Share Your Treasured Christmas Memories with Us!

My most important memory is Boxing Day 1995 - that was the last time we were all together as a family.  We met at my parents house for tea - we drank, we ate, we laughed and played trivial pursuit - watched TV and just had a great family day.  November 95 Dad died and Boxing days were never the same 

OK Carer here. My lower dentures fell apart. Put them on sink. Went away , came back, GONE. Two days later found the two bits. One in the cats bed other under her food bowl. Crack on and laugh. Only thing you can do. Take care everyone and laugh while you can 

My memory was when I was 6.  1948. My mum and I shared a bed as there was only one bedroom. It was Christmas day morning. I badly wanted a bike and a walkie talkie doll but as the war was just a while back I did not imagine I would get them. We were a one parent family. My father was in the merchant navy and has been killed three months after my birth. I was a twin, the other girl baby did not live. My mother worked. I remember waking up and a lovely black Raleigh bike with a basket was next to the bed. I was so happy. Even today I look back and remember my brother putting wooden blocks on the peddles and taught me every night how to ride it. A bicycle has been a very important friend ever after, used every day and my form of transport for many years.

Boxing Day, when I was young was often spent at my paternal grandparents home. My dad is the eldest of 6, so it was very busy and my Granda used to dress up as Santa to give the presents out. We all called him Boxing Santy for some reason, maybe because it was boxing day. My husband told me recently that he never understood the reason why and was expecting my Granda coming in with boxing gloves on! My Granda and uncles had been to the club so you can imagine it was a bit raucous! One year, my sister sat beneath the the table, which was laid with tablecloth, Christmas buffet and adults drinks. No one knew she was there as she was hidden by the tablecloth and was helping herself to the drinks! She was only about 10 at the time. Well, she was a bit merry and when we got her home, she pulled the Xmas tree over. I think she was sick and we put her to bed. My mother was oblivious to all this as she had left early to do her shift as an usherette at the theatre. As you can imagine, my dad got it in the neck for not keeping a better eye on her.

Sometimes on Boxing Day we had to go to the Mencap (as it was then) Christmas party. My grandparents were involved with the charity as my uncle had Downs syndrome. So the party was for all the children with Downs syndrome. The party was in a local nightclub and it was always eventful. Well done if you are still here as it's a bit jackanory haha.

Wonderful stories so far. Thank you all so much for sharing! I hope we'll see even more shared over this festive week. As a bit of encouragement, here's my own funny memory:

" It's Christmas day, nineteen eighty something. Our family are all gathered around the large dining table, which naturally had to be made even larger by the addition of a wonky coffee table. Yes, it was a totally different height to the main table, but it was covered by a cloth and so obviously it was perfectly disguised. 

There are about 15 of us around the table, some sat on seats, 4 sat on patio chairs, one on a tea chest, and the other on a bathroom stool. No one is taking a blind bit of notice to the smoke emanating from the kitchen, as we're all too busy laughing at Grandad #1's Frank Spencer impression. Eventually, someone catches the unmistakable scent of incinerated baked goods.

"What the heck is that?!", Granny #1 exclaims in shock. Several members of the family go to investigate. They return with a baking tray held in an oven-gloved hand, and upon it lays the charred remains of what once were assorted savoury pastry bites.

All eyes fall on Grandad #2, who, after realising he wasn't going to disappear into thin air, offered his regretful explanation to an exasperated Granny #2: "You said put them in at high for 45 minutes!"

A moment of silence, as Granny #2 considers how best to phrase her response.

"Four to five."

We all shoot a look at Grandad #2, looking for his reaction.

"FOUR TO FIVE MINUTES, YOU FOOL!" Granny #2 bellowed, before taking the ashes back into the kitchen.

The family collapse into tears of laughter around the table, except for Grandad #2, who is now wondering just what is going to happen to him when he gets home. "

And that was the last time Granny #2 ever tried to give Grandad #2 any cooking instructions. Perhaps that was his cunning plan all along... 

Wishing a peaceful Christmas break to one and all! 

We used to live in a small hamlet and our house backed onto a wood which was patrolled by a gamekeeper. My dad used to sneak out at night every year just before Christmas and cut down a small fir tree and bring it back for us to decorate as our Christmas tree. He was normally a very law abiding citizen but I think in the 1950's money was a bit tight so he became creative. He wasn't the only one as I do remember our next door neighbour mysteriously producing a pheasant now and then and giving one to Mum to cook. We used to make a lot of our own decorations at that stage, paper chains featuring strongly. It was always such a happy time for my 2 brothers and I expectantly waiting for Father Christmas to come.

Hi  it's good to meet you and a happy New Year. Your memory fills the mind with nice thoughts. It's good to remember them. I.used to spend hours licking pieces of different coloured  paper to make paper chains. The remarkable thing was that either, my  spit was durable or the glue on the strips of paper  was first class. They never broke. Collecting for comes to spray white, gold, or silver. Reading your things to remember has made me remember mine. Thank youx

Should read collecting for cones

I think I am losing it. Fur cones it should readx

About 50 years ago growing up in a terraced house, two adults and four kids, we were joined by my aunties family 2 weeks before Christmas, they had moved down from Scotland to start a new life, so two more adults and five more kids not to mention 3 dogs and 3 cats, It didn't matter you had to book a bath 4 days in advance, share your bed with 2 others or wait for dinner because often you couldn't cook for 13 all at once, to me it made the whole of the Christmas holidays and Christmas day especially the best one ever