Piling up presents under the Christmas tree is about a Christmas as it gets. However, there's a very dumb aspect to putting things under the tree. I'll get to that.
Only occasionally did we have a tree. There were few trees on the prairie and no spruce trees. Paying for a Christmas tree was out of reach. However in the late 40's after the war we did get Christmas trees.
I grew up in the 40's along with two brothers and a sister. The family was always hard up. If we got a present from Mom and Dad , it would be for the four of us. One year we got a tricycle. Another year we got a dog. Our maternal grandparents gave us individual gifts like a pair of mitts grandma would knit. One year we got pocket watches but they were second hand. Probably something Grandpa had. I remember my watch fell apart right after Christmas and I bawled.
Now the few presents we got were put under the tree for decoration. Well you can guess what we did. The gifts were shaken, squeezed, listened to until the wrapping was pretty well worn away.
Now it's getting close to that time of the season where the tree is bought and decorated. and soon gifts will be appearing under the tree.
What were our parents thinking when they stashed the gifts under the tree with four little kids in the house. That was kind of dumb!
Well, guess what? When I had little kids, what did I do? I put the gifts under the tree!
What nice memories of an easier Christmas time. I once put dog fencing up around the tree to protect it from the new dog. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteSome things were easier then but we had nothing.
DeleteOur Christmases were similar in the 1950s, though we always got separate presents - sort of! I remember one year I wanted a fretsaw (I can't remember why) and my brother wanted a model fort for his toy soldiers. I found out later that my father bought the saw and plenty of plywood, carefully unwrapped the saw, then used it to make the fort before wrapping it again as my present. The fort turned out so well that when the family doctor saw it he asked Dad if he'd make one for his children. My father said he didn't have the time, but a few weeks later he asked if he could borrow my fretsaw to see if he could make a fort for two young boys who lived nearby and whose father had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident.
ReplyDeleteSome presents have a great story.
DeleteI guess due to the myth of Santa Claus, my parents never put presents, for my brother and I anyway, under the tree until after we were in bed on Christmas Eve. So we had nothing to squeeze, shake or mangle until Christmas morning.
ReplyDeleteThere are many different traditions.
DeleteI only have a tiny tree, not big enough to put any presents under it. Hubby and I do not exchange gifts. Take care, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteOur tree is in a box waiting to be sold on a garage sale.
DeleteUnder the tree is the tradition that probably every one of your readers follows or has at some point. Our little decorative tree can’t have gifts under it, but it doesn’t matter as we do Christmas at daughter’s house.
ReplyDeleteMany different traditions. When our daughter lived here she insisted on hosting Christmas.
DeleteIt is hard to break those traditions!
ReplyDeleteWe'd feel guilty of we broke with the tradition.
DeleteYou bring back memories from my own Christmas presents under the tree. I remember one of my favorite Christmas trees was just a green yarn one on the wall, no money for a real tree. We loved it anyway. :-)
ReplyDeleteNever heard of that kind of tree but it sounds great.
DeleteWe have always kept the presents hidden away until they appeared Christmas morning. I would hide them in my closet in the empty suitcases we kept in there. The kids never thought to look in the suitcases! :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your kids did a thorough search but you beat them at the game.
DeleteLiving in a treed area, I never thought of a barren landscape with no evergreen trees available for decorating. I doubt that my family would have bought a tree; that would have been unheard of. I still bring in a real tree, usually one found in the road allowance. So much temptation & anticipation with presents under the tree.
ReplyDeleteWe rarely saw a spruce tree and I remember the smell of them.
DeleteIt's part of the ritual -- giving kids an opportunity to destroy their presents before they're even opened!
ReplyDeleteAnd there were many different rituals.
DeleteIt was a tradition in our house too. Fun memories. :)
ReplyDeleteI have pleasant memories of Christmas as a child.
DeleteWe had trees when I was growing up. I am past having that in my life.
ReplyDeleteI think the fake tree has taken over the tradition.
DeleteOur gifts never appeared until Christmas Eve, or Christmas morning, depending on when we opened them. Santa had to bring them, you know. That's the way we still do it.
ReplyDeleteWe seemed to know where these gifts came from. Santa filled the stoking.
DeleteWhen the children were VERY small, presents did not go under the tree. However as they got older, and boxes arrived with gifts from the far away relatives, they DID go under the tree. Very often, they were allowed to put them there themselves. It was part of the excitement.
ReplyDeleteYou taught them a lesson by involving them in the process.
DeleteMy brother and I got gifts when we were little from just one aunt and uncle. And that was it, but it was enough. Our kids got a gazillion gifts sent to them from Hawaii in Illinois, but I don't think they ever manhandled them. They did know they were lucky to have a more secure childhood than I did. I imagine those few gifts you had were even more special because you didn't have many. As a matter of fact, my aunt recently passed away, but before she died I told her how much I appreciated her making the holiday so special for us. I hope she could hear me.
ReplyDeleteThere are many variations in Christmas celebrations.
ReplyDeleteShaking the Christmas presents was a tradition for my sister and me, and later my children growing up. Such delicious anticipation! I usually got a new doll or my mom made a new set of clothes for an old doll that was then wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. But one year I got a new bike from my grandparents! I’ll never forget that.
ReplyDeleteIt was a hard and rather spartan life in Esk - far from anywhere. However, whenever you write about those days, you do so with fondness. It was a great foundation on which to build your adult life. I am sure that you value small comforts more than most people.
ReplyDeleteNothing beats tradition but I remember sneaking a peak at presents by tearing the corner and pressing it back into place. I'm sure my parents knew. We never had the tradition of putting gifts under the tree. They were always 'hidden' in the airing cupboard behind the hot water tanks, and always given to us in pillowcases, our version of the Christmas stocking I suppose. Chocolate coins were hung on the tree in their mesh gold bags - sensible not to put them behind the hot water tank :) Anyhow, I always knew where they were, and our favorite gifts were books (princesses, ballerinas, that kind of thing). My parents never gave an inkling that they had cottoned on to my sneaky peaking, and I never told them. I never ever asked my sister even years later if she did the same thing. Enjoyed your memories as always Red, an enjoyable read.
ReplyDeleteIt was always fun to shake them and guess what was inside!
ReplyDeleteThis was fun to read! My parents put the gifts under the tree and I did the same with my kids.
ReplyDelete