This will be my 20th Christmas here in the States and although I have adapted to some of the American customs and made a few family traditions of our own I still fondly remember the celebrations as a child in England.
Money was tight in our house but we still had a great time. We made decorations out of old Christmas cards and the tree was a muddle of different ornaments…the designer tree of today was not even a thought. Shiny garlands were hung across the ceiling with balloons at the corners and cards received balanced over a string that strung from one end of the living room to the other. The encylopedia set was removed and a small bar made in it’s place with bottles and glasses ready for the Christmas toast.My brothers and I would lay out our pillow cases and hop off to bed in excitement with strict instructions to not get my parents up before 8 a.m. As this was rarely the case my brothers and I would wake and peek in the living room to see if Father Christmas had been and then sit back in my room bouncing on my bed until we were able to go shake Mum and Dad. Of course Mum always had to put the kettle on first so we still had to wait until that kettle boiled…eternity!
Once all the presents were opened we would play with our new bounty while Mum headed to the kitchen for the rest of the morning. We would bring the kitchen table in to the living room and set it up so beautifully complete with crackers ready to be pulled.
The queens speech, playing games and watching movies finished off the afternoon and evening and we all went to bed tired but happy children, I am sure as my parents collapsed in relief after providing us with such a great day.
