When I was a kid in the Sixties I never went to see my friends on Christmas Day.
I suppose on the face of it this doesn't seem that strange. Christmas was a time for family and Christmas Day was its pinnacle when the house was full of my folks, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, dog and all the gang.
My friends were doing exactly the same anyway with their own families up and down the road.
We were all quarantined in each of our own glittery worlds of family and fantastic new presents.
Yet it does seem odd now I look back. My friends back then were the best I ever had. We all lived in the same street and went mostly to the same first school. We were inseparable, spending nearly every moment together that wasn't demanded elsewhere by grown-ups.
It was an era when we could play out together all year round - in the street, in each others homes, in each others gardens and on the local park - and our parents simply weren't fearful in those days.
So to not see any of my friends on a day devoted to children seems out of kilter somehow.
My friends would have been welcome for sure and I'm pretty certain I would have been if I'd have gone round to theirs. But we just didn't.
This festive isolation lasted two days in total, Christmas Day and Boxing Day after which normal service resumed and I spent time with my mates again and playing together with all the stuff we'd got that year.
How do you remember this readers? mates at Christmas?
Christmas was definitely a family time, which included visiting nearby relatives, I suspect it was the same for other families. No, didn't see friends for several days round Xmas.
ReplyDeleteYes, visiting rellies. I'd forgotten about that Andy. I suppose I still do that in a small way although their aren't many of my clan who migrated across the hills to Yorkshire like me.
DeleteExactly the same experiences as you describe (minus siblings and pet!).
ReplyDeleteI could swap you some siblings kev. I have loads!
DeleteAbsolutely.School was closed for about 10 or 11 days, from about December 22 or so until January 2 at latest.Friends from all over visted during the day,or I ventured out to visit them.And night was usually more for family.Whether it was in our home or someone else's,Food,laughter,lights and new toys were the order of the day.It would seem that by New Year's day,I would tire of so much excess,and look forward to a normal,mundane schedule.
ReplyDeleteThe continental tradition is to celebrate Christmas proper on the night of Xmas Eve. My Missus grew up doing this. The tree hadn't even been seen until that night, when all was revealed as the front room door opened: tree, lights and prezzies. The presents were opened that evening and the main Xmas meal was eaten then as well. Christmas Day must have felt like our Boxing Day here, a leftover.
DeleteYep, at some point during the holiday season I will have got together with my mates and tried out their Lite Brite toy whilst they fired my Johnny Seven! By New Year it was a a faded fairy light, the final mince pie, the last of the crackers.
for many years,we would spend Christmas Eve at my parents house,and open our own presents at home on Christmas Day,then my wife's mother would have a party on Christmas night.Since my wife and I split up and I don't get to see the kids or grandkids much,I still go to visit my mother on Christmas Eve and have kind of an open house on Christmas day.I usually serve hot sandwiches like sliced roast beef and gravy, or meatballs in sauce,reay and waiting in the crock pots for whomever stops by.This year I might do a cold buffet,like maybe a Swedish Smorgasbord.My tree and decorations are coming down out of the attic next weekend.There's so much to do it takes me a few weeks to finish
DeleteYou're so organised Brian! I have to admit that this is the least Christmassy I've felt for a long tome. Its been a tough year one way or another and the political climate on the UK doesn't lend it self to feeling festive. At least for me and the Missus caught up the Brexit chaos. Anyhoo, enough of politics, your cooking skills are also most impressive and I would love a hot beef sarnie, meatballs and a smorgasbord! I'm coming over with a bottle of Warnink's advocaat!
DeleteI will at least send pics of the Holiday festivities once they get rolling.I can commiserate about political climates,the less said about ours, the better.You have time to regroup and before you know it, the Christmas spirit will be burning bright in you.
DeleteI think I was too busy playing with my toys to even think about friends, and I'm sure it was the same with them as well. I suppose if I ventured outdoors on Christmas or Boxing Day, I might've run into some of my pals who lived nearby and 'compared notes', but I don't specifically recall any of them calling in for me, or vice versa.
ReplyDeleteDid you take your superb Marx Batman puppet outside Kid to meet your mates?
DeleteNot at Christmas, simply because none of the Twistable Batmans I had were ever bought at that time of year. However, I often took my toys outside to play, or to show to friends. I remember one of my pals of the time being so impressed by my Marx Batman that he bought one too.
DeleteTwo Bat Men in one town! The Joker will have run a mile! ha ha
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