“I’ll be home for Christmas… If only in my dreams…”
Today’s Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories is a grab bag, so I thought I would talk about those times I was unable to be home for Christmas. As a retail manager this has happened often. While at FYE I would work Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, so driving home was difficult with the 4-hour trip each way. Now that I am at Starbucks, I often work Christmas, as they do not often find people and it means I get off Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, which is when my mom’s family tends to get together. Coming home to Buffalo when it is only 2 hours away is much easier.
Those years when I did not get to go home at all I was always very lucky to have friends who were like family that I could spend the day with. Lauren, Sterling, Matt and Christmas Eve at Emily’s parents’ party, are the ones that stick in my mind most. Now, I spend the day with my husband and in-laws. It was always hard to be away, but we would talk on the phone and having those wonderful friends and their families around made it much less lonely than it could have been.
I will be home this year from Tuesday until Christmas Eve. Late Christmas Eve my husband and I will drive back so that I can work at 7am, then we will be at his parents house Christmas day. I am thrilled that I will be able to see almost all of my family and my friends who still live in Buffalo this holiday season. I am blessed to have so many people who have invited me for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day through the years.
We always had quite the mish-mash of ornaments on our tree while I was growing up; a tradition that continues through today. There were the paper and Popsicle stick ones my sister and I had made. The ones that were knitted by crafty relatives. A multitude of those made by Hallmark. Even fun ones of national monuments that attached to the string of lights and would light up and make noise every time they turned on.
As I got older, I started collecting miniature ornaments. I love the detail each one has. I have a small tree, just over a foot height, that I decorate with them each year.
The GeneaBlogger Advent Calender prompt #5: December 5 – Outdoor Decorations
Did people in your neighborhood decorate with lights? Did some people really go “all out” when decorating? Any stories involving your ancestors and decorations?
In recent years, my sister has slowly become one of the more out-of-control light people. Each year after Christmas, she gets another one of those lit, movable, holiday animals to add to the collection. Her and my mom also put up icicle lights around the house for a complete winter wonderland.
My favorite lights are those of an unknown neighbor. Each year, for as long as I can remember, he has put up a huge Christmas tree, made out of green lights. It never feels like Christmas until I go home and see the tree all lit up against the dark night sky.
The GeneaBlogger Advent Calender prompt #4: December 4 – Christmas Cards
Did your family send cards? Did your family display the ones they received? Do you still send Christmas cards? Do you have any cards from your ancestors?
My mother is fantastic about sending Christmas cards, which is a trait I am trying hard to pick up on. She would write out dozens each year, as would my grandmother and, in return, our mailbox would be full each day leading up to Christmas. Trying to display each one could be tricky, but we went through a multitude of card holders over the years to do so.
I do not have any cards from my ancestors and until reading this prompt had never thought to look for some. It looks like it is time to mention that to relatives as they pull out all their holiday items and hopefully find some old cards tucked away.
The GeneaBlogger Advent Calender prompt #3: December 3 – Christmas Tree Ornaments
Did your family have heirloom or cherished ornaments? Did you ever string popcorn and cranberries? Did your family or ancestors make Christmas ornaments?
My mother has a multitude of ornaments her grandmother and other female relatives made over the years. Each year we would hang a few of these on the tree along with all of our Hallmark ornaments from more recent years. The ornaments I love the most are those with a story attached and my mom does an excellent job at picking them out for us year after year. My favorite from last year was the “First Christmas Together 2008″ she got for Aaron and I and our first apartment together.
We also tell the story each year of when my grandmother bought each family a pickle ornament and my cousin Jake picked one up and it just crushed in his hand. He had the most crestfallen look ever, but after making sure he was okay, we all just laughed and laughed. Glass ornaments around a bunch of active kids did not work out too well. But they received another of the ornaments at a later date and it became family legend.
The GeneaBlogger Advent Calender prompt #2: December 2 – Holiday Foods
Did your family or ancestors serve traditional dishes for the holidays? Was there one dish that was unusual?
My favorite holiday food story is also always brought up by my Gramma Acquard every time I see her:-) We spend Christmas each year with my father’s family and for every Christmas dinner my grandmother makes baked beans. Every year she also forgets to take them out of the oven, which is where I come in. I always remember that they aren’t out on the counter in the buffet line with everything else, so she will pull them out of the oven and find a place for them with everything else. This is apparently a long running tradition, as my mother used to always remind her before I was old enough to. She makes fantastic baked beans.
Did you have a real tree or was it artificial? How big was the tree? Who decorated the tree? What types of Christmas trees did your ancestors have?
We almost always had an artificial tree growing up, except for the few years my sister convinced my mom that a real one was necessary. After still picking up needles in July, we would switch back to the artificial for another year. We all helped decorate, pulling all the ornament boxes out of the attic and remembering why we had received each one or which relative had made them back in the day. Everyones favorite part was always the tinsel. As kids, we would throw it on in globs and my mom would add it in a more restrained way.
Since moving out, I have a very small artificial tree, which works perfectly with the miniature ornaments that I love. I put the few larger ornaments around it on the table, along with my Charlie Brown nativity scene and other random holiday items. Doing this post reminded me that I need to clear the school books and papers off the coffee table, pull my Christmas box out of the closet, turn some carols on and start the holiday decorating!
