How About "Christmas Magic" For You?
- Thread starter SparkleNana
- Start date
Reading through this post reminded me of something that happened 40 years ago, and it is still one of my favorite Christmas memories. My husband was a sponsor of our church's youth group. At Christmas they went to New Hampshire for a sleigh ride through the woods at night. Our small son and I got to go, too. We had two sleighs. We were in the second one, and were covered in bearskin robes. There were horses and riders behind us, and I was watching them, and they made no noise -- totally silent in the snow. We went to a barn and had hot chocolate. It makes me smile every time I think of this magical night.
My Christmas Magic......
..........now makes me cry! :-(
For me "Christmas" is a Brass Band playing a carol (God Rest Ye, Silent Night or Bleak mid-winter really hit the spot) as I grew up in a Brass Band back home and we would spend the weekend before Christmas and ALL of Christmas Eve (from 4pm until 1am on Christmas Day!!) "carolling" around the area.
We'd walk the streets in the village the band was based playing outside the homes of the players - their parents (as most had started playing while still living at home but obviously grew up and got their own homes!) and then move onto the pubs. Playing in the pubs was our fundraiser of the year!
Christmas Eve we would play on each street corner of the village we were based and the 2 villages surrounding where many of us lived, and then visit the homes of our big supporters (many of whom had played themselves in the past) and we would always end Christmas Eve at an out lying farm where the owner had a huge party. We would sneak onto the lawn just before midnight and as the church clock began chiming midnight we would launch into "Christians awake, salute the happy morn".
All the guest would come out and cheer and then we'd get mice pies and hot toddies before being bused home.
We did it every year (bar one when we got snowed out of that particular village) but the house owner always made out it was a huge surprise! Lol!
Sadly I did much of my banding with my Dad, and I discovered last year that although I love to hear the bands at christmas, it makes me cry buckets because he's not here anymore! - I was in the middle of the biggest shopping centre for miles listening to the Salvation Army band at the time, it frightened my husband to death when I just suddenly - for no apparant reason!- bawling my eyes out!
Ahhhh. Roll on December!
AM
..........now makes me cry! :-(
For me "Christmas" is a Brass Band playing a carol (God Rest Ye, Silent Night or Bleak mid-winter really hit the spot) as I grew up in a Brass Band back home and we would spend the weekend before Christmas and ALL of Christmas Eve (from 4pm until 1am on Christmas Day!!) "carolling" around the area.
We'd walk the streets in the village the band was based playing outside the homes of the players - their parents (as most had started playing while still living at home but obviously grew up and got their own homes!) and then move onto the pubs. Playing in the pubs was our fundraiser of the year!
Christmas Eve we would play on each street corner of the village we were based and the 2 villages surrounding where many of us lived, and then visit the homes of our big supporters (many of whom had played themselves in the past) and we would always end Christmas Eve at an out lying farm where the owner had a huge party. We would sneak onto the lawn just before midnight and as the church clock began chiming midnight we would launch into "Christians awake, salute the happy morn".
All the guest would come out and cheer and then we'd get mice pies and hot toddies before being bused home.
We did it every year (bar one when we got snowed out of that particular village) but the house owner always made out it was a huge surprise! Lol!
Sadly I did much of my banding with my Dad, and I discovered last year that although I love to hear the bands at christmas, it makes me cry buckets because he's not here anymore! - I was in the middle of the biggest shopping centre for miles listening to the Salvation Army band at the time, it frightened my husband to death when I just suddenly - for no apparant reason!- bawling my eyes out!
Ahhhh. Roll on December!
AM
I love this thread! Anyone want to share another "Christmas Magic" moment?
Feels like pure Christmas Magic when I drive home from work in the evening & the moon is bright above. I can almost see Santa & his sleigh gliding acoss the sky.
I wonder if other's see it too?
Feels like pure Christmas Magic when I drive home from work in the evening & the moon is bright above. I can almost see Santa & his sleigh gliding acoss the sky.
I wonder if other's see it too?
For me, I have to make my own most of the time. Every year, since I was about 15/16, I have made a special time for myself. My parents had a load of social events they had to go to before Christmas, and as I got old enough to be the babysitter, I discovered that all my siblings didn't want to go to bed on time but watch the various movies on tv instead (in the living room). So I could head off into the sitting room, where the tree was, and manage to take a half hour or so to lie on the floor alone, with all the room lights off and only the tree lights on, and usually with the open fire lighting. I usually have a beverage of some sort with me (I used to raid my parents liquor cabinet - now it is sometimes a glass of wine, hot chocolate or a fizzy drink). That is my time to reflect on the year passed, the year ahead, and life in general - and have a peaceful "time out" in the midst of all the chaos of the season and the family.
I have done it every single year since that first year, now it's usually a night that DH is on his night out with work, and I can relax once DD is in bed. But I find that a very special time for me.
I also try to make sure that, by having the organisation and planning done early, I can enjoy the season more and be less stressed. And also fit in more family time, and time to head into town and enjoy people watching, or go to a carol service, or whatever - rather than dashing to buy everything or prepare everything in 2 weeks flat. Which is magic to me too.
I have done it every single year since that first year, now it's usually a night that DH is on his night out with work, and I can relax once DD is in bed. But I find that a very special time for me.
I also try to make sure that, by having the organisation and planning done early, I can enjoy the season more and be less stressed. And also fit in more family time, and time to head into town and enjoy people watching, or go to a carol service, or whatever - rather than dashing to buy everything or prepare everything in 2 weeks flat. Which is magic to me too.
So many people kept saying "It doesn't feel like Christmas" everywhere I went. My dh kept saying he had no Christmas spirit and he was really bringing me down this year.
On Christmas day it finally snowed. Everyone thought we were going to have a green Christmas (or a brown Christmas) but we got snow on Christmas day.
Dh and I were mostly alone all day, but we watched Christmas movies together as we glanced at the snow falling outside. (He and I have been having a lot of tough-times, lately, but there was no grumpiness and it was like it was in the early years.)
My cord died that I plug all the lights to my tree into, so on Christmas Day my tree wasn't lit. (Am on the search for a new one. I found it online, but want to search for it locally first.)
On Christmas day it finally snowed. Everyone thought we were going to have a green Christmas (or a brown Christmas) but we got snow on Christmas day.
Dh and I were mostly alone all day, but we watched Christmas movies together as we glanced at the snow falling outside. (He and I have been having a lot of tough-times, lately, but there was no grumpiness and it was like it was in the early years.)
My cord died that I plug all the lights to my tree into, so on Christmas Day my tree wasn't lit. (Am on the search for a new one. I found it online, but want to search for it locally first.)
Lolwlias, it was like that on my job. Everyone was being such a grinch. But I refused to let them dampened my holiday spirit. I decorated my office, brought in goodies for everyone and wore the silliest Christmas hats and socks everyday. Everyone got a kick out of my outfits and could not wait to see what I was wearing the next day.
Then suddenly many of the people's moods began to change. Some started decorting their office space and they even had a Christmas luncheon.
Then suddenly many of the people's moods began to change. Some started decorting their office space and they even had a Christmas luncheon.