I was 18, and it was 1970. I had come home from college to my parents' house for Christmas vacation. To my disappointment, my parents had, for the first time, bought an artificial Christmas tree instead of the usual balsam fir. I had never been shy about expressing my feelings, so my parents knew how badly I would prefer a “real” tree.
On Christmas Eve, my dad asked me if I would like to go for a drive, which we often did, usually with no destination in mind. We drove around for quite a while, until my dad stopped at a place that sold Christmas trees.
Being Christmas Eve, the place was now closed, and their remaining trees were left outside the fence.
My dad said, “Pick out a tree,” and I was delighted to.
We brought the tree home, set it up in my room, and I decorated it with homemade and leftover ornaments. That sweet gesture stays with me to this day, especially with my dad gone seven years now. -Dot Lenhart
* * *
Before my grandmother died, I used to be fascinated with her candy dish and the amazing candy that stocked it once a year. I wish I knew the style of the dish, because I would love to acquire one, just to have for the memory. It was tin with a hinged pointed lid, and it was painted or enameled or printed, in bright colors, like stained-glass tones, but with little intricate patterns.
The dish was kept in the formal living room, which wasn't used except for holidays. I used to go in there and sit in the fancy carved Queen Anne–style chair (that no one ever sat in) and look at this candy dish (that no one ever took candy from) throughout the year, and it's as clear as that day in my head. -Phaewryn O'Guin
* * *
An annual family tradition of going to Orchestra Hall in Chicago to see the Nutcracker Ballet from the time I was just a child to the November before my Mom passed. Music and memories to last a lifetime. -Dianne Howard
* * *
My favorite memory as a child in Brattleboro was the big wooden Santa that used to stand next to the Exit 2 on-ramp.
Also, there was a fellow who might have been Santa who would stand on a porch on Western Avenue every Christmas Eve and wave to all.-Matt Hatfield
* * *
Many years ago, several friends and I visited New York City on Christmas Eve, and it was snowing hard. We walked up Fifth Avenue. There were no cars, and people were cross-country skiing up and down the street.
It was so quiet and peaceful and beautiful with all the holiday lights and the snow - a magical night for us as we walked from Greenwich Village all the way up to 50th Street that evening.-Howard Prussack
* * *
My favorite holiday memory is Christmas 2007. I'd had surgery and casts on both ankles. (I had to crawl.) I had 40 bucks and three kids.
Ttoo broke for a tree, we had a Christmas rock - a rock draped with lights.
I remember my car, running low on gas, sputtering to the dollar store on Christmas Eve. I reluctantly handed over my last two twenties to my youngest son and challenged him to run in and complete all of our holiday shopping in 10 minutes or less. He achieved the goal, with $2 to spare.
On the way home, we splurged on eggnog. I found some gross, cheap rum under the sink, and we all - rottweiler included - sat around the rock: laughing, crying, drinking, singing. -Cindy Coble