Christmas when I was a Child in the 1950s

I loved Christmas as a child. We started celebrating on Christmas eve. We always had a large real Christmas tree. I remember when I was five climbing on a small table to reach our favorite ornament to play with. It was a horn. I fell on the tree and knocked the tree over breaking all of the ornaments. I was in big trouble!!

I remember having to take a nap in the evening of Christmas eve to give Santa Claus a chance to come. I can remember one time laying in my bed waiting to hear the bells of Santa’s sleigh. I thought I heard them. During that time my mother would prepare our gifts and place them under the tree. I remember being surprised to see the great mountain of gifts when we went into the living room. There were always a few gifts labeled “from Santa”. Aunt Eva and Uncle Jim, my favorite aunt and uncle, came over to celebrate with us. Aunt Eva was my father's mother's sister. I don’t remember too much about the food then. My mother always baked many kinds of cookies, cakes, fudge and pies. I think we ate some of them on Christmas Eve.

Then on Christmas morning my Grandparents came. We opened more gifts from them. They always gave us pajamas. The pajamas were too big so we could "grow into them." My mother also bought us most of our clothing for the year at Christmas. My mother made a big Christmas dinner which included a large stuffed Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans in mushroom sauce, jello salad and pumpkin pie along with other goodies. It was always my favorite time of the year. On Christmas Day we also enjoyed playing outside with whatever new toys we got. I always remembered that it was Jesus birthday. It was a lot of fun for the children.

There was also a "Singing Christmas Tree" at Northgate Mall. I think church choirs were invited to sing there. It was a big tree made in tiers that the choir members climbed up into rows.