As soon as the decorations go up in this house I always get hit with a wave of nostalgia and *feels* because I'm still spending Christmas in my childhood home so there are familiar decorations and traditions all over the place. It also gets me thinking about all the reasons why Christmas was so incredibly awesome when you're a child and still believe in Father Christmas so I thought I'd share my favourites with you!
- You didn't have to contribute to putting any of the decorations up, the tree just suddenly appeared and the stockings were hanging over the fireplace and it was all so magical. Well, until you go to touch a bauble and your mum's spider sense tingles from another room and she tells you that you move or touch anything on the tree at your own peril.
- It was so exciting to get the Argos catalogue out so you could narrow down your list to Santa but apparently November 1st was too soon to sit on the sofa folding down pages and circling toys that you wanted...
- Picking a multipack of Christmas cards for your entire class at school then making the really difficult decision of which card design to give to which person and finally posting them in the little red post-box left in reception area just in time for handing-out day.
- You were never picked as Mary in the Nativity play but it was okay because a) you made the best Angel Gabriel anyone's ever seen and b) the chosen Mary kept messing up her lines and crying into the cardboard manger.
- Nothing felt as good as waking up in the night for the 2453rd time to see it was finally 4:30am which meant in half an hour it was going to be reasonably acceptable to wake up your siblings and run into your parents bedroom for the stocking-opening ceremony.
- Receiving a 'Bang On The Door' set of smellies from a girl in your class that you'd spoken to once throughout the year and pretending you'd left theirs at home before your mum rushes out last minute to One Stop to get them a box of celebrations.
- The magic of coming downstairs in the morning to see Rudolph had taken a bite of the carrot and the brandy and mince pie had vanished and a note from Father Christmas thanking you, yes, you personally, for the treats.
- Being completely and utterly amazed by that one fish cracker present. You know the one, the little flimsy paper fish that can sum up your whole personality and entire life achievements depending on the way it curls in the palm of your hand. 'The tails curled up. I'm jealous? Do it again on the other hand.'
- When your parents did that thing where they pretend like you haven't got much or Father Christmas forgot to bring you the one thing you really wanted and then Nan and Grandad come round and bam there's the Cabbage Patch Kid doll that you circled in marker pen thirty times in the Argos catalogue.
- Finally, the best thing about being a kid at Christmas has to be that first peek around the living room door in the dark and seeing presents before practically screaming at your parents that 'HE'S BEEN! HE'S BEEN!!'
Can you relate to any of these? I would LOVE to hear your Christmas memories so feel free to share in the comments below and we can reminisce together.
