
The tree!The tree! We never got nor decorated our tree until Christmas Eve day... in fact, I think most of our Christmas preparations: gift buying; cookie making; for sure, present wrapping, were allocated to Christmas Eve day. So, you can imagine how we -my sister, 4 years younger - and I whiled away the days til Dec 24: we'd cut branches from evergreen bushes and make our own trees, using cola bottles or jelly jars as stands. And make the decorations from construction paper and pictures cut out from magazines. And we'd find berries, string them and sometimes, hang a bracelet or a ring or some other piece of jewelry for lights. When Christmas Eve Day arrived, we were beside ourselves with anticipation and excitement as we went with my dad to get the tree and home to set it up and decorate it. My most favorite part of decorating the tree was putting on the icicles; Do people still use them? Are they even available ? Some people meticulously hung the silver tinsels, one at a time. Not me; I loved to stand the correct distance and throw a clump at a time.
These days, ours is a white artificial tree that comes with lights pre-strung. Last year I didn't hang any ornaments...and I'm debating if I will, this year. I have ornaments from decades ago and I enjoy looking at them, recalling the stories that surround most: when I got them; who gave them to me... but I'm just undecided about whether or not I'll display them...
Another Christmas favorite tradition is listening to Christmas music, ranging from popular tunes to The Mormon Tabernacle singing Handel's Messiah. My dream, once upon a time, was to sing the Messiah at the Kennedy Center: every seat in the opera house is filled with plain old folks, some who can sing and others, like me, who can't carry a tune in a bucket...but we all love the Messiah. Alas, tickets to this event are coveted and I've not been so lucky. But I can listen to a CD and I do!
Finally, I have to include Christmas cards and letters --- the hearing from friends near and far if even just once a year. As a child, I remember Sunday delivery of Christmas mail... Even today, tho' sending and receiving cards has tapered off, it's still a delight to get a card from an old-time friend or former work colleague. Following in my mother's tradition tho', I send New year's cards...
What I most remember and savor about Christmas are the feelings and memories that remembering and revisiting traditions - some old, some new - bring.
Go here to read others' memories of their favorite traditions. And enjoy revisiting your memories too.
Cheers~