The best Christmas memories are those from the childhood, of course. Something really nice remained in my mind...my father trying to be Santa for his naughty little girls. He was very clumsy sometimes and always managed to break some Christmas bulbs before placing the gifts under the tree.
One year I remembered that we saw a shadow near the tree. Both me and my sister started to scream "Santa!!!" and run to the living room. Our beloved Santa sprung through the door with the tree following him. ๐
Those memories are so precious that I'm sure I will never forget those wonderful Christmas times. ๐
My Best Christmas memories was in 2012 when I lost my Dad a month earlier.
Before then, Dad had been everything and I would never in my time think of doing anything on my own. I was totally dependent on him. Losing him in November brought so much pain and tears, yet, during th4 Christmas, after a consoling visit from a dear friend who told me about Christ and His immeasurabe love beyond what my dad could do, I made out time that same 2012 for the first time to use myy meagre saavings to buy gifts for people. Some gifts were as tiny as an Handkerchief, yet they meant so much to me when I discovered how some persons so cherished it. In one of my visits, I saw a family that would virtually drink garri in water, yet were so happy.
That was how I got to understand the new meaning of Happiness that it is not built on things, rather on people.
2012 Christmas remains fresh on my mind and am happy I was able to live out and share joy beyond the pains.
Thank you @esteemapp for giving me a platform to share this.
Very good question! If there is any season I love most, it is the Christmas seasons. It's a one time thing in a year so I ensure that the memories I have about each Christmas is unique and spectaular.
My best Christmas memories...
When I was still a child about 6 years old, I always fantasied about cars and motorcycles. I always admired every car that passed by the road especially one I called 'v-boot'. I would keep count of every car and motorcycles that passed on the road. Too bad I never had the chance to drive it but something happened during the 2005 christmas season. My mom decided to surprise me, she took me to the children park called 'The Fantasy Park'. There, I saw motorbikes of my size and my mom paid for me to ride on it. You can imagine how happy and excited I was. It is one memory I won't forget in a hurry.
Another memory of Christmas I still find very difficult to forget is attending the 'Akwa Ibom State 9999 Christmas Carol Service' I have always watched carol services on the television being done in various places both it was never being done in my State. I always wished my State could host one. In 2014, the first ever Carol service was being hosted at the God'swill Akpabio INternational Stadium in Akwa Ibom State. Dearies, I made sure I attended the programme and it was indeed worth the while. Guest artistes of various genres were in attendance including the likes of Donnie Maclurkin, Don Meon, Buchi, Sinach, Panam Percy Paul and a host of many others. It was indeed a very great and remarkable experience and it is one of my best Christmas memories.
I recall the many delicacies I eat during Christmas ranging from Pounded Yam, Rice and Stew, Afang Soup, Chicken Peppersoup, Asa iwa and many other dishes I don't eat on ordinary days..
I also remember visiting Calabar city for the first to witness the Calabar Carnival. It was during the 2011 Christmas season. I saw various Brazilians and cultures in place. I met many new persons and friends.
Christmas comes with lots and lots of good memories. Merry Christmas everyone and thanks to @esteemapp for this platform to recall this epic memories of mine.
Christmas has been bittersweet for me. In childhood I was always excited about Christmas, especially decorating the Christmas tree and knowing there would be a gift from Santa.
But the years have brought much heartbreak at Christmas. When I was 16, my 5 yr old brother was tobogganing down the driveway, went out onto the main road and was strike fatally by car on Christmas Eve. There was a lot of snow and the road was icy. The video of that day goes through my head as I type this. I can see his sweet face and how he could never pronounce Rโs. He called my little sister Rose..Wose. They were only a yr. apart in age.
It was a custom then to have the wake in the home. Our dog never left the casket for the two days Kevinโs tiny body lay in the casket. Friends and relatives came through the home to view his body and give condolences to our family. It was a total nightmare to come downstairs in the morning and see his still body in the casket. My mother was never one for outward affection or for celebrations and after this she definitely never felt right about making a fuss at Christmas.
Years after my brotherโs death, my own child, who I named Kevin after my brother, was killed in an vehicle accident on Christmas Day.
Itโs been twenty years now since his passing and I try not to be a downer at Christmas.
After my sonโs passing, father was getting fragile and came to live with me. it was a good for me to have him around. It seems I was just starting to put up some decorations for Christmas when my father passed a couple days before Christmas.
Iโm thinking, โWhat was my best Christmas memories?โ
It has to be Christmas Eve, the night before my son passed. We celebrated Christmas dinner a day early because he was going on that fatal trip to visit his father Christmas Day. We laughed a lot and even talked about death. I told him, for some unknown feeling, you better not pass ahead of me. Our last words to each other were I love you.โ
Hi dear Melinda, I know you have your own heartbreak. โค๏ธ I donโt like to make you sad with what happened in my life but it is part of my journey here on this planet. Sometimes itโs difficult to see it this way but I have to be grateful for the time I had with my son. That was my gift.
I completely understand and love that you have this outlook on life. We are all just trying to follow our paths and deal with getting over all the mountains that get put on the trail, aren't we?
I read your story yesterday. It simply broke my heart and I did not know what to say. You've been through so much sorrow. More than one can bear. And I'm glad I met you because you are such a strong person. I think you should celebrate Christmas despite what happened because they loved it. And I'm sure they are smiling up there everytime you decorate the tree. Plus, I strongly believe they are not really gone...just locked in our hearts where we cannot see them but feel their presence.
You are wise dear Roxy. I always felt a warriorโs heart beating in my chest and it sometimes got me in trouble. I didnโt know until this all happened that I would need a warriorโs strength to carry on. So true our loved ones are not really gone when they live in our hearts. Stay blessed dear friend.
My grandparents had this large house that had a HUGE chimney. We were told it was so big because they wanted Santa to have enough room to get in and out. My cousins and I believed them. Every year we would be sent to be at 8 pm and then told that if we got out of bed, Santa would leave and not leave our gifts so we stayed in bed.
The year I turned 8-years-old my cousins and I decided we were going to see Santa playing games, eating treats, and spending times with our parents. Our uncle came home from California and he had barrels of wine for my family to share. Now keep in mind, most of the adults in my family didn't really drink, but this year they were excited about our uncle's gift. They really were ready to send us to bed quickly so we knew something was going on. We headed towards bed and discussed between ourselves that we were going to see Santa this year.
I remember waking up to a lot of laughter coming from the living room and I could hear a strange noise on the roof. I woke my cousins and heard lots of clumps and thumps above our heads. Suddenly we hear a crash and a lot of yelling. My mother could be heard screaming and I hear my grandmother yell out to put the fire out!
Fire! Something was happening and we were sure it was not good. We decided the danger was more important than the loss of our gifts. Heading the way, we barreled through the livingroom doors to see our parents and grandparents engulfed in smoke yelling trying to put out a fire coming out of the fireplace. When I looked closer, there was a body in the fireplace and it was on fire!
I began screaming my head off that our parents killed Santa and it cause the cousins to begin screaming and trying to get to the fireplace to help the not-so-jolly man. Our mothers were grabbing us and pulling us out of the smoke filled room while the fathers were busy putting out the fire. In the distance we heard sirens and knew Christmas was over before it began.
Sitting outside, wrapped in blankets while the firemen were dashing about a policeman came over to us and asked if we were okay because all of us were in a state of shock. My cousin Ryan blurts out, "Are you taking them to jail? Are you taking all of our parents to jail?"
"Why would we do that son?" The fat officer asked.
Ryan began to cry, "Because they killed Santa."
The Officer laughed when suddenly a loud noise occurred coming from the doorway. The firemen began carrying out arms, legs, a head. Oh, the horror of it all! These men were dragging a dead Santa out piece by piece while laughing. Did they not understand that Santa was dead and there would be no more Christmas. There would be no more happiness in anyone's life ever again.
The truth to it all was that my parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents had a bit too much to drink and they decided they would have "Santa" the manaquin come down the chimney and surprise us all. My grandfather climbed up on the roof making noise like a Santa going to the chimney. He fell, dropping the manequin down the chimney causing it catch fire and cause the ruckus.
That Christmas we all received bikes, video games, and whatever we wanted to dinner that day. Best Christmas EVER!
Ren
When I was 6 years old boy I wish to avoid sleeping for the whole night. Before that Christmas eve I never done so but that time I was just sitting and burning candles watching the dance of fire, my mom was coming to me every hour asking if I wish to go to bed but I was sitting just like hypnotized with the fire and said I will sit a little bit more. There was no sense of time and the whole night was just a beautiful light and fire for me. I think I started to sleep only by 7 am in the morning.
There is some magic in the night time but I prefer time starting from 3-4 am till the sunrise. This time mind is so calm and I feel nobody can get me and I am only one alone can unite with the world.
I love the Christmas Eve Tradition that I have with my family. Every other year we go to my great aunts and she serves the Feast of the 7 Fishes which is an Italian American Christmas Eve meal that consists of 7 different seafood dishes. I've been going since I was little and now my brother has kids so it's cool to watch the family progress over the years. Cheers and Merry Christmas!
We have a traditional Slovak meal (my grandpa was Slovakian) called Kapustnica which is a sauerkraut soup with vegetables... yes it takes some getting used to ! (_:
Until the day she died on the day after Christmas, every Christmas Eve for 50 years of my life was spent at my Aunt Eleanor's house. It was an occasion of celebration of all of the family being together--aunts, uncles, cousins and my cherished grandparents. Everyone brought food and we had a feast every year. We exchanged names for gifts because there was simply no way gifts could be bought for every person that was there. As gifts to our grandparents each one of us arranged a small performance, some of us would sing a song, others played a Christmas carol on the instrument that they were playing in band at school and others memorized a poem or read a short story from a book. It was delightful and we all enjoyed the evening. As the great grandchildren we're old enough they joined in on the tradition. All of the family sang Christmas carols together, and because it was important to my grandparents my Uncle read the story of Bethlehem from the Bible and then we opened our gifts. After Aunt Eleanor died we tried to keep the traditions alive, but after a few years we stopped getting together anymore, and now I only hear from those cousins on Facebook.
What a wonderful way to spend Christmas! It is amazing how a single person was able to gather so many around her. I bet your aunt was a wonderful person.
Too bad we are not able to spend holidays as our ancestors used to. Christmas is about love and happiness rather than exchanging expensive gifts. Furthermore, the times we're living are so hectic.... It's so easy to become estranged.
Lovely memories of your Aunt Eleanor. It sounds like a wonderful time at her house. She died near the celebration she probably loved the most and will certainly be remembered.
Hello! I am as an aupair culture exchange in Norway. I will finish my contract in a few months after I have been staying in Norway for 2 years. This Christmas is going to be the last Christmas for me and my host kids and my host family. My best memory on this Christmas from last year, 2017 is when I saw everybody was smiled with happiness. I was happy when I saw they open their presents from me and from others. I had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas party with my host family. Especially the kids, they were very excited about Christmas and got many presents. I was excited and happy for them too.
The best Christmas memories are those from the childhood, of course. Something really nice remained in my mind...my father trying to be Santa for his naughty little girls. He was very clumsy sometimes and always managed to break some Christmas bulbs before placing the gifts under the tree.
One year I remembered that we saw a shadow near the tree. Both me and my sister started to scream "Santa!!!" and run to the living room. Our beloved Santa sprung through the door with the tree following him. ๐
Those memories are so precious that I'm sure I will never forget those wonderful Christmas times. ๐
Wonderful Christmas memories!
Indeed, they are. I can only hope my kids will say the same when they will be grown ups. ๐
Haha Roxy. You father was a good sport. Childhood memories and the magic of Santa always special.
Thank you, my dear. Those were good times indeed. ๐
My Best Christmas memories was in 2012 when I lost my Dad a month earlier.
Before then, Dad had been everything and I would never in my time think of doing anything on my own. I was totally dependent on him. Losing him in November brought so much pain and tears, yet, during th4 Christmas, after a consoling visit from a dear friend who told me about Christ and His immeasurabe love beyond what my dad could do, I made out time that same 2012 for the first time to use myy meagre saavings to buy gifts for people. Some gifts were as tiny as an Handkerchief, yet they meant so much to me when I discovered how some persons so cherished it. In one of my visits, I saw a family that would virtually drink garri in water, yet were so happy.
That was how I got to understand the new meaning of Happiness that it is not built on things, rather on people.
2012 Christmas remains fresh on my mind and am happy I was able to live out and share joy beyond the pains.
Thank you @esteemapp for giving me a platform to share this.
You make something wonderfully positive out of your loss. Be blessed @evegrace.
Hmm, your story is quite awesome. Stay strong
Very good question! If there is any season I love most, it is the Christmas seasons. It's a one time thing in a year so I ensure that the memories I have about each Christmas is unique and spectaular.
My best Christmas memories...
When I was still a child about 6 years old, I always fantasied about cars and motorcycles. I always admired every car that passed by the road especially one I called 'v-boot'. I would keep count of every car and motorcycles that passed on the road. Too bad I never had the chance to drive it but something happened during the 2005 christmas season. My mom decided to surprise me, she took me to the children park called 'The Fantasy Park'. There, I saw motorbikes of my size and my mom paid for me to ride on it. You can imagine how happy and excited I was. It is one memory I won't forget in a hurry.
Another memory of Christmas I still find very difficult to forget is attending the 'Akwa Ibom State 9999 Christmas Carol Service' I have always watched carol services on the television being done in various places both it was never being done in my State. I always wished my State could host one. In 2014, the first ever Carol service was being hosted at the God'swill Akpabio INternational Stadium in Akwa Ibom State. Dearies, I made sure I attended the programme and it was indeed worth the while. Guest artistes of various genres were in attendance including the likes of Donnie Maclurkin, Don Meon, Buchi, Sinach, Panam Percy Paul and a host of many others. It was indeed a very great and remarkable experience and it is one of my best Christmas memories.
I recall the many delicacies I eat during Christmas ranging from Pounded Yam, Rice and Stew, Afang Soup, Chicken Peppersoup, Asa iwa and many other dishes I don't eat on ordinary days..
I also remember visiting Calabar city for the first to witness the Calabar Carnival. It was during the 2011 Christmas season. I saw various Brazilians and cultures in place. I met many new persons and friends.
Christmas comes with lots and lots of good memories. Merry Christmas everyone and thanks to @esteemapp for this platform to recall this epic memories of mine.
Christmas is one of the best season so far.
Thank you @liltom002 for this piece
Indeed it is.. Everyone loves Xmas
@liltom002, I know you won't stop mentioning food!
Wonderful memories!!
Christmas has been bittersweet for me. In childhood I was always excited about Christmas, especially decorating the Christmas tree and knowing there would be a gift from Santa.
But the years have brought much heartbreak at Christmas. When I was 16, my 5 yr old brother was tobogganing down the driveway, went out onto the main road and was strike fatally by car on Christmas Eve. There was a lot of snow and the road was icy. The video of that day goes through my head as I type this. I can see his sweet face and how he could never pronounce Rโs. He called my little sister Rose..Wose. They were only a yr. apart in age.
It was a custom then to have the wake in the home. Our dog never left the casket for the two days Kevinโs tiny body lay in the casket. Friends and relatives came through the home to view his body and give condolences to our family. It was a total nightmare to come downstairs in the morning and see his still body in the casket. My mother was never one for outward affection or for celebrations and after this she definitely never felt right about making a fuss at Christmas.
Years after my brotherโs death, my own child, who I named Kevin after my brother, was killed in an vehicle accident on Christmas Day.
Itโs been twenty years now since his passing and I try not to be a downer at Christmas.
After my sonโs passing, father was getting fragile and came to live with me. it was a good for me to have him around. It seems I was just starting to put up some decorations for Christmas when my father passed a couple days before Christmas.
Iโm thinking, โWhat was my best Christmas memories?โ
It has to be Christmas Eve, the night before my son passed. We celebrated Christmas dinner a day early because he was going on that fatal trip to visit his father Christmas Day. We laughed a lot and even talked about death. I told him, for some unknown feeling, you better not pass ahead of me. Our last words to each other were I love you.โ
Your story makes me cry every time. Hugs, my friend.
Hi dear Melinda, I know you have your own heartbreak. โค๏ธ I donโt like to make you sad with what happened in my life but it is part of my journey here on this planet. Sometimes itโs difficult to see it this way but I have to be grateful for the time I had with my son. That was my gift.
I completely understand and love that you have this outlook on life. We are all just trying to follow our paths and deal with getting over all the mountains that get put on the trail, aren't we?
Yes, we must be ever vigilant as the path is narrow ...we never know when our world can change dramatically.
I read your story yesterday. It simply broke my heart and I did not know what to say. You've been through so much sorrow. More than one can bear. And I'm glad I met you because you are such a strong person. I think you should celebrate Christmas despite what happened because they loved it. And I'm sure they are smiling up there everytime you decorate the tree. Plus, I strongly believe they are not really gone...just locked in our hearts where we cannot see them but feel their presence.
You are wise dear Roxy. I always felt a warriorโs heart beating in my chest and it sometimes got me in trouble. I didnโt know until this all happened that I would need a warriorโs strength to carry on. So true our loved ones are not really gone when they live in our hearts. Stay blessed dear friend.
My grandparents had this large house that had a HUGE chimney. We were told it was so big because they wanted Santa to have enough room to get in and out. My cousins and I believed them. Every year we would be sent to be at 8 pm and then told that if we got out of bed, Santa would leave and not leave our gifts so we stayed in bed.
The year I turned 8-years-old my cousins and I decided we were going to see Santa playing games, eating treats, and spending times with our parents. Our uncle came home from California and he had barrels of wine for my family to share. Now keep in mind, most of the adults in my family didn't really drink, but this year they were excited about our uncle's gift. They really were ready to send us to bed quickly so we knew something was going on. We headed towards bed and discussed between ourselves that we were going to see Santa this year.
I remember waking up to a lot of laughter coming from the living room and I could hear a strange noise on the roof. I woke my cousins and heard lots of clumps and thumps above our heads. Suddenly we hear a crash and a lot of yelling. My mother could be heard screaming and I hear my grandmother yell out to put the fire out!
Fire! Something was happening and we were sure it was not good. We decided the danger was more important than the loss of our gifts. Heading the way, we barreled through the livingroom doors to see our parents and grandparents engulfed in smoke yelling trying to put out a fire coming out of the fireplace. When I looked closer, there was a body in the fireplace and it was on fire!
I began screaming my head off that our parents killed Santa and it cause the cousins to begin screaming and trying to get to the fireplace to help the not-so-jolly man. Our mothers were grabbing us and pulling us out of the smoke filled room while the fathers were busy putting out the fire. In the distance we heard sirens and knew Christmas was over before it began.
Sitting outside, wrapped in blankets while the firemen were dashing about a policeman came over to us and asked if we were okay because all of us were in a state of shock. My cousin Ryan blurts out, "Are you taking them to jail? Are you taking all of our parents to jail?"
"Why would we do that son?" The fat officer asked.
Ryan began to cry, "Because they killed Santa."
The Officer laughed when suddenly a loud noise occurred coming from the doorway. The firemen began carrying out arms, legs, a head. Oh, the horror of it all! These men were dragging a dead Santa out piece by piece while laughing. Did they not understand that Santa was dead and there would be no more Christmas. There would be no more happiness in anyone's life ever again.
The truth to it all was that my parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents had a bit too much to drink and they decided they would have "Santa" the manaquin come down the chimney and surprise us all. My grandfather climbed up on the roof making noise like a Santa going to the chimney. He fell, dropping the manequin down the chimney causing it catch fire and cause the ruckus.
That Christmas we all received bikes, video games, and whatever we wanted to dinner that day. Best Christmas EVER!
Ren
That is certainly a dramatic Christmas memory to be cherished through the generations!
It really is, but it is the only one I completely remember.
When I was 6 years old boy I wish to avoid sleeping for the whole night. Before that Christmas eve I never done so but that time I was just sitting and burning candles watching the dance of fire, my mom was coming to me every hour asking if I wish to go to bed but I was sitting just like hypnotized with the fire and said I will sit a little bit more. There was no sense of time and the whole night was just a beautiful light and fire for me. I think I started to sleep only by 7 am in the morning.
There is some magic in the night time but I prefer time starting from 3-4 am till the sunrise. This time mind is so calm and I feel nobody can get me and I am only one alone can unite with the world.
Hahaha who really gets to sleep on Christmas when everyone is just soooooo excited!
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I can just picture you sitting up all night! Sweet memory!
I love the Christmas Eve Tradition that I have with my family. Every other year we go to my great aunts and she serves the Feast of the 7 Fishes which is an Italian American Christmas Eve meal that consists of 7 different seafood dishes. I've been going since I was little and now my brother has kids so it's cool to watch the family progress over the years. Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Wow! The 7 different seafood dishes just blew me away.. hahahaha i wish i could share your celebration!!
Christmas has brought some different traditions in all of us..
Cheers!
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We have a traditional Slovak meal (my grandpa was Slovakian) called Kapustnica which is a sauerkraut soup with vegetables... yes it takes some getting used to ! (_:
I like cabbage and in the winter will buy sauerkraut.
I would love to try that soup! I love sauerkraut and I love making soup. I looked up the recipe and it looks easy enough, so I will make it!
haha, enjoy ... great to try new things !
I just put the things I will need on my grocery list!
Until the day she died on the day after Christmas, every Christmas Eve for 50 years of my life was spent at my Aunt Eleanor's house. It was an occasion of celebration of all of the family being together--aunts, uncles, cousins and my cherished grandparents. Everyone brought food and we had a feast every year. We exchanged names for gifts because there was simply no way gifts could be bought for every person that was there. As gifts to our grandparents each one of us arranged a small performance, some of us would sing a song, others played a Christmas carol on the instrument that they were playing in band at school and others memorized a poem or read a short story from a book. It was delightful and we all enjoyed the evening. As the great grandchildren we're old enough they joined in on the tradition. All of the family sang Christmas carols together, and because it was important to my grandparents my Uncle read the story of Bethlehem from the Bible and then we opened our gifts. After Aunt Eleanor died we tried to keep the traditions alive, but after a few years we stopped getting together anymore, and now I only hear from those cousins on Facebook.
What a wonderful memory. I wish I could remember more of the calm, quiet Christmas celebrations.
Ren
What a wonderful way to spend Christmas! It is amazing how a single person was able to gather so many around her. I bet your aunt was a wonderful person.
Too bad we are not able to spend holidays as our ancestors used to. Christmas is about love and happiness rather than exchanging expensive gifts. Furthermore, the times we're living are so hectic.... It's so easy to become estranged.
Lovely memories of your Aunt Eleanor. It sounds like a wonderful time at her house. She died near the celebration she probably loved the most and will certainly be remembered.
She was such a big part of our lives and always kept the family close. She was my rock.
Hello! I am as an aupair culture exchange in Norway. I will finish my contract in a few months after I have been staying in Norway for 2 years. This Christmas is going to be the last Christmas for me and my host kids and my host family. My best memory on this Christmas from last year, 2017 is when I saw everybody was smiled with happiness. I was happy when I saw they open their presents from me and from others. I had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas party with my host family. Especially the kids, they were very excited about Christmas and got many presents. I was excited and happy for them too.
Wow! Its great to spend Christmas at somewhere else. You get the opportunity of a lifetime. It must be sad leaving them too..
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Yes, its sad for me. However, I had a great time with them too. Thank you.
So where are you going next?
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