Remembering Christmas as a child brings back so many feelings. It's strange how a smell can transport you back so many years. My grandmother's house... especially at Christmas was the most magical place in the world, and is so to me to this day.

When I look back on Christmas at Grandma's, it seems a bit strange to me now. The Christmas tree was always in her bedroom. I'm supposing that it was in there, because the living room was small.. and possibly because she always kept her bedroom very cold. There was another reason... there was a door which led outside.. which was how Santa delivered the presents when we were all gathered in Grandma's living room!

I will never forget the smell of that bedroom at Christmas.. the evergreen tree.. bowls of Christmas candy and nuts.. oranges... it was a wonderful smell! I have found a scented candle.. called balsam fir.. that if I close my eyes and smell it takes me back to that time. Needless to say, my whole house is full of those candles.

My mother had five brothers, and the whole family would congregate at Grandma's on Christmas Eve. The excitement for me was overwhelming. The children tried to be calm as we sat in Grandma's living room waiting for Santa to make his stop. We're talking about 15 kids.. you can imagine it was a bit hard to keep us all in line. I'm sure the older ones knew that our parents were secretly hauling in the goods through that outside door, but I never caught on.... or I didn't want to catch on.

Grandma would go in and check every few minutes to see if Santa had been there. Finally she would announce that he had made his stop, and the children would gather in her room to see the mountain of gifts he had delivered. We all sat very quietly while the gifts were handed to each of us, no one was ever disappointed, or if they were, they didn't let on. Then we would all gather around Grandma while she opened her gifts.

This was the only time of year that the whole family was together, so the adults had lots of things to talk about and catch up on. They were always gathered in the kitchen.. having a toddy or two no doubt! I hope they all realize what wonderful memories they gave to their children.

Being a child is a wonderous thing at Christmas. I try each year to rekindle those feelings. My Grandma left us just before my eighth Christmas. It was never the same again, but I am thankful for those memories, I will have them forever. I hope all of you have wonderful memories of Christmas as a child and that you have created wonderful memories for your children as well.

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