An old fashioned Christmas. 🌲🎄

Thank you, UTBB. I had tried that in years gone by, but found that by the time I had dried them, they were cold again! I hate cooking, so I think that’s part of the problem. I flap when I have to produce a ‘proper ‘ meal so having cold plates is just another thing to flap about.
My late MIL used to bung it all in the oven, then go to Church. (The turkey would already have been in there for ages). When she got home, she would just make the gravy, then dish up a perfect meal! I was so jealous of her talent!

If the sink is free just suggest you give the plates a bit of a rinse if they have been left out, then fill the sink with water as hot as you can stand, dip them in and dry them .
They should be very warm.

Sorry Monica, as usual, I jumped in with my reply before looking at what you recommended. I assumed it would be like one we had years ago which only held two plates! This one looks just the job! 🎄

Monica, thanks for your reply. A platewarmer is a great idea, except there will be 12 of us!
Last year, I popped my full plate into the microwave and that helped! A bit impractical for several of us to do that though!

Grandmabatty

FranP oh my goodness! Your mum was very resourceful.
Mum and dad always visited neighbours who had a disabled child. Unfortunately they were heavy handed with the alcohol and one year mum was so tipsy she forgot to cook any vegetables 😂

One year ages ago I had so much Buck’s Fizz, I completely forgot about the potatoes - they weren’t even parboiled. So instead of having dinner at roughly 3, as usual, we didn’t have it until around 5.
But by then everyone was that much more ready for it, so we’ve had it at 5 or 6ish ever since.

Crossstitchfan

My daughter is a great cook and I am invited there or Christmas Day this year. However, I am dreading lunch because my daughter always ruins the meal by serving it on cold plates! It totally spoils the meal for me (and my other daughter, who hates cold plates too).
Has anyone got any idea how I can get round this without hurting her feelings?

Give her a plate warmer for Christmas.
www.amazon.co.uk/VonShef-Electric-Insulated-Removable-Christmas/dp/B07YN1ZSV5?smid=A1AFJESMA8SCN6&psc=1&ref_=fplfs&source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&tag=gransnetforum-21

My Christmas memories are from the mid 1960’s early 1970s. My mum
never wrapped our presents!
Years later I asked her why, and she said it was so our would lounge looked like a toy shop! It never did…
I always envied my cousins whose lounge looked a right tip after opening their pressies- total chaos! We’d go to theirs after church on Christmas Day.
Was only years later that I realised that my Mum had OCD which explained a lot!
I have same eg curtains need to be ‘just so’ but Mums was obsessive I realise now, even as to where the Christmas decs had to be.

FranP oh my goodness! Your mum was very resourceful.
Mum and dad always visited neighbours who had a disabled child. Unfortunately they were heavy handed with the alcohol and one year mum was so tipsy she forgot to cook any vegetables 😂

My daughter is a great cook and I am invited there or Christmas Day this year. However, I am dreading lunch because my daughter always ruins the meal by serving it on cold plates! It totally spoils the meal for me (and my other daughter, who hates cold plates too).
Has anyone got any idea how I can get round this without hurting her feelings?

Grandmabatty

In Scotland in the sixties, Christmas wasn't the big celebration, New Year was. At Christmas we had a chicken, not a turkey. Mum made lots of vegetables and their was one pudding, usually trifle. My paternal grandparents came for dinner and invariably fell out. My presents were second hand -not that I knew that at the time - and much appreciated. Mum spent hours knitting clothes for new dolls at night when I was in bed. It was a simpler time but I look back with gratitude

Yes 3-day Hogmanay. My father was in popular demand for first footing being black haired. He offered a transport contract to Japan Airlines, and we used to get a crate of satsumas at Christmas, which made him doubly popular when he shared them.

We did do turkey though, and mum would make a great big turkey and ham pie for New Year (heaps of neeps included). Auntie would make Christmas puddings in the Spring, and pass them out during the year. So trifle for New Year too.

Yes a new winter outfit for church (Summer one for Easter).

One very memorable New Year was when the builders cut the power lines and Mum fed all the neighbours with a paraffin stove and a pressure cooker

My Christmases as a child were lovely. Parents and alternate grand parents made it the best. Lots of small presents but the one I lived was tge year I got a nightie not pjs. And the only time I got a new doll after years of inheriting from sisters.
When my father died my eldest sister stepped in.
Now she’s gone and this year a friend and I will get together as husband died in Sept.
I just want to wake up on Jan 2nd and hope it goes quickly.

moggiek

Every December 1st I settle down for the afternoon with the DVD of BoD and a box of Maltesers. Watch all of the episodes and finish the chocolates. Bliss!

Have you got the new dvd with the ‘making of’ section? There’s a Facebook page that chats about TBOD’s all year round and Hypnogoria does a podcast that talks you through each episode. I’m glad I only discovered it a couple of years ago as it has added some Christmas magic to my life.

I must apologise for introducing sadness into this lovely happy thread. I didn't mean to do that.

Christmasses after that were much better. Mam put in the effort every year for us, although I'm sure she felt a lot of sadness.

I love the story of the turkey being delivered by the postman - amazing that it arrived safely and nobody got food poisoning. Those were the good old days. Can you imagine trying to do that now?

I remember my uncle - drunk as a skunk - driving all of us home from their house at Christmas and he somehow managed to persuade us that we saw Santa's sleigh in the sky. He was plastered, so maybe he saw it too!

Oops, traditional hymns, not himself...maybe 🎅 will bring me new specs 👓

Most of my teaching career was spent in Infants/ Early Years. I have wonderful memories of so many Nativities and Christmas concerts, often preparations began directly after the October break. I remember, in the 80s, taking my Singer sewing machine into our Infants' activity room to run up simple costumes made from flannelette sheets and old curtains! We were spoiled when ready made costumes became available and as our wee school was big in music and drama, we always had some budget to cope. I remember the shepherds' headgear, freshly pressed checked T towel held in place by a snake belt or plaited curtain tieback!

I just loved Christmas time at school, seeing the excitement of the wee ones when they still 'believed', and hearing their beautiful voices singing 🎶 traditional himself like Away in a Manger and Liitle Donkey, but also newer ones such as Come and join the Celebration and When is He Coming?

I've just bought the Wee Boy a Nativity sticker book, nice way to revisit the Christmas Story. For myself, I'll begin Advent re reading Norah Lofts' How far to Bethlehem ? I came late to this lovely book, written in the 60s, found it recommended on GN I think on Terribull's fantastic book thread.

I'm definitely not ready for Christmas this year, another first without DH. I need to get a wiggle on. Last week DS1 and DDIL1 gave me a surprise gift, they'd had one of DH'S Christmas jumpers made into a big Christmas cushion for me. ❤️🎄

I'm loving this thread, thanks again NanKate.

I've had a sudden memory of being in the school choir and processing down the aisle at our local church as we sang, The Little Drummer Boy with the school band playing behind us. It just gave me goosebumps. It was how we closed the term. Sadly it's no longer done because the school now is much too large.

In the Bleak Midwinter, my absolute favourite carol, aside from small children singing Away in a Manger, which always brings a tear to the eye.

When my S was at Primary school , nearly 50 years ago now, one of hid classmates a small boy named Malcolm had the most wonderful voice.He did go on to a Cathedral Choir school.
One year he may have been 7/8 he sang the 5th verse of In the Bleak Midwinter as a solo.
When he sang” what can I give him? I give my heart” the whole room had tears streaming, I can feel them coming now.
It has stayed in my mind all these years, totally mesmerising and unforgettable.
Children’s Nativity’s must never be allowed to go.

valdavi

keepingquiet

I remember watching it but soon went off it as I thought it was a bit posh for posh people.

I agree about the magic of Chrsitmas though- for me it still lies in the music which can transport me back to childhood in just a few notes...

This - especially when children are singing

Little kids singing Away In A Manger will invariably have me groping for the tissues!

But the other day little Gdd2 (5) almost reduced me to the same state by singing for me the carol she’d been learning at school. It was Little Donkey, with actions. Apparently her class will be singing it at the Nativity play. It’s a C of E primary that still does such things, thank goodness.

Like @teabaglady many Christmases involved tension, but if we went to my grandmother’s in Scotland they were lovely - safe, no fear of rows & violence, largely because my father managed to control his temper up there. However I do still have happy memories of London Christmases, too. Then came marriage to a man who loved all of it, and for the majority of our 40+ years together it was a wonderful time. Unfortunately he changed totally and we ended up divorcing. Now our children keep up the traditions, still come to me if only for the day itself, & I’m still surrounded by love. (XDH rings us all on the day, btw, but has chosen to live in a country which doesn’t “do” Xmas). All in all I don’t make comparisons because I do realise how fortunate I am and have been. Wish I could share that.

Oh, and thank you for the post Nankate, I’m definitely going to find Box of Delights for a quiet afternoon.

We had a lovely Christmas like many here, at Grandma’s and Grandad’s house. The festivities would start Christmas Eve when we announced our arrival by carol singing outside their door. We knew so many carols by heart from school and Church, we probably went on a bit. Then we helped decorate the tiny Christmas tree while Grandad hung up the paper chains. Bread and jam for breakfast, plain and tasty Christmas dinner of capon - she was an excellent cook even though she cooked on a range by the fire. The big excitement was teatime when all our cousins joined us and we played games. We don’t get any door-to-door carol singers these days, such a shame. We didn’t get spending money then so we supplemented our income quite a bit the week before Christmas by going around the neighbours’ houses carol singing.

The book I always read at Christmas, or at least the relevant chapter, is The Country Child by Alison Uttley. Chrismas on a hill top farm in the late 1800s. I have read it so many t8mes and can picture it so clearly.
I read this week of a Val McDurmid 'Winter. A Story of a Season'. Never read any of hers, but will order it from the library for my christmas read.

Two books that describe really well Christmases we enjoyed when youngsters I would recommend are The Belle Fields why Lora Adams and Say Kangeroo by Five Sisters. Will take you back I'm sure - they certainly did for me!

I know what you mean, even though my childhood memories of Christmas consisted of my parents always arguing ( no alcohol involved)
My wonderful memories of Christmas are the ones where my children were always so excited and I was as excited as them, they are grandparents themselves now but I think part of the lost excitement is partly due to all the electronic gadgets the children are on and the day of board games and dolls and prams have all but gone.