Memories are a funny things. Not only can they be manipulated, but they change over time. But that’s not what interests me today. What interests me today are Christmas memories.
When I look back on the things I remember about Christmas past, it always amazes me what memories come up first. It’s never the “big” things. I don’t recall Christmas dinners, the gifts or the trees. I don’t think about Christmas parties or school plays or concerts that I’ve attended. Instead, I think of little things, and often things that have nothing to do with the holiday itself.
I remember being in Germany one Christmas when I was young. And what I remember from that was walking around town as it began to snow one evening. I remember the location, the sights, the smells (lots of diesel in Germany), the sounds and even where we were going. I don’t recall much before or after that on that particular night, and I can’t think of what I got for Christmas that year, but I recall that particular insignificant moment. I wonder why?
I recall one Christmas, when we were leaving for a party, my dad “forgot” something and had to run back inside. When we came back from the party, a whole bunch of presents had magically appeared under the tree. Some say it was Santa, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't.
Surprisingly, the most recent Christmases are the least memorable. Was there even a Christmas two years ago? Hmmm.
In terms of gifts, I recall a bike and a Lego pirate ship (greatest. . . gift. . . ever. . .), but not much else.
I wonder how the brain chooses what to remember? It doesn’t seem to remember the things you would expect. Big events, big gifts, and other "memorable" events all seem lost in the fog, but a quick walk, a Santa-able moment, a few sights, smells and sounds seem to be what the brain latches onto? Strange.
So what are your favorite Christmas/Holiday memories?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Question: Christmas Memories
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30 comments:
You'd better believe that was Santa, not your Dad, Bossman!!
Still loyal to your old boss are you?
santa's a poser. st. nick is the real deal...
Patti, LOL! What have you got against Santa? He's a jolly fellow!
Oh wow, where to begin? I have vivid memories of being in the car, heading over to grandma's. But, like you, I couldn't tell you what we ate or what I got that year. Memory is funny like that, isn't it?
I'm just sayin'! This isn't the time of year to be doubting the old guy!
DUQ, It is strange, because you'd think that your memories would basically be "the big moment," but I usually find that when I think back on something, I remember much smaller moments -- like being in the car or standing in line for a concert. Very strange indeed.
BRE, I'm not saying I doubt, I'm just saying in that particular instance, I am pretty sure Santa had non-magical help! :-)
You were saying that recent Christmas's were less memorable... maybe that's because we got ObamaCare last Christmas. :-(
As for Christmas memories, when I was a kid I recall vividly practically every house in the neighborhood putting out luminaries--paper bags with candles--on Christmas Eve. They were everywhere. This tradition seems to have faded, unfortunately.
One of my most biggest Christmas memories is actually from an out-of-the-ordinary one. I spent a couple years in Japan when I was younger, and, while New Year's is a big religious event there, Christmas is pretty much a drinking holiday... We ended up in a heavily Christmasy-decorated bar, eating crab, drinking beer and listening to a surfer-music cover band. It was fun... I think...
Sacrilege! Santa doesn't need any help.
You're lucky you're still holding the annual bonus, or else we'd so be turning you in!
Pitts, I only saw luminaries for the first time a couple years ago. I like those a lot.
It could be the Obama thing! LOL! Seriously though, I think Christmas loses something as you get older.
Crispy, That actually sounds like fun. I suspect that the unique memories are the ones we keep the best.
My favorite Turkey Day memory, for example, involves watching the MST3k Thanksgiving Festival while we screwed up a cake recipe with extremely addictive results. Mmmmm. Sugar.
BRE, We understand the golden rule, he who has the gold makes the rules. LOL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzNJxLvbRrM
Bell Telephone Christmas Special with marionettes back in the 1950's was a Philadelphia tradition. The link probably won't work since I forgot how to do a clickable link on blogger.com
We always ate my mom's clam chowder and made my great-grandma's doughnuts. The kids would put on a program of some kind, often a puppet show or piano recital, then Dad read The Christmas Story from the Bible. I do remember one Christmas Eve program lasting particularly long and I distinctly remember the feeling of anxiety that Santa would skip our house because we were still up, or that we would get busted for being up too late. I also remember gathering snacks, drinks, games, and books to stay up all night with my sisters when we couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve.
I agree Andrew, I always think I remember big events, but usually just remember things like who I stood in line behind in the checkout and what they looked like, even though I'll never see them again.
One of my Christmas memories, that I bring up every year, is when I was younger, helping put up ornaments on the tree and the tree (almost completely decorated) came crashing down on top of me. I also remember our dogs peeing on the tree every year when we were setting it up to mark their territory.
Jed, Here's the link: LINK
I don't know these. Are they like modern Christmas specials ... celebrities, singing, dancing, that sort of thing?
Tam, That's funny -- Santa skipping your house because you were still up! :-)
You made doughnuts? Cool. We've never had a particular Christmas food. Sometimes we've had a big dinner (Turkey, that sort of thing). Sometimes we've gone out for Chinese. One thing we do always have for sure though is cookies.... lots and lots of cookies. Yum.
Jocelyn, I don't understand why we remember the small things, but it does seem to be the case. I can remember people I stood in line behind as well, even when I can barely remember the film or the concert. Strange.
We've had issues with dogs too -- peeing on the tree, for example. And in one instance, we had two dachshunds who decided that they should unwrap the presents while we were out. In hindsight, that was pretty funny, but at the time it caused quite a stir.
The tree fell on you? Wow, I can see why you would remember that!
My Christmas memories are like yours, a night out at dinner, the dog running off with a toy, playing cards with my grandmother. I can't tell you any of the gifts I got, but I remember "the whole experience".
Ed, I guess the lesson is that we remember things in a much more personal way than we think and it's the minute to minute stuff that makes an event personal?
I remember walking with my older sister through the neighborhood at night on Christmas Eve and she would make up stories about the prettiest houses with their Christmas lights. When we returned, presents had somehow magically appeared underneath the Christmas tree. :-) I also remember a book of fairytales that my mother gave me when I was very young (still have it). Best Christmas gift ever. I read it a million times.
Merry Christmas, all!
Thanks for posting that Andrew. These were done with marionette puppets. It was in the early days of television. The show was on every Christmas Eve. The first part was the poem "The night before Christmas." The second part was thenativity. If you go back to that site on youtube, you can find the nativity done in two parts. About a year before I moved to Tennessee, the Philly PBS was using DVD's of this old program as a premium item for a $50 contribution. Anyway, it was one of my strongest and favorite Christmas memories. Another was egg nog (splash of bourbon, natch) at my mother's. In recent years, I've enjoyed a late night playing of Boston Camerata's 3 disc set of Christmas music from medieval, renaissance, and baroque periods.
Writer X, Merry Christmas! That's one of the great things about being a kid, the world has a lot of room in it for mystery and magic! :-)
I remember many of the books we had too. Perhaps they are much more influential than we realize?
Jed, You're welcome. I'll check it out! It sounds interesting.
We do a good deal of classic music around Christmas. My mother grew up watching "Tales of Hoffman" at Christmas, so we always watch that, plus a TV special from the 1970s which has the three tenors (and others) just as they were becoming famous.
I have plenty of memories to choose from, but my favorite Christmas memory was one where I went home while in the Coast Guard. It was my best one because I was the happiest.
That year I made enough money to buy everyone a gift and it is a big family. I did a little bit more. Each gift was of course picked carefully for what would this person like/want/need. I took my time. What I added was a little note to each person.
For instance, I bought my sister Nancy a frying pan. Not just any frying pan though. A cast iron skillet. It was heavy and I put in the usual rattles to throw her off of what it was. Shaking it, she couldn't figure what it was. On the note I wrote, "May your love life be as beautiful as you are."
By the time, it was her turn to open this one present, others had gotten my little notes which all had related a little bit to what the present was. She looked at the note, puzzled over what I wrote, then opened it. She was astonished for a moment, then comprehension, smiles, looking over at my other sister and a semi-verbal talk ensued where all I got was, "Oh...ahhh, ah-HA!!" then laughter.
Looking back on it, I feel I received more pleasure from giving those notes with the gifts than at any other Christmas.
Joel, That's very nice! I too have noticed that the personal touches are much more important that the specific gifts. I think that's probably the real reason for gift giving, not to give some object, but to demonstrate a level of personal connection -- which is why I can't stand pre-printed greeting cards. What could be less personal than something written by a guy sitting in a cubicle in Kansas, whose words will then be printed on a million cards to be distributed around the country. I firmly believe that a small personal note will always be vastly superior!
when I first moved home again (just call me boomarang) I was depressed, missing my cheating husband, broke, and living in my g'parents' back bedroom (2003 SUCKED!!!!) Anyway, that C'mas I had been working part-time for a crazy man and was still all of those things (excpet the now-ex & I were working on reuniting, bad plan). So I cut snowflakes out of Christmas paper and gave thme as gifts. My mother made a big deal out of it - which I appreciated. Her mom tossed it aside - which I didn't. Wasn't a great C'mas, but it worked...
Now for a funny tale... when I was a little kid, the #1 rule was "do NOT touch a present with your name on it" which morphed into "do NOT touch the presents at all unless the house is burning down, and then ask first". So, I am now -um- 30sumthin. I still do not touch the presents under the tree. A couple of years ago, we had to shift some stuff and it freaked me out a bit to be messin around under the tree. BECAUSE, when I was about 7-8 or so, my little brother (4yr younger) & I decided to disregard the rule and we got BUSTED. and all of the presents DISAPPEARED!!!!! Mom now says that we got them later, but I do NOT remember that. Just the poof-goneness. SO, I still don't touch the presents until we have C'mas!
Merriest of Christmases to you and the elves!!!
rlaWTX, That's funny! It's amazing what lessons we pick up as kids and how those stick with us over the years. I've occasionally found myself thinking... "wait a minute, why do I think that?" And then I realize it was something I picked up as a kid. Who says parents aren't influential?!
Sorry to hear about your 2003, but I am happy to see that you're over that and moving onward! :-)
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