With Christmas upon us and with all the hype about spending, spending and more spending, what was Christmas like 50 years ago?
There were very few televisions, no cell phones, computers or microwaves! So how did people enjoy the holidays without what we call the "necessities" of life?
Lets take a look back approximately 50 years ago. I was 12 years old and the year was 1962. Living on a farm in rural Iowa and attending a one room schoolhouse with only 2 other kids in my class. In the school we had no running water and when you had to go to the bathroom, you put on all your winter outerwear and went outside to an outhouse! We had a Christmas play in which every student had a part. I played my accordion with a friend and we all sang Christmas carols! All the families decorated a Christmas tree and the parents brought food for a potluck.
Christmas was spent with my parents, three siblings, my grandparents, and my aunt, uncle and their four children. My uncle farmed with my father so they were always a part of my family including birthdays, holidays, and other important events in all of our lives.
All the excitement started the day after Thanksgiving! Oh, there was no Black Friday then! Only a lot of leftovers from Thanksgiving!
Mom would start baking and making candy and cookies the whole month of December! Most of it to be given to friends in the farming community in which we were a part of. She would store the candy and cookies on the front porch which was unheated and freezing cold! But we kids would sneak out there to grab that decorated sugar cookie or divinity which was absolutely delicious! We had a Christmas tree and a Nativity scene which constituted most of our decorations! No LEDs or plastic blow ups!
Ahh, Christmas Eve has arrived!
But first of all, chores had to be done! Dad and my Uncle would go feed all the livestock usually in a foot or more of snow! Memories come back of walking with my dad down the cow troughs and the cows waiting in line for their food, their nostrils breathing that ice cold air and watching their breathe disappear into thin air!
OK chores done! Christmas Eve can start!
Our supper consisted of Grandma's Oyster stew, and our one time of year, deep fried shrimp with baked potatoes! Oh, then we got to eat mom's candies and cookies!
But guess what was running through my head? You see, I still believed in Santa and we all knew he would arrive shortly after supper on Christmas Eve. Santa always came Christmas Eve after supper.
Santa came and everyone was so excited! One present was all we got! Usually a doll or one toy! One year my sister and I got a record player together and were we excited!
We never saw Santa but quite often we knew we heard him. We would run from window to window looking for him but our parents would herd us into the playroom for a little!
Then we would open our present under the Christmas tree from our parents and grandparents.
By this time it was around 8pm or so. Time for bed because you see, we all had to get up for Midnight Mass. You read right, midnight like late at night time. My parents, being very strict Catholics never and I mean never missed Midnight Mass. It was the purpose of Christmas! The celebration of Christ's birth! Going to communion for Christ's birthday!
It was so beautiful getting up in the middle of the night and hearing the church bells ring down the road as the church filled with people there to worship the birth of Jesus. The crunch of everyone's footsteps in the snow making their pilgrimage to church.
Then back home we would go! And to bed!
Those Christmas's were the real Christmas! Not full of material objects but families brought together for the birth of our Savior! Family and gathering together for the birth of Jesus is Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all !!
There were very few televisions, no cell phones, computers or microwaves! So how did people enjoy the holidays without what we call the "necessities" of life?
Lets take a look back approximately 50 years ago. I was 12 years old and the year was 1962. Living on a farm in rural Iowa and attending a one room schoolhouse with only 2 other kids in my class. In the school we had no running water and when you had to go to the bathroom, you put on all your winter outerwear and went outside to an outhouse! We had a Christmas play in which every student had a part. I played my accordion with a friend and we all sang Christmas carols! All the families decorated a Christmas tree and the parents brought food for a potluck.
Christmas was spent with my parents, three siblings, my grandparents, and my aunt, uncle and their four children. My uncle farmed with my father so they were always a part of my family including birthdays, holidays, and other important events in all of our lives.
All the excitement started the day after Thanksgiving! Oh, there was no Black Friday then! Only a lot of leftovers from Thanksgiving!
Mom would start baking and making candy and cookies the whole month of December! Most of it to be given to friends in the farming community in which we were a part of. She would store the candy and cookies on the front porch which was unheated and freezing cold! But we kids would sneak out there to grab that decorated sugar cookie or divinity which was absolutely delicious! We had a Christmas tree and a Nativity scene which constituted most of our decorations! No LEDs or plastic blow ups!
Ahh, Christmas Eve has arrived!
But first of all, chores had to be done! Dad and my Uncle would go feed all the livestock usually in a foot or more of snow! Memories come back of walking with my dad down the cow troughs and the cows waiting in line for their food, their nostrils breathing that ice cold air and watching their breathe disappear into thin air!
OK chores done! Christmas Eve can start!
Our supper consisted of Grandma's Oyster stew, and our one time of year, deep fried shrimp with baked potatoes! Oh, then we got to eat mom's candies and cookies!
But guess what was running through my head? You see, I still believed in Santa and we all knew he would arrive shortly after supper on Christmas Eve. Santa always came Christmas Eve after supper.
Santa came and everyone was so excited! One present was all we got! Usually a doll or one toy! One year my sister and I got a record player together and were we excited!
We never saw Santa but quite often we knew we heard him. We would run from window to window looking for him but our parents would herd us into the playroom for a little!
Then we would open our present under the Christmas tree from our parents and grandparents.
By this time it was around 8pm or so. Time for bed because you see, we all had to get up for Midnight Mass. You read right, midnight like late at night time. My parents, being very strict Catholics never and I mean never missed Midnight Mass. It was the purpose of Christmas! The celebration of Christ's birth! Going to communion for Christ's birthday!
It was so beautiful getting up in the middle of the night and hearing the church bells ring down the road as the church filled with people there to worship the birth of Jesus. The crunch of everyone's footsteps in the snow making their pilgrimage to church.
Then back home we would go! And to bed!
Those Christmas's were the real Christmas! Not full of material objects but families brought together for the birth of our Savior! Family and gathering together for the birth of Jesus is Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all !!
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