Christmas Traditions in Ireland

[Bobbie Ireland]

We do light our candle - a tradition started by our Mom many years ago, and probably her mother before her - but we draw the line at the swim!

http://www.dochara.com/the-irish/irish-christmas/christmas-traditions-in-ireland/

 

[Donna]

Oh I like your traditions over there Bobbie. Wren day and Women's Christmas, (which in my house should be "Men's Christmas", as Ed does all the cooking anyway. Hey, I'd take a dip!

[MAK]

  One of the traditions here in Arkansas is they leave a corndog and some moonshine out for Santa! 

[Donna]

One of the traditions here in Arkansas is they leave a corndog and some moonshine out for Santa! 

OMG MAK, I can totally see that!!! Shiners!!  LOL

[Shaky]

One of the traditions here in Arkansas is they leave a corndog and some moonshine out for Santa! 

White Trash Christmas

[BIGFRANK]

Sadly too many Christmas traditions have gone by the wayside here in Toronto. I suppose its a different time,but I dont think its necessarily better. Downtown at Eatons(which has since closed down),one of Canadas oldest department stores,ala Macy's had an entire length of street windows decorated with moving Christmas displays and lights. It was  a trip my family made together every year just to look at those windows. Mom,Dad,Sis and I. We'd bundle up and marvel at the skating snowmen,while lights flashed and Christmas music played. We'd follow that with skating at Toronto City Hall(which one can still do) on an outdoor rink and of course Hot Chocolate afterwards!
  One thing  I loved as a child was singing Christmas Carols at school. Each class of children would enter the main foyer,older students whose classes were on upper floors would line the stairwells. We would have a sing along for about 30min a day. The songs rose to the roof and sounded wonderful. I have to dry an eye as I type its such a good memory.
 My family still listens to Christmas music now and watches all the kids cartoon Christmas stories. As children we always left  Sanata milk and Moms best Shortbread Cookies..sometimes a nice shot of rum too. A carrot or 2 was always left for Rudolph and the other reindeer. We did it up proper,with a huge tree that filled our livingroom and put tape on the window with fake snow,so it looked like an old shop window. Christmas bells hung in the window,their red glow welcoming friends and visitors. Along one wall was a ribbon,with all the  Christmas cards we received displayed.Around our doorway were all of the photos of my sister and I  on Santas knee,from age 1 to abut age 10. It was a wonderous time to be a kid in our home.

[Tokira]

Sadly too many Christmas traditions have gone by the wayside <snip>
  One thing  I loved as a child was singing Christmas Carols at school. Each class of children would enter the main foyer,older students whose classes were on upper floors would line the stairwells. We would have a sing along for about 30min a day. The songs rose to the roof and sounded wonderful. I have to dry an eye as I type its such a good memory.
 

I wonder often how many of us ever envisioned a day when the ubiquitous little John Hancock Christmas Carol booklets would have disappeared   
How much would one be worth today?
Carol

[Donna]

We always had the best Christmas's when I was kid. I agree with BF, they were the best, everything was Merry, Caroler's at the door, neighbor's got together just for the "Spirit" of the week. Candy wrapped wreaths on the door, (pick one as you leave). The best Christmas parades ever back then, they last 10 minutes now. Watching Rudolph was the "Highlight" with Hot chocolate and Marshmallow fluff. Waking mom and dad up at 4am yelling, "Santa was here", loving every present we got, a nice hot breakfast. Getting dressed up in your Christmas dress, waiting for the relatives to come..(with more presents)!! Manhattans & Old Fashions being served, (us kids going around drinking the remainders of the the drinks), hoping someone would leave a cherry. Then the big dinner and Creme de Mint and after we all played with our toys and games with the adults. It was the most "Wonderful" time of the year!  I crave for those days again! Christmas felt like Christmas.

Thanks BF for the memories!

[MAK]

I remember going to midnite mass and having to go right to bed afterwards. Still getting up around 6:00 and waking my parents up. After that we too would have a hot breakfast and get cleaned up for the relatives to come and watch the pile of gifts grow and grow! It would be a sit down dinner after we opened gifts. 12 people at the dining room table, 6 more at the kitchen table and the rest on card tables in the living room. My mom would put out dishes of pickles and olives that everyone would grab on their way by the table as we waited for the meal to be served. I loved Christmas growing up and I still do tho it's so totally different now. Hey that's life,things change but I think as long as you keep the spirit in you  that's all that is needed! 

[Donna]

We always had the best Christmas's when I was kid. I agree with BF, they were the best, everything was Merry, Caroler's at the door, neighbor's got together just for the "Spirit" of the week. Candy wrapped wreaths on the door, (pick one as you leave). The best Christmas parades ever back then, they last 10 minutes now. Watching Rudolph was the "Highlight" with Hot chocolate and Marshmallow fluff. Waking mom and dad up at 4am yelling, "Santa was here", loving every present we got, a nice hot breakfast. Getting dressed up in your Christmas dress, waiting for the relatives to come..(with more presents)!! Manhattans & Old Fashions being served, (us kids going around drinking the remainders of the the drinks), hoping someone would leave a cherry. Then the big dinner and Creme de Mint and after we all played with our toys and games with the adults. It was the most "Wonderful" time of the year!  I crave for those days again! Christmas felt like Christmas.

Thanks BF for the memories!

Oh and us 5 kids used to argue who would put "baby Jesus" in his bed in the morning. Dad decided he would put our names in a hat and HE would pull the name! It worked.

[BIGFRANK]

One more lol..we got to open one present Christmas Eve. Only in later life did I figure it out. My sister and I would both get Pajamas in the gift we opened every year (darn that Aunt June! no kid wanted PJs).  Unlike others we werent nearly civilized enough to eat and get dressed before opening gifts. As Donna said it was 4am(Dad just getting to bed at about 3am after assembling a few gifts) and excitedly waking our parents then ripping into everything. U see the pajamas we got we wore so that in pictures taken Christmas morning,we always looked our best!

[Bobbie Ireland]

Love your story, Big Frank!

 

[Bobbie Ireland]

Nobody up yet today?? Nobody to play with! But wait... do I see Donna! Yaaaaaay!

 

[Donna]

Nobody up yet today?? Nobody to play with! But wait... do I see Donna! Yaaaaaay!

 

YUP!!

[BIGFRANK]

This is me and Santa through the years. Enjoy.
http://www.winkflash.com/photo/public.aspx?u=bigbirderfrank&ic=10019332