Christmas Memories

Denny

from Indiana

When I was growing up, things were different then they are now. During the ‘30s and even into the 40’s times were tough for lots of people, until the war was over.

We didn’t have electricity until the late 40’s, so the radio we used was battery operated. When the battery ran down, my dad had to take it into town to get recharged, so we didn’t waste any energy by having it on all of the time. One program I can remember listening to was Amos and Andy. But in order to get good reception, we had to string a wire from our house, across to the smoke house. That wire worked pretty good as an antenna.

Come Christmas time, sometimes we would have a tree and sometimes we didn’t. As for gifts, generally mom would put plates on the table and Santa would treat everyone the same. We each got an equal share of candy, oranges and apples. Sometimes if we were lucky, we might get a banana.

Back then, the local country stores did not have toys on display all year long. They wouldn’t put them on the shelves until the 1st. of December.

I remember one year when my brother and I got a basketball for Christmas. We had to share it. We took a metal ring off of a wooden barrel and fastened it to our corn crib to use as a hoop. That became our play area that year.

The following year, we got a football to play with. Those were special gifts to us back in those days.

Wayne Allen

from Oklahoma

In 1936, when I was in the first grade, my teacher Elanore Clonts, hung a little red Santa Claus on the Christmas tree for each one of the students in the class. When we went home for Christmas, we took our little red Santa Claus home and my mother hung it on our Christmas tree.

When I got married my mother gave it to my wife. To this day, we still hang that same little red Santa Claus on our Christmas tree every year.

James JC (Buck) Evans

I was born in 1914 and we were poor people. We always hung our socks up for Christmas and they would put our presents in them on Christmas morning. When I was in the fourth grade, dad got me a Barlow pocketknife for Christmas. So I got up on Christmas morning and found that pocket knife and I guess that I was the happiest guy in the world because I was always wanting a pocket knife.

Doyle Roy Harral

I was born in 1928 and back in 1934 when I was about six years old my Grandma Harral bought me a pair of lace up boots and there was a pocketknife that came with them.

The knife fit right into the sheath that was built right into the side of the boots.

Marilyn Kay Brixey Wells

from Oklahoma

What was my favorite Christmas toy? What a fun question! Hmmmmmmmm, all kinds of beautiful images, delicious smells, and warm feelings come to mind because of that simple question, but, let me concentrate on "toys".

When I was young, we didn't have a television; consequently, I didn't have commercials drilling me about all the things I needed to make my life complete.

When Christmas came, there was always one gift that Santa brought me in response to the letter I had written to him.

In 1955, the one and only thing on my list to Santa was " The Bride Doll." She was about 3 ft. tall and was simply beautiful, dressed in her elegant ivory lace and satin bridal gown. She had real hair! The dark brown ringlets framed her face like a picture.

When Christmas Eve came, my father and I drove to the neighbors Pete and Josie Bostian's place, to take them a basket of the desserts that Mother had baked.

When we got back home, mother met us at the door saying she had some good news and some bad news! The good news was that there was a big present for me sitting by the fireplace! The bad news was that I had missed seeing Santa Claus.

He had come while we were at the neighbors, was in a hurry to deliver all the other presents, and had to move along. I did notice that he had taken a bite of the cookie I'd left for him.

I think my father was more disappointed at missing Santa than I was, because when I opened the big present there was exactly the same, beautiful bride doll that I'd dreamed of for so long.

I still have that bride doll and someday I'll be able to give it and a copy of this story to my grandchild.

Mark Brown

from S.C.

My favorite Christmas toy was a farm set that I got when I was about six years old. It included a barn, silo, rail fence, tractor, stand up cornstalks, other crops and a lot of chickens, pigs, cows, horses and goats.

When I saw it for the first time on Christmas morning, it looked to me like it covered half the living room floor. I found out years later, that Santa spent several hours on his hands and knees setting it up.

 

Alpha Brown

from S.C.

The Christmas toy I loved the most was a doll with carved and painted wooden arms, legs and head. Her hair was carved in swirls and painted brown. The doll's facial features were also carved and painted, but her mouth was open just enough to show a single white tooth. Her body was cloth. She had on a beautiful dress that my mother made. She wore white, cloth, lace up shoes with pasteboard soles. I lost the shoes but I still have her.