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Holidays:  What Went On Your Christmas Tree / Now and Then  |
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Aunt Clemys Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Linda
MA
USA
157 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 18 2008 : 11:51:33 AM
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What went on your Christmas Tree --- now then then?
My parents version:
Dad's ---- real candles, twisted wheat, a few ornaments as blown glass, gifts hung on the tree rather than wrapped, paper chains, holiday postcards received, boxes at the base of the tree for each child holding one orange, assortment of nuts, little cakes (cookies) and hard candies. A bucket of water and sand was kept nearby the tree for the one time lighting of the candles. The tree was cut from the farm property. Each child recieved one gift along with something practical.
Mom's ---- five and dime store ornaments that are treasures now. Paper and popcorn chains. Nuts and oranges wrapped in tissue paper. A new doll dress or hand knitted hat / mittens. A doll bed made by her father during the few hours he had from farming. The tree came from the farm property. No candles as the the grandparents were afraid of a fire starting. The huge electric light bulbs later on. Each child received one gift and one that was practical.
Kiddo Days in 50's & 60's ---- five and dime store ornaments mixed with anything we made as children. Cut out sugar cookies Mom made that were decorated to exact detail -- lambs, trees, stars, and even saddles of piped on frosting for the Dala horses. Very little tinsel. Ornaments our grandparents gave to us when they were no longer able to put up a large tree by themselves. One of the Aunt's declared it was time for a break so put up the 1960's metal tree with the rotating light fixture at her home. It was very high tech for us at the time.  We only received gifts on our birthdays and Christmas. Having three gifts AND a stocking was something that got you out of bed early for chores Christmas morning. It was the one morning you were allowed as many as the tree cookies as you wanted.
As a new Mom in the 70's --- everything handed down through the family and back to using the candles on the tip of every branch --- but never lit. An ornament for every year that had a special meaning. Traditions passed along and new one's made.
Now --- still huffing and puffing to bring a floor to ceiling real tree in the house. Usually takes a few days to decorate --- but so worth it for all the memories. Pine needles in April and always vowing it's the last year to put up a big tree --- but still going.
Aunt Clemys Farm Girl
Farm Girl #300
Kansas to Massachusetts |
Edited by - Aunt Clemys Farm Girl on Aug 18 2008 12:07:42 PM |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2008 : 3:18:03 PM
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I remember at my parents' house the Christmas ornaments were few. My mom hated clutter. No home-made ornaments. When I married, we had a real Christmas tree with my parents' few ornaments, plus handmade ornaments, and a few new store bought ones. When I turned 39, I got my first cat ever. Smiling now!!!!!!! That ended the live Christmas tree. It was always laying on the floor in the morning, the litter box was full of icicles!!!!!!! Kind of gross!!!!!!!!!! So, now I have a very small tree in a room that closed off. But, the rest of the house is full of Christmas decorations. I just can't wait for the holidays to roll around. If my neighbors wouldn't think I'm off my rocker, I'd decorate for Halloween today! There's just something about decorating and holidays that makes me happy and feel good all over! Good posting!!!!!
Marly |
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Aunt Clemys Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Linda
MA
USA
157 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2008 : 06:37:28 AM
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Hi Marly ---- I am so ready to decorate for Fall / Halloween, too. Decorating for the holidays is so much fun. It was 55 degrees here this morning. Cool, crisp air and the nurseries along the route to work have all their mums out for sale. Enjoyed your posting --- especially about the holiday antics of your cat. Do you have a stocking of goodies for your cat every Christmas?
Aunt Clemys Farm Girl
Farm Girl #300
Kansas to Massachusetts |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2008 : 07:55:33 AM
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Growing up my mom loved those very layers type fir trees and filled our tree with shiny stuff...and LOTS of the tinsel icicle things (which I DON'T like at all) As soon as I grew up and got to pick my own tree it became a big full montery pine or douglas or noble fir ....one you cannot see through!! and tall...at least 7 ft...and we fill it with homemade and special ornaments..the same ones get added to each year. The past couple of years we have had a small artificial tree in the family room too, for the kids to put those ornaments that I don't like quite so much (the star wars, spiderman barbie sort of ones)
I am SO ready to decorate for fall. I make myself wait until at least a week into Sept though..since that stuff stays out so long..until the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I do have alot of fall decorations though..it is my favorite season.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2008 : 10:05:06 AM
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Hi All,
My grandma on my dad's side had an aluminum tree with a color disc wheel under it. The wheel turned making the tree turn different colors.
My grandpa on my nons side had a regualr tree, dont remember too much about it as there was never anything under it for my mom and her brother nor their kids, only for the wifes kids and grandkids. (another story, annother day)
My parents always had a real tree, some years we made ornaments, had a variety a several kinds. She put her manger unde rthe tree. it even had a dog in it. Of course our dog gabby loved the little dog (it only had a couple of legs that wernt broken on it) she would carry it to her 'leave me alone' spot and hide it under her chin and lay over it. We would put it back under the tree with the manger, but she would get it over and over again, year after year.
My tree, I used to have a live tree, but I guess I was ahead of my time and order artificial trees, I bought three in variuos heights. Over time, the xmas ornament collection got quite large and now I have 7 artifical trees. All have a differnt theme every year. One tree is the childrens tree. It has all of their hand made ornamanets from school (thats my fav), one is a bday tree that is aluminum. My eldests bday is in Dec so she creates that one. it has balloons, blowers, party hats, etc...Another one has been an enhcanted tree in the past, with fairies, wooden ornaments, etc.. Another one is a Harley Davidson theme. My hubby rides a bike, making me a biker as well I guess, I get small stuff from the garage, like chrome thingy's, small traveling cleaning things and small clothing wear that we have collected. I have Harley ornamanets, like glass balls and even added orange and silver glass round balls. Another theme tree is our main xmas tree that has ornaments that I have collected during the years. I alsways buy the kids and myself an ornament to signafy what the person was into during the year. For instance, the younget is going to France next March so I located an Eiffel Tower for her, one year when she was small she wore a yellow coat, and we used to call it the yellow submarine coat. Well I found a hallmark ornament that was a yellow submarine. Once they move out of the house, they will get their ornaments to take with them. Another theme is my passed away animal tree. Every animal that I ever had, had their own first christmas ornament when they came to live with us. Many animals have passed so their ornamanets go on their own tree.
We always have prime rib, baked potates, artichokes and aioli for dinner.
Kim
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LindaEllen
True Blue Farmgirl
275 Posts
Linda
Missouri
USA
275 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2008 : 3:54:07 PM
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Oh I love your all's Christmas stories, what great memories you have. I too am ready to decorate with the fall stuff.
When we were kids we would go to our grandma's and grandpa's home and they had one of those silver retro Christmas trees with a light that shines on it and rotates different colors, lol. Warm and cozy don't ya think, lol.
But it was, My aunt who was a year older then I would make paper chains and hang them all over and oh the gifts where stacked to the ceiling. Grandma would have a dining room table full of homemade candies. You name it she made it.
My Mom, who will be 83yr next month tells of how her grandparents came from Germany and they would have the real candles and all would gather around the tree that was in the middle of the room, hold hands and sing. Oranges and candy were passed out to the kids.
Our home, one year Dad was in the Christmas spirit, he loaded the tree with candy. When it came to putting tinsel on he made sure it was one at a time, not tossed like my sister and I wanted to do : )
One year we didn't get a Christmas tree , we were getting older and it just passed until the last day or so of Christmas. Living in the city and no trees to be found Dad dercorated a plastic rose bush :P, I guess its the spirit that counts,lol
Now when we had our own kids and living in the country we went to the tree farms to cut our own. We did that until all the kids left home. Now it started out 9ft , 10 ft and got all the way up to touching our 16 ft ceiling. They were huge trees and boy was it a job to bring in and take down, our poor door. We used ladders to decorate.
I have scaled down to 8ft/ 9ft trees and trees leaning on Hen House grocery store,lol. But they are real.
The kids kind of complain but hey they can go out and get those big trees for their own family.
One thing that stays the same is the glass clear green pickle in the tree. The one who finds it Christmas morning gets an extra gift. The fist few years when the kids were little it would be a jar of pickles, a pineapple, a yard long jerky stick , but as they got older, now it mola, they love that extra cash, gosh sometimes I want to go looking for the pickle and I'm the one who hides it.
Being as the kids have their own families for Christmas morn we have a Christmas Eve party where the pickle is found then. Its pretty hard so sometimes I have to give cues like your getting hotter : ).
We have a gag gift that nobody knows whats in the packages. Theres a Dutch Amish store from here that a lady puts things in , wraps em up and sells for $1.50,labeled kids, womens, men. I go in and get these for the amount of guest we have and a couple of extra just incase of more company and then when the party starts we have a hoot opening these gifts. You can take from one another if someone has one you like, it gets wild.
The evening after all the food and gifts are open we go out on the luminated trails where a rustic, made of sticks nativity scene is set up and the Christmas story is shared.
One year we even had ol St Nick out there on a bench waiting for the little ones to sit on his/her lap. Sis played santa, lol. It was a hoot. Hot cocoa at the campsite and chilli too.
She wants to do it again but sit in my Outpost , lol.
Oh can you tell I love the Christmas season and Thanksgiving as well. One year I was asked what I wanted for Christmas, three things I said, All the kids home, a Chrismas wild goose and snow. Got all three.
Love to watch all the Christmas movies and my favorite type of Christmas tree is a Charie Brown tree : )
Happy hoildays to you all, its just around the corner ya know
tc linda
Locust Trail Homestead
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/walkabout/
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2008 : 09:41:52 AM
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yeah, it is just around the corner, may as well put the tree up today! Remember when we would vacumm up those tinsels that would fall on the floor, the high pitched sound it made going thru the roller brush? lol.
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
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LindaEllen
True Blue Farmgirl
275 Posts
Linda
Missouri
USA
275 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2008 : 4:02:15 PM
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Sometimes I wonder why we even take it down cuz Christmas is always around the corner : )
Oh my, I can hear that sound now, Kim. I remember those ice cycles and the mess, lol. Seem like I always pull out a silver ice cycle out of my school books or shoes ,months after Christmas.
Now that we picked up the carpet we can just sweep up the fallen pine needles instead of the vacumm getting stopped up with them.
tc linda
Locust Trail Homestead
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/walkabout/
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Holidays: What Went On Your Christmas Tree / Now and Then |
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What Went On Your Christmas Tree / Now and Then
