Christmas Memories

[Ann]

Sorry - I know this is early but I am planning a special evening of nostalgia - Christmas in the 1950s and I would value your memories please (from those who are old enough!)

I will start you off -

Who remembers: Christmas decorations we called trimmings hung in the living room fastened from the central light out to the 4 sides and corners of the room, then draped over with tinsel type thin strands called "Lametta"

Big concertina type paper bells hung from the ceiling.

Writing to Father Christmas - he wasn't called Santa in my childhood.......

Siver "joeys" - threepenny bits in twists of greaseproof paper hidden in the Christmas Pud.

Now over to you ................... many thanks! :)

[Robinia]

Paper chains

Candles that were never ever lit...they came out again each year until they'd faded

In the sideboard cupboard a bag of carefully folded Christmas paper from the previous year(s) waiting to be reused.

Frost on the insides of the windows and xmas foil tops on the milk :)

[Ann]

Yes Robinia I well remember the Christmas milk bottle tops on the Co-op milk, you knew the excitement of Christmas wasn't far away when they changed the silver tops to Christmas ones!

[mallyh]

going to an open air carol service on the village green
making decorations
cutting names out of last years cards to send to friends lol
sire cracking nuts

[stewey]

Tiny real candles on the tree that your father lit, although they were left burning only for a few minutes.

[mallyh]

that should have read sitting by open fire cracking nuts lol

[Baldric]

I can remember:-

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Seasonal/Christmas/

[stewey]

I can't believe I just posted on a "Christmas" thread: bah humbug!

[knittynora]

Not quite old enough for the 50s but remember the imitation Christmas tree with branches like bottle brushes that just stuck out. Didn't look at all realistic.
Baubles that broke really easily, tinsel that tarnished, plastic snowflakes where 2 interlocked to make them 3-D and similar type of other tree decorations with toys in a ring. We also put lametta on our Christmas tree. We've still got a golden nutmeg tree decoration from then that we put on our tree each year.
Tree lights where you had to get a special bulb to make them twinkle.
Christmas stockings (probably Cadbury's) made out of white netting trimmed with crepe paper.

[Ann]

Making gift tags with pinking scissors from last year's cards to save money.

I remember our dog totally eating my brother's chocolate Father Christmas - he was only little and cried the place down!

[Ann]

Coloured birds msde out of tin which had white stiff nylon type tails (looked like fibre optic but not invented then!) They clipped on the Christmas tree - apparently worth a lot now for original 40s /50s ones!

[knittynora]

Christmas cards with glitter on. My sister and I would scrape it off to stick on our own pictures. We got more on us than on our pictures!!

[petal54]

going to great-aunt's for christmas eve,as er birthday was 25th,so had like 2 christmas's

[carrot99]

getting white knickers and vests as christmas presents when I was at primary school and not a frill or bow to be seen :(

[Robinia]

haha, weren't they supposed to be peacocks Ann?
We went to my auntie's on Boxing Day, it always snowed but the buses ran. Everyone sat on a different sized chair at the table including the linen box with a cushion on it.

[Robinia]

lol @ carrot...and a box of hankies. :)

[Robinia]

*oops the linen box didn't sit on a chair at the table...someone sat on it :)

[ivor4781]

the old tinsel used to be metal foil .i once got it hooked somehow into the screw in fairy lights i got real shock up my arm,lol the tree was alive ,lol soon learned to be more careful

[SlackAlice]

Paper chains you made yourself from strips of coloured paper.

Mum buying the wrong type of walnuts. Dad giving up with the walnut crackers are going down to the shed and getting the hammer!! Nut shells thrown on the coal fire.

Silver sixpences in the Christmas pud and a count when it was all gone to make sure they were all found.

Raiding the local woods for some holly with berries on. Chocolate coins in gold wrapping hanging on the tree.

[marval]

A Christmas stocking that always had nuts and an orange at the bottom.

[mallyh]

i had a transistor radio in a leather case with an ear piece one year thought i was the luckiest person alive lol,wonder if children these days would be so pleased.