Christmas Memories: My Family's Special Night

I remember Christmas being such a magical time of year. Everyone was happy and there was good cheer all around. My brother and I counted down the days till Christmas. There was excitement in the crisp air! We would sit and ponder our lists for Santa Claus, as so many toys danced in our heads. We couldn't wait to send our letters up to the mysterious North Pole. A few weeks before Christmas our family would decorate the house. My dad always brought home a real tree. My brother and I had so much fun putting ornaments and tinsel on the tree. I remember watching Christmas shows, and mom making us hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, and jiffy popcorn. The kind you popped on the stove in the tin. Boy it sure did taste good back in the day. About a week before Christmas we would bake cookies with mom, and we would put them in holiday tins for gifts. On Christmas Eve we would watch the special reports on TV about Santa Claus and where he was spotted flying in the sky. Also on Christmas eve we would sit with our parents and watch the grown up christmas shows. We would watch Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason and I think the Art Linklatter show, also Perry Como. We would be munching on onion & garlic potato chips and BBQ chips and I can't forget my favorite Wise potato sticks. My dad would always buy a few boxes of chocolate covered cherries ( this was every year), and eggnog to wash it all down. What a cozy warm feeling it was.

A special night with the family, no worries or cares. Just simply no frills fun. But all good things must come to an end. Thats right bed time, otherwise Santa would not come. We of course left Santa milk and cookies and happily danced off to bed, but it was so hard to fall asleep, but we finally did. We would be up bright and early Christams day! We would at first stand in awe of what Santa had brought us. Mom and dad would let us look at our toys a bit, but then we had to eat breakfast and dress for the day. After that we could tear into the toys! Meanwhile mom would be putting the ham in the oven, and preparing all the side dishes. We would always have pumpkin and apple pie for dessert. My mothers parents would come over for dinner. We would open all the rest of the gifts when they came. Then we would all sit down for a wonderful Christmas feast. After dinner the adults would sit and have coffee and talk. My brother and I couldn't wait to get back to all our new treasures! Then after many hugs and kisses my grandparents would say their goodbyes. The day had finally come to an end. Just thinking back to those days gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. I remember them as if they were yesterday.