Christmas way back when!

I was born in 1955 and grew up with my parents and two sisters, both of whom are older than me. One is 7 years older, the other 6 years older. As it was Dad's birthday on the 12th December he refused to start Christmas until after his birthday had passed and even today I keep up the same tradition, our Christmas tree does not go up until the weekend after my Dad's birthday has gone by.

I remember having a real tree as well as artificial trees, not at the same time mind you, I think we probably had real trees when I was really small, progressing on to an artificial tree as the shops started to sell them. I love the smell of a real pine Christmas tree, there is nothing which says Christmas better! It was never quite the same somehow when we started to have an artificial tree.

The box of glass baubles would be brought out, very delicate these were and we would have to be extremely careful not to drop them or they would shatter and sharp thin shards would be everywhere. Dad had to test the tree lights before he put them on to the tree and invariably each time they would not come on, meaning he then had to test each tiny bulb in turn to see which one was not working. I used to sit, with bated breath, just in case they did not work at all, I hardly dared to breath, just in case they did not start to twinkle!

When the tree was dressed, we would all have a hand in putting the baubles around the branches, once the lights were on, then the tinsel before the big switch on when Dad would turn the main light out in the room so we could view the tree with its lights twinkling in all its glory. Some years we would have the proper tree chocolates to hang on our tree, wrapped in coloured silver paper, often in the shape of Santa, bells, maybe a star. Other years we would be set to work with wrapping paper, small bars of chocolate, sellotape and cotton and we would be occupied wrapping the sweets up before hanging them on the tree. Mom would get the paper chains out, not that they were chains at the beginning, they were merely strips of coloured paper with a gummed strip at one end which we would turn into a circle and stick together, before putting the next piece of paper through and making another circle, forming the chain. Once they were long enough they were handed to Dad who would fix them somehow onto the ceiling at the corner of the room, they would then be draped, fixed in the centre by the light fitting and then fixed to the opposite corner. The whole thing would then be done again in the other corners until the chains hung in a cross over the ceiling.

Out would come balloons, which all helped to blow up, though Mom would have to tie them, I was scared they would burst in my hands and I hated nothing more than when a balloon burst, frightening the life out of me with the `bang`. The balloons would then be hung up around the room along with various other Christmas decorations, large bells made of paper unfolded carefully and fixed with a little metal clip. I can also remember Dad fixing up crepe paper streamers which he would twist as he fed them out from the corner of the ceiling before he taped them to the centre and then on to the opposite corner. Whether the crepe paper streamers came first, or the paper chains I am not sure. I am pretty certain though that one superseded the other!

One year Christmas designs were sprayed on to the windows of the lounge using a cardboard template and a can of`snow spray`. We also had `snow` sprayed into the corners of the windows making it look like a winter scene from outside. I don`t think that happened again very often, as it proved very difficult to remove after the festivities!! Extended family would arrive for the Christmas get togethers, Grandads, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins. One memorable year I was in bed with German measles, I would be about 3 at the time, I could hear everybody having a good time downstairs but I did not want to go down as I thought they would all laugh at my spots. I doubt I felt very well either come to that! Mom tried to persuade me but I was having none of it, until my cousin arrived in my room and asked was I coming down to play. I remember playing with my new skittles in the hallway and asking if I could have a drink of the funny water with the bubbles, so I suppose I must have gone to join in after all.

That was my first taste of lemonade, I did not like it much! The bubbles went up my nose and I much preferred milk! We did not have loads in the way of presents, not like today with computer games, televisions and all kinds of expensive electrical equipment available. For our main present we would get something like a board game, I was thrilled the year I got "Mouse Trap" which we would play with the family after dinner in the afternoon while we munched sweets and nuts. We would also get a book, usually an annual, The Beano, Dandy or Bunty perhaps, and always a selection box which often had a game on the back which you cut out after you finished the contents.

Dad always had to have certain sweets for Christmas, there would be Roses chocolates or Quality Street, Liquorice Allsorts, Fruit Jellies in a box, and he liked to have a small round box with jelly slices of oranges and lemons which it seemed only he liked! Mom liked sugared almonds and we would often have a box of Turkish delight, dusted with powder which I think must have been icing sugar. My Aunty liked those! I quite liked them too, though they stuck to your teeth! Christmas was a family time when I was a child, as it should be, and we love nothing more than having the whole family around us today.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas time, and all the very best for the New Year. xxx