish thoughts to one side and enjoying the atmosphere and celebrations.

Each time I set it up I ask myself the question. "will this be the final time" Each time Christmas arrives I know the answer is NO as I stand back and have a few moments in thought along with a smile on my face.

What is it that makes YOUR Christmas so special ????? :Applaud

View attachment 1167

 

[NozSpark]

Very nice mate,

All the more so given the sentiment.

 

[Apache]

I have the Christmas Lights my father used to have on his Christmas tree when he was a child. Both my Grandma [his mother] and my father are dead, so makes them similarly special.

I will try to get a picture - they have a fitting to go into a bayonet lamp!

 

[M107]

Couldnt agree more Noz.

What makes my Christmas special....for the past 5 years (some may remember we adopted all 3) pretending to be asleep in the early hours & listening to my 3 excitedly whispering on the landing "He's been... father Christmas has been" whilst they noisily emptying their stockings.

Sadly the eldest has this year sussed there is no santa, but is a good sport & is keeping up the pretence for the other two.

 

[Bwy]

Couldnt agree more Noz.What makes my Christmas special....for the past 5 years (some may remember we adopted all 3) pretending to be asleep in the early hours & listening to my 3 excitedly whispering on the landing "He's been... father Christmas has been" whilst they noisily emptying their stockings.

Sadly the eldest has this year sussed there is no santa, but is a good sport & is keeping up the pretence for the other two.

Beautiful

 

[binky]

Check out NORADs Santa tracker - think its on facebook. And see how highly paid military personnel and billion dollar computer systems can be put to good use

Had a excellent crimbo a few years ago when the lad was about 6years old. After watching the Santa tracker as far as Eygpt (and way past his bed time) from whence he heads towards Europe. The wife picked the lad and pointed at the red light on top of a tower crane, just visible over roof of house opposite and said "look it's Rudolfs nose".

A very excited lad ran down stairs shouting "daddy, daddy I can see rudolfs' nose".

"best you go to sleep then" says I. Which he promptly did.

Result

 

[Bwy]

How nice it is to read these posts about your Christmas.

We all complain about how "commercialised" it is now and how expensive it is but when I read stories like this it brings it all back as to how special this time of year is.

I thank all who have taken part so far and look forward to reading more soon.

 

[Badger]

Often I hear stories from friends about how long they have had certain Christmas decorations.I know when I was a kid my Dad would pack them away so carefully ready for next year when they went right back in the exact spot they were placed every previous year.

Now I am showing you something which to me is just so special and it makes my Christmas every year but to the onlooker it may seem like some garbage dragged in from the yard.

This Nativity crib was made by myself in early December 1962 when I was still a serving soldier using just my combat knife. I was on guard duty at the time and had found the board for it whilst patrolling the perimeter fence.

I made it for my baby daughter who was just 8 months old and her first Christmas.

My wife and I set it up in the living room and I felt so proud of my effort. (the figures were purchased)

On the 21 December sadly my daughter died but her memory lives on in this crib and is refreshed every time this is set up at this time of year.

This is in my opinion, what Christmas is all about, refreshing happy memories and bringing joy to others putting all selfish thoughts to one side and enjoying the atmosphere and celebrations.

Each time I set it up I ask myself the question. "will this be the final time" Each time Christmas arrives I know the answer is NO as I stand back and have a few moments in thought along with a smile on my face.

What is it that makes YOUR Christmas so special ????? :Applaud

View attachment 1167

im very pleased to see that you have a crib in use, one thing though, please assure us that the lamp isnt wired in bell wire like my grandad and nans was that my grandad setup all those years ago, nice to see your crib lit up though,

 

[Bwy]

im very pleased to see that you have a crib in use, one thing though, please assure us that the lamp isnt wired in bell wire like my grandad and nans was that my grandad setup all those years ago, nice to see your crib lit up though,

You have my assurance sir....does it need to be P certified as it is an outbuilding is it not ???? :C

 

[Manator]

I think Christmas is all the above and more.

Sadly for some the memories are too much to bear, I love christmas because its probably the one time of the year where we all become equal and share.

For me the excitement is still there on christmas eve, and also with my youngest son (he is in his 20's), I still get up at 3 or 4 am unwrap the presents then drink and eat all day.

 

[Bwy]

One of the posts in this thread brought back a memory or two so I have copied this from my book as I think it gives an insight into a family Christmas just after the war.

(how little things have changed)

Christmas In The (Name Deleted) Household

Christmas is always a special time for any family and ours was no exception. It came with all the excitement expected at this time of the year.

For us, Christmas started with lots of different coloured paper with which we all sat making some form of decorations then stringing them up in the hall and living room. Always the same way, from a corner to the centre light. As poor as we were Mum and Dad never failed in decorating the house at this time of the year. Then the Christmas scenes were drawn on the mirrors using soap and cotton wool used to make up the scene. It was always a lovely time for us kids, (14 of us) to this day, I can not understand how Mum and Dad did it on such a low income, but they did.

I remember when I asked what I would be getting for Christmas, Mum would tell me the same thing every time, NOTHING as money was short and I always believed her.

One memory I have is when visiting a friend in Harefield Green in Speke where we lived at the time, his mother asked what I would be getting from Santa. I explained to her that money was short in our house and my mother had explained to me that I would be getting nothing this year.

Some time prior to Christmas Dad would be seen in the kitchen making his speciality to sell in the local area. Toffee Apples and he was good at this task with all the local people with kids cursing him for it as they always sold no matter how many he would make, they sold we never had any left over, well at least, I can not remember any being left.

Bonfire night (5th November) was another occasion when dad would be seen at the street bonfire cooking all sorts of things on an open fire and selling them. It was many years later when I discovered it was to make money to buy the kids stuff for Christmas.

I have to say, he was an amazing cook and could drum up a meal from nothing.

Going to bed on Christmas eve was so exciting even though we knew that Santa would not be calling on us, still exciting. I suppose it was a matter of

 

[Manator]

Very much like my childhood christmas, we did not get a lot but the tangerine and the hard backed comic book lasted well. I remember desert was always fruit cocktail and condensed milk, if kids only knew what it was like.

 

[Bwy]

Very much like my childhood christmas, we did not get a lot but the tangerine and the hard backed comic book lasted well. I remember desert was always fruit cocktail and condensed milk, if kids only knew what it was like.

followed by Camp Coffee ????? :yawn

 

[Manator]

followed by Camp Coffee ????? :yawn

I still have a smile on my face when I see it on sale :Blushing

It was like treacle and tasted orrible but we loved it

 

[M107]

desert was always fruit cocktail and condensed milk.

Oh yes

Our kids get a stocking packed with the obligatory tangerine / nuts / a few quality street sweets / colouring pens & colouring book plus other days gone by toys like spinning tops / marbles & such things, you can be assured by evening the electronic toys have been cast aside & the old timeless toys are being played with.

Mrs 107 makes sure we always have under the tree a board game labelled to the family from father christmas, just so the telly can be turned off & we all have some time together playing a family game.

As bwy said, I for years didnt know my Dad worked two or three jobs for a few months on the run upto christmas to pay for the presents.

The tree we used to (we thought) get free every year from the local coal merchant, but in reality My Dad went delivering coal around basingstoke for a few evenings after we'd gone to bed, that was after being at work all day.

Mrs 107 says I take after my Dad .... A workaholic for the family.

 

[Badger]

You have my assurance sir....does it need to be P certified as it is an outbuilding is it not ???? :C

i reckon as long as the supply in pme then an exported earth should be fine sepcially as cow ****e :^O is a good earthing path :^O ] ] ]

 

[Bwy]

i reckon as long as the supply in pme then an exported earth should be fine sepcially as cow ****e :^O is a good earthing path :^O ] ] ]

Geeezzzzzz......if it's not one thing it's the udder with you....how on "earth" do I get the cow to stand still for so long ?????......and what about the three wise men (Bwy, Pache and Mod) who would be following the star huh ????

 

[Badger]

id say following star would be pache then you and mod together :^O

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Blimey....

what a question....

Bottom line it is around family & loved ones...

Various thing remind you of special times in years gone by.....

e.g. various tree decorations;

Snoopy tree baubles from when we were first married...

with consecutive year dates printed on them...

think we have about 5 consecutive years .. the joys of young love!!!

Hand made decorations the kids made when still at school

some look a bit grubby now but were hand made by a 6 or 7 year old!!!

Some really old decorations me and the wife kept from our childhood..

when proper baubles were made from REAL GLASS...

(Deke will know them)

The "father Christmas sacks" (not stockings) we made for each of the kids out of pillow cases, each has a handmade felt snowman stuck on with copydex and their individual name initial letters on the front...

2 x blue for the boys & 3 x red for the girls

(yep for those that don't already know thats 5 kids total)

Especially our eldest's cuz I stuck the snowman on upside down

so top of pillow case was actually the bottom that I had to cut open and the proper top was sewn back up to become the bottom!!!!!!!!! :BlushingO)

p.s our kids are quite big now... eldest 23, youngest 13 (coming on 14 in Jan 2011)

BUT they still have to have their Christmas sacks left out to have presents put in them!!!!!!!!! :x :x:x:x

Real Christmas tree... one wot all the pine needles fall off..

BUT

has the best real pine smell in the world....

(Got to go and get our tree this weekend!)

You CANNOT beat the smell of real pine drifting from the lounge when you first go downstairs each morning!

:x :x:|

 

[Apache]

Real Christmas tree... one wot all the pine needles fall off..BUT

has the best real pine smell in the world....

(Got to go and get our tree this weekend!)

You CANNOT beat the smell of real pine drifting from the lounge when you first go downstairs each morning!

:x :x:|

What he said ^^^