OT What is your favorite Christmas memory?

When I was a kid... I am the oldest of 3. My brother Brian had to be 6 or 8 at the time.  In the neighborhood we lived in growing up, there was a man who every year would dress up as Santa and hand out candy canes. Well we were all sitting in the living room one night before Christmas.. it was evening so it was dark out.  We had a big picture window in that house.  We were all sitting in front of it.  Well "Santa" came out of nowhere and knocked on that big picture window and scared the crap out of all of us.  But my middle brother was so scared by this his stomach started hurting and he had to go sit on the toilet for quite a long time. This was his usual method of soothing his tummy.  It was so funny.   
I am a mean big sister huh??  Always makes me laugh when I think of this memory. Now don't tell on me for telling this... that same brother is a police officer now...sshhhh

    probably my best Christmas memory was when I was a child about 6 or 7 years old, we went to town which was a treat in itself, and the lady at the ben franklin store, ask my sister and I what we wanted for Christmas that was in her store. we looked around and I seen this watch it was  a Cinderella watch with a porcelain Cinderalla doll with it, the watch was wrapped around the hem of the dolls dress.
   On Christmas Eve I got the  watch, and no it wasn't from my mom it was from the nice lady Naomi from the Ben Franklin store, she was always good to me and my sister. I will never forget her.
   a few years later, my mom made a bundt cake for a fire dept. auction and asked me for my figurine, and after her insisting on using it, I gave it to her to please her, I think the watch got burned up in the trailer when it burned a few years after that, I loved the porcelain doll, would love to find one like it again. that probably has to be my favorite Christmas memory!! 
                                                         Lisa

I grew up in San Francisco, California- and you would not think this would happen; but when I was growing up my neighborhood would have a carolling party.  We would walk the neighborhood carring candles and singing and end up at one family's home for wassel.  I LOVED this time of the year-each year until they quit doing it.

 Santa came to our house on Christmas Eve I was second youngest of 8. MY friend lived up the street and Santa didn't hit her house until morning.  We always got a call asking if he had been here.  Also, watching AL Schottlekotte on CBS News track Santa on the radar.  I have many memories of my Dad filming, the gifts I got, my grandmother's $5 bill I got every year.  I miss them both very much. AMy

I love reading these
I was a single parent of a 4 year old,i was living with my parents my mom had been diagniosed with cancer and  my dad had got hurt at work.
So my dads workmans comp was running late and i had the only income so i was paying all the bills.
Well i told a friend about it and one day someone knocked at the door and it was her church with gifts for Joey and my parents and food for the month.
Joey got his first bike that day and i cried to know that he would have Christmas thanks to these sweet people.
So now we try to do this for someone else every year..
pay it forward

That makes me cry- people can do wonderful things....We totally agree. If EVERYONE paid it a tiny bit forward the world would be a much better place for all.
happy holidays!!!
teach

My best Christmas memory was the last Christmas I spent with my dad.My parents were divorced when I was 4 so Christmas always felt like a tug of war. My mom always made us spend it with her...never with my dad. We did not like this at all.  He had severe heart probs and was on the list for a transplant. He had been so sick through thanksgiving and in the hospital (St Vincents) Well...he told his Dr that he wanted to come home for Christmas Day and then he would come right back into the hospital the next day. So....his Dr released him and let him come home. When my sister and I told mom we were going to dad's that afternoon for Christmas with him she hit the roof. She told us to never come home if we went. So...out the door we went. My half brother met us at dad's house and we all were there for the first time together as a family. We took pictures of all of us together and  enjoyed our evening. My sister in law was 8 months pregnant so they left earlier than we did. Dad was smiling and cutting up, but you could tell it was taking its toll on him so we said goodnight.  Of course when we got home mom was in bed and never said a word about it to us. Dad went back to the hospital that night. My step mom said he was so happy and kept going on and on about how it felt good to have all his kids there with him for the first time at Christmas. Dad never came back out of the hospital and died Jan 18. he was 46. When he died my mom told us she was glad we were able to spend Christmas with him and apologized for her part in it.  Being a single mom I have made sure to never do this with my kids. Christmas is about them and family. Not divorce wars.  I still think about this christmas and smile......I miss him.

Oh my goodness.. you all are making me cry!!!!

I have lots, We used to Do Hay Rides with our church youth and sing Christmas carols and have a progressive dinner. You never see people out caroling much anymore.

My favorite is probably "every" Christmas Eve... sitting in from of the lit tree listening to xmas music and just anticipating Santa Coming...

laying in bed at night, wide awake, listening for the bells on Santa's sleigh....I swear I could hear them

My favorite Christmas memories are the ones I'm making each year with my daughter and my crazy insane soul companion, Richard.  I never knew I even wanted a child until Richard and I were married and then it just seemed like the next natural step.  I was MADE to be a mommy.  She is my finest accomplishment....spoiled rotten and all!!

Before Gracie came along, Richard and I would always sleep under the lighted Christmas tree (well, really it was beside it on the air mattress) so I could watch Midnight Mass before going to sleep.  I'm not even catholic but there's simply something abou****ching it that fascinates me.  Now days that time is taken up with last minute wrapping and putting things together.

About a week ago our annual holiday house guest showed up on the doorstep.   It was Santa's informer "ELFIE WHO SITS ON THE SHELFIE".  She whopped and hollered like Santa himself was at the door instead of a cheesy garden gnome I bought to help remind her to be good!

Did y'all also know that the red flashing light on top of water towers is actually Rudolph keeping and eye on all the kids too??  That one worked until this year.  A few days ago were were sitting at a stop light here in town which is right beside the water tower and she says....."mom, I don't think that's Rudolph.  I think it's just a light bulb."

oh yeah, those damn reindeer keep pooping (it's just prunes) all over the back patio while they wait on Santa to put the presents under the tree.  You should see Gracie get grossed out when Richard picks one up and pops it in his mouth!!

This year it looks like I'm going to cave-in and let Santa bring Gracie the one constant thing she's been asking for for over a month now......YEP.....the dreaded guinea pig!!