An Old-Fashioned Christmas [1] Posted by: Phyllis Davidson on Tuesday, December 1st, 2015 [2] Wouldn t it be wonderful to recapture some of the magic of Christmas that we experienced as children? Back then, I kept a very close eye on the December calendar page, frequently counting the number of days until Christmas. It certainly wasn t because I expected loads of gifts, but the whole experience seemed magical to me. I was the youngest of a blessedly large family, and my older siblings loved to come home to the farm on weekends and holidays. They brought special candies and cookies and even small gifts. They also brought their children, several who were older than I was, and some who were younger. One Christmas Eve when they were visiting, there was a loud knock on the front door. My mother opened the door, and there stood Santa Claus in his red suit. He came into the house with a bag of candy for each of us. Some of us were old enough to be skeptical. I tried to figure out who was behind that large white beard, but I simply couldn t do it. I was sure he wasn t my father, my older brother, a cousin or neighbor. We began to question him, Where are your reindeer? He told us they got overheated, so he left them down the road to rest. None of us ever figured out the mystery of that Santa, and years later my mother assured me that she knew nothing about it. My dad told me about his most memorable Christmas as a child. His father told him not to get out of bed to spy on Santa, but little Clyde just couldn t resist. He saw oranges, apples, nuts, candy and some small toys under the Christmas tree, but when he got up the next morning, they were all gone. Naturally, he began to cry, but his father said it was his own fault for spying on Santa. He told him to quit crying and get dressed. Clyde went to the hook on the wall behind the woodstove where he always hung his overalls, but when he tried to pick them up, they were heavy. He found that Santa had tied string around the bottom of each leg, and all his Christmas treats were there in the legs of his overalls. Probably each one of you has a memorable story or two about Christmas when you were a child. Please preserve your story for your descendants. Maybe you could write it up and print it on pretty Christmas stationary and give a copy to each one. Even better, ask a friend to record a video of you telling the story, with you wearing your Christmas sweater. Post the video on YouTube and send the link to your family members, or attach it to an email. There are many ways to share your memories, and Christmas is a great time to do it. When the chocolates are all gone, and the Christmas sweaters have unraveled, your story will still live on for your loved ones. Page 1 of 5
[3] Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Treasury: Holiday Stories to Warm the Heart [3] compiled by Jack Canfield and M.V. Hansen If you don t believe your story will still live on, please read Twas the Night b4 Christmas on page 36 of Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Treasury: Holiday Stories to Warm the Heart. This wonderful edition of Chicken Soup brings back favorite stories from previous books along with a host of new stories you will cherish for years to come. From humorous anecdotes to childhood memories, these heartwarming stories will inspire you with the spirit of love and giving, and remind you of the true meaning of Christmas. To help you feel more like a kid at Christmas, why not warm up a bowl of soup and enjoy some more real Christmas stories and some Christmas fiction. Some of these are available as downloadables. [4] Chicken Soup for the Soul: the Book of Christmas Virtues: Inspirational Stories to Warm the Heart [4] compiled by Jack Canfield and M.V. Hansen Page 2 of 5
Chicken Soup for the Soul Book of Christmas Virtues is a timeless collection of stories that highlights kindness, joy, faith, simplicity, wonder and love that comes with the inspiring season. The book is filled with story treats for every member of the family and reminds us once and for all times that Christmas is a season full of hope, of dreams and more than a celebration. Candy Cane Murder [5] [5] Candy Cane Murder is a book of three holiday stories by popular mystery writers who also wrote Gingerbread Cookie Murder. [6] The Christmas Shoes [6] by Donna VanLiere The Christmas Shoes is the first in the Christmas Hope Series. Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they're gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe... this is a universal story of the deeper meaning of serendipity, a tale of our shared humanity, and of how a power greater than ourselves can shape, and even save, our lives. Page 3 of 5
A Cosmic Christmas 2 You [7] edited by Hank Davis [7] A Cosmic Christmas 2 You is a collection of twelve science fiction stories ranging from vampires to robots, from the hills of Appalachia to a high orbit space station, all celebrating the holiday in off-beat ways. In fact, it seems that anyone who has written a series has focused at least one book on the Christmas season or contributed a short story to a holiday collection. Your Metropolitan Library friends wish you some very merry Christmas reads this holiday season. Audience: All Ages [8] Library: All Libraries [9] Tags: Books [10] Readers' Advisory [11] Seniors [12] Holidays [13] Blog Category: Article Source URL: http://www.metrolibrary.org/dog-eared/old-fashioned-christmas Links [1] http://www.metrolibrary.org/dog-eared/old-fashioned-christmas [2] http://www.metrolibrary.org/sites/default/files/styles/video_thumbnail/public/wreath.jpg?itok= HstC-ioY [3] http://catalog.metrolibrary.org/?config=default#section=resource&resourceid=5742492& amp;currentindex=0&view=fulldetailsdetailstab [4] http://bit.ly/1lpwxql [5] http://bit.ly/1nlkddh [6] http://bit.ly/1ozpnfo [7] http://bit.ly/1luqrgb [8] http://www.metrolibrary.org/audience/all-ages [9] http://www.metrolibrary.org/locations/all-libraries Page 4 of 5
[10] http://www.metrolibrary.org/tags/books [11] http://www.metrolibrary.org/tags/readers-advisory [12] http://www.metrolibrary.org/tags/seniors [13] http://www.metrolibrary.org/tags/holidays Page 5 of 5