We don’t have a lot of pictures of me from growing up. I know many have fewer pictures than I do so I should be content with the dozen or so pictures I do have.
I’m old enough that many of my pictures were still black and white.
This one was taken at Christmas time. It must have been developed in February of ’68. Assuming it was from the Christmas of ’67, that means I was two years old. That’s the same age as our grandson Carver is.
The picture shows the contents of my Christmas stocking. I’m guessing there’s an orange, apple, banana, nuts a few pieces of candy and in the tin foil I am positive is a popcorn ball. That was it.
My, times have changed. Now days stockings are filled to the brim. Most often things that are stocking sized….gift cards, chap stick…all things that cost much more money than the contents of my stocking.
To this day…the things that were in my stocking are the things that mean Christmas to me.
I ALWAYS buy the fruit from the fundraisers in our area. Getting ours delivered is what prompted this blog post…oh I love the nice Christmas time fruit. Grapefruits are my favorite.
I ALWAYS have out nuts and a nutcracker. I always make popcorn balls.
When I was this age, we still had Christmas at our house…I still remember it through my child eyes. Mom and Dad got the old fashion candy from the grocery store that I so wish I could find today. Ribbon candy….and the like…
My favorite was the candy with the cherries shown above.
I also loved Sponge Candy.
…and of course peanuts and nuts….LOTS of peanuts and nuts.
Funny thing is…I don’t really remember the presents. I don’t remember the tree. I don’t remember lights or decorations. It was more of festive feeling that I’ve always wished I could replicate…but sadly never have. I’ve looked and the candy is hard to find..and honestly, I shouldn’t have it for me to eat.
What is your memory of Christmas?? Is there anything that you still do that makes Christmas come alive for you?
My dad was in the service a lot so when he was home at Christmas it was a real treat. He wanted me and my mom to be with him. But my mom refused to raise a child on a base. Not having a man around so much, I was embarrassed to pull the underwear out if my stocking. stocking stuffers were (if I can remember) was soap in animal shapes, candy, gum, a card game, a hairbrush maybe new gloves. The memory of a 77 year old is not too good. But thank you, it made me smile while I was remembering. I neve4 asked fi4 a doll, I always wanted cars and a garage because that was my dad’s hobby — trstoring cars.
My sister and I always got an orange in the toes of our stockings, because that’s what my mother got in her stocking on the Iowa farm. She said that oranges were so special that they carefully ate them one segment at a time, savoring them for days, because there wouldn’t be another one until next Christmas. We grew up in California and oranges were plentiful, but we loved getting themin our stockings because of the story. I still need an orange in the toe of my stocking! Besides the orange, we got some candy, and our one gift from Santa was also in the stocking. Merry Christmas to all your family and all your readers!
We always spent the holidays with grandmas, one year my father’s family next year with my mom’s family. Always bunches of cousins, aunts and uncles. This year it is just my husband and me. I really miss the commotion of all the relatives.
We didn’t have Christmas stockings when I was a kid. When we would visit a couple who were friends of my parents (the couple didn’t have kids), they always had a dish of Christmas candy. My favorite was always ribbon candy.
Happy Holidays!
We always got an orange in our stockings, just as my mom had growing up. I did the same to my kids and now my grandkids are getting them. Some simple traditions need to be passed on.
Jo, check out the Vermont Country Store.
https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/old-fashioned-ribbon-candy/product/65235?variantName=Flavor&variantValue=Peppermint
This online store has many old fashion “things”
Cindy
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for sharing your memories. We didn’t have much, but one Christmas, when I was about 6-8 years old, my mother surprised me with an entire wardrobe for my Barbies, that she had sewed and knitted! She made a tiny wedding dress, square dance dress, a knitted shift dress, a prom-style gown. I know she worked really hard on that, but probably enjoyed doing it. I later passed it on to my niece when she had Barbies. I have no clue what happened to it all, but my niece keeps things, so she probably still has them packed away somewhere.
Thanks for the memories. BTW Carver looks a lot like you.
Dad always bought a box of bananas, apples, and oranges at Christmas. With eight kids the fruit didn’t last very long. I remember cutting a hole in the top of the orange then sucking out all the juice then eating the pulp. My earliest memory of Christmas was when I was about four years old I asked for a sack of balloons. I got a grass sack full of blown up balloons. I’m sure they cost no more than a dime but I was one happy little girl when I found that sack behind the tree.
Merry Christmas!
I loved reading about your memories, Jo. And yes, I also think Carver favors you in that old photo.
We always got apples, oranges, and nuts in our stockings too, and usually one big gift from Santa (as well as other gifts from parents and other family members.) My all time favorite “Santa” gift was an Easy Bake Oven. Man oh man, did I ever burn myself on that thing, but I loved baking even then, so no burns ever stopped me.
I was one of four children. Christmas Eve, we went to church, then read the Christmas story from the Bible AND The Night Before Christmas. Christmas morning, we dashed downstairs into the living room where “Santa” had placed our filled stocking next to our presents. For example, if my stocking was put on the chair, my presents from Santa would also be on that chair. Our presents from Santa were never wrapped. We only got one or two from him. In the stockings, we got ordinary things like pencils, crayons, socks, candy, and always an orange in the toe. Usually a new toothbrush too. (I put the same kind of things in my children’s stockings. I even give them toothpaste sometimes.) I remember the gifts too….I got a doll baby for Christmas until I was almost 15. I will always love doll babies. I got an easy bake oven one year. Electric curlers. Bacharach and David songbook (Got that the day Father Christmas because my mother forgot where she put it!) My father was in the Air Force and sometimes would get home the day after Christmas so we just did everything a day later. Sweet memories.
I always had an orange in my stocking … for some reason I don’t remember if there was anything else! To this day, when I smell new plastic, such as binders that kids use for school, it brings back memories of getting a new doll for Christmas. Isn’t it funny how our memories work? Merry Christmas to you and your family … and enjoy your days off!
I love going to the Children’s Mass at our church and singing in the choir. Really helps to bring back Christmas for me and away from the commercialism of what it sort of has become. Just so you know, sponge candy is alive and well in Buffalo, NY!
I don’t recall getting anything in our stockings but my Aunt made all of us one and I hang mine still, its a treasure. My father in law made wonderful candy, I learned to make Angel Food Candy and Toffee from him. Merry Christmas Jo
Oooh! I remember that candy! It was always a special treat along with the ribbon candy. I recently checked online as to how ribbon candy is made, very interesting! My favorites were the round ones with the cherries or flowers in the center. My siblings and I all got an orange, some nuts to crack open, a bag of chocolate coins and maybe a small trinket ot two in our stockings. Good memories!
Christmas stockings clothes pinned to the bottom of the Christmas tree, sometimes the contents were so much that they were unwrapped books underneath, on top of the wrapped packages that had to wait till after lunch to be opened when the whole family (grandparents) could get there. An orange in the toe of the stocking, a small bag of nuts, very little candy. BOOKS! LOVE BOOKS to this day.
Lemans.com has your candy I believe, they also carry a lot of other old favorite candies.
Jeri
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