My Christmas Memories – Part Two: Preparations!
It was the dedication from my parents which made our Christmas unique. The preparation for the big day was exciting in itself and we were all actively involved. Our Christmas tree and decorations went up in our house the weekend before Christmas. As we owned our own woods, Dad would choose one of these trees – It would be at least seven feet high!
On dry winter days we would wrap up warm and follow Dad into the woods, where we would watch him fell our Christmas tree. Dad sawing down trees was a regular occurrence because wood was our only source of fuel. We’d have to stand at a safe distance and then we’d all chorus at the appropriate time… “Tim…ber!” and wait with hearts racing, for the crash. Birds would cry out and leaves on the floor would scatter in all directions.
At Christmas time, I also remember we would pick some sprigs of holly, rich with red berries and occasionally some Mistletoe, if it could be found.
Once the Christmas tree was inside and eventually positioned with logs in a bucket, to prevent it from tilting, we would collect the Christmas box from the attic. The tree was always placed in the same place, opposite the main door into our living room and to the right of the room. We only had carpet over two thirds of the floor. The part where the tree stood was on the polished oak floor. Dad always insisted on getting the lights sorted first before we were allowed to put on the decorations. This could be a very frustrating time, as invariably over the previous twelve months, a bulb would have “gone”, or a connection come loose and it could take him hours to get the series of lights in working order.
Our lights were very special. They were bought in the 1940s and consisted of delicate lanterns around an oval shaped bulb. These lanterns depicted scenes from Walt Disney’s “Fantasia” and for years I wanted to see it at the cinema. In 1990 it finally came out on video. My favourite parts are the changing seasons and The Magician’s Apprentice.
Once the lights were working to Dad’s satisfaction, we were allowed to position the baubles and all the old favourite ornaments, which had been collected over the years and many before I was born. A few of the bulbs were decorations in their own right in the shape of a snowman or Father Christmas, or elongated ones with patterns on. Even when these bulbs ceased to function, they were too pretty to throw away and we’d attach cotton on to them and hang them on the tree as additional ornaments. We did have a few brightly coloured glass baubles, but they all bit the dust over the years, being so fragile.
The majority of decorations we had, were ones we made from old Christmas cards, or paint pine cones in white, to look like snow caught on the edges. Sometimes these would be touched with glitter to look like frost.
Lastly the strands of tinsel were strategically placed to enhance the tree. Then we would stand back; the main lights would be switched off and we would wait in hushed excitement as the Christmas lights were switched on. We stood in awe at the spectacle. It was a magical time. The tinsel and baubles reflected the light from the lanterns and they all sparkled in our eyes, giving a hint of the excitement within us.
