Christmas of 1965 was the first Christmas I remember really well.Of course,I recall coming home in that storm on Christmas Eve.But Christmas started way before that.Before there was even snow on the ground my father put an ax in the trunk of the car and gathered the family,and we all went out into the woods and cut down a pine tree.We put it into the trunk of the car,along with the ax and we brought it home.I don't know where exactly we went to find the tree,but it wasn't a long way from home.All over New Brunswick there were a lot of trees,and I don't remember anybody ever telling us we couldn't cut one down.Most people that we knew cut down their own trees,and there didn't seem to be a lot of tree lots around back then.Of course my father never went on private land to cut.Usually he would just walk a little way in off the road,and in a few minutes he'd have one cut down and in the trunk.But it was also a nice chance to get out for a walk in the woods.My father would always tell us to watch for moose whenever we were out in the woods.He knew how to call moose too,or at least he said he did,and he would let out this awful bellow.But we never saw any moose.
Once we were ready to decorate the tree,usually a week or so before Christmas,my father would drag the tree in from out in the yard,and set it up on this red tree stand.This would seem to take forever,as he was always so particular about having the tree set up perfectly straight,and not showing any big gaps in the branches.He would put water in the tree stand too,and explain to us that every day we were to give the tree a drink of water so it would not dry out and burn down the house.
Up in the attic is where our Christmas decorations were kept.Getting at them was not easy.Only my parents could go to the attic,and they would have to use a step ladder to reach up inside,once they had removed the board over the hole.The only thing I knew about the attic is that it was never a comfortable temperature inside.In summer opening the attic was like opening up a blast furnace.And,when it came time to dig out the Christmas decorations,a cold wind would come down from the attic.It seemed as though it was just as cold in the attic as it was outside.So I guessed that's why nobody ever went there for any more that a minute or two.We would just haul out whatever we needed,then,when we finished with it,it would disappear into the hole for another year.
Christmas decorations consisted of not much more than two,or maybe three strings of lights,maybe thirty to forty lights in all.It was hard to get them in working order too,because all of the lights had to be in working order before any of them would come on.If a single light was burned out,it had to be found and replaced first.So my father would always buy a new package of lights just so he could replace any broken ones.This usually took a few minutes every year,and two or three times a light would need to be replaced through the Christmas season,because lights then were not like the ones now that seem to last forever.On those strings of lights,there were three older lights,not like the other,newer ones.These three were older style lights,like you might see in the 1940s or 1950s and were left over from an earlier set that my parents used to have.The bulbs were a little bit bigger than a golf ball,a bit smaller than a billiards ball.They had a rough texture on the outside.There was a yellow one,a blue one,and a green one.I don't ever remember seeing the green one lit,and it must have burned out no later than 1965.But the other two we kept,and they worked for many more years.This made me happy as I've always liked old,traditional things for the Christmas tree.
After my parents had strung the lights,we would cover the tree with tinsel.This was messy,and we would have tinsel all over everything including ourselves.It always looked messy on the tree too,but later,after we were in bed my mother would straighten up the tinsel,so it looked better.In those days,that's all we would put on the tree.We didn't even have a star,or an angel at the top for another few years.And every night,right after dinner,I would remember to give the tree a drink.
Like everything else,Christmas was a thing we had to learn about.We were told two distinct stories about Christmas.Santa Claus,a fat old man who lived at the North Pole would deliver gifts to children all over the world,in his sleigh,pulled along by reindeer.He would land on the roof top,and come down through the chimney delivering toys to all good little boys and girls.Of course,I wondered how that worked if you lived in an apartment building that didn't have a fireplace.There were a few apartments around then,but not many in our neighborhood.I wondered too,how Santa Claus would manage to get up and down the chimney with a fire burning like my father insisted we have on Christmas Eve.
Of course,the other story we were taught about Christmas was the Story of Jesus born in a manger,in Bethlehem.My mother was reading Bible stories out of this big,beautiful book called Bible Stories For Children every night when we went to bed.Not only did we have a copy of this book,that we could sit and look at whenever we wanted,but it was a very popular book.Most children were familiar with it.Moreover,in those days the was always a copy of Bible Stories For Children in the waiting room at any doctor's office,or dentists office,and even in the hospital waiting rooms.The book was beautifully illustrated and while my mother told the story,my sister and I would gaze upon The Christ Child laying in a manger,surrounded by animals,or of shepherds watching sheep in their fields,or of the wise men journeying across the desert on camels,bringing gifts.In those days,the way my mother told the story,it was just a wonderful tale,not really presented with any deep theology.She would tell the story over and over again at bedtime,and sometimes would we would hear her singing Away in a Manger.It,along with Jingle Bells were two of the first songs I ever memorized.
Santa Claus did indeed come that Christmas of 1965.He brought dolls for my sister,and trucks for me.And there was one thing under that tree that I recall above all the others.It was a gleaming red tri-cycle.I would not be able to ride it until springtime,at least not outside.We did ride it in the basement though,right after breakfast.We also got a sled that Christmas,so we could go coasting down the hills in the park,and so that my mother had some way to pull my little sister along when we were out in the snow.
We'd put up stocking by the fireplace too,and they were filled up with candy canes and small gifts and toys.There were all kinds of candy and nuts out on the coffee table while we unwrapped our Christmas gifts,and listened to Christmas songs on the radio.We would enjoy a big breakfast of eggs and bacon and juice,after we'd been up for what seemed like hours.And later in the day we would have turkey.Life was good,there was plenty,though we were not wealthy.We were a close and growing family,with loving parents and good providers,as we moved into 1966.
Once we were ready to decorate the tree,usually a week or so before Christmas,my father would drag the tree in from out in the yard,and set it up on this red tree stand.This would seem to take forever,as he was always so particular about having the tree set up perfectly straight,and not showing any big gaps in the branches.He would put water in the tree stand too,and explain to us that every day we were to give the tree a drink of water so it would not dry out and burn down the house.
Up in the attic is where our Christmas decorations were kept.Getting at them was not easy.Only my parents could go to the attic,and they would have to use a step ladder to reach up inside,once they had removed the board over the hole.The only thing I knew about the attic is that it was never a comfortable temperature inside.In summer opening the attic was like opening up a blast furnace.And,when it came time to dig out the Christmas decorations,a cold wind would come down from the attic.It seemed as though it was just as cold in the attic as it was outside.So I guessed that's why nobody ever went there for any more that a minute or two.We would just haul out whatever we needed,then,when we finished with it,it would disappear into the hole for another year.
Christmas decorations consisted of not much more than two,or maybe three strings of lights,maybe thirty to forty lights in all.It was hard to get them in working order too,because all of the lights had to be in working order before any of them would come on.If a single light was burned out,it had to be found and replaced first.So my father would always buy a new package of lights just so he could replace any broken ones.This usually took a few minutes every year,and two or three times a light would need to be replaced through the Christmas season,because lights then were not like the ones now that seem to last forever.On those strings of lights,there were three older lights,not like the other,newer ones.These three were older style lights,like you might see in the 1940s or 1950s and were left over from an earlier set that my parents used to have.The bulbs were a little bit bigger than a golf ball,a bit smaller than a billiards ball.They had a rough texture on the outside.There was a yellow one,a blue one,and a green one.I don't ever remember seeing the green one lit,and it must have burned out no later than 1965.But the other two we kept,and they worked for many more years.This made me happy as I've always liked old,traditional things for the Christmas tree.
After my parents had strung the lights,we would cover the tree with tinsel.This was messy,and we would have tinsel all over everything including ourselves.It always looked messy on the tree too,but later,after we were in bed my mother would straighten up the tinsel,so it looked better.In those days,that's all we would put on the tree.We didn't even have a star,or an angel at the top for another few years.And every night,right after dinner,I would remember to give the tree a drink.
Like everything else,Christmas was a thing we had to learn about.We were told two distinct stories about Christmas.Santa Claus,a fat old man who lived at the North Pole would deliver gifts to children all over the world,in his sleigh,pulled along by reindeer.He would land on the roof top,and come down through the chimney delivering toys to all good little boys and girls.Of course,I wondered how that worked if you lived in an apartment building that didn't have a fireplace.There were a few apartments around then,but not many in our neighborhood.I wondered too,how Santa Claus would manage to get up and down the chimney with a fire burning like my father insisted we have on Christmas Eve.
Of course,the other story we were taught about Christmas was the Story of Jesus born in a manger,in Bethlehem.My mother was reading Bible stories out of this big,beautiful book called Bible Stories For Children every night when we went to bed.Not only did we have a copy of this book,that we could sit and look at whenever we wanted,but it was a very popular book.Most children were familiar with it.Moreover,in those days the was always a copy of Bible Stories For Children in the waiting room at any doctor's office,or dentists office,and even in the hospital waiting rooms.The book was beautifully illustrated and while my mother told the story,my sister and I would gaze upon The Christ Child laying in a manger,surrounded by animals,or of shepherds watching sheep in their fields,or of the wise men journeying across the desert on camels,bringing gifts.In those days,the way my mother told the story,it was just a wonderful tale,not really presented with any deep theology.She would tell the story over and over again at bedtime,and sometimes would we would hear her singing Away in a Manger.It,along with Jingle Bells were two of the first songs I ever memorized.
Santa Claus did indeed come that Christmas of 1965.He brought dolls for my sister,and trucks for me.And there was one thing under that tree that I recall above all the others.It was a gleaming red tri-cycle.I would not be able to ride it until springtime,at least not outside.We did ride it in the basement though,right after breakfast.We also got a sled that Christmas,so we could go coasting down the hills in the park,and so that my mother had some way to pull my little sister along when we were out in the snow.
We'd put up stocking by the fireplace too,and they were filled up with candy canes and small gifts and toys.There were all kinds of candy and nuts out on the coffee table while we unwrapped our Christmas gifts,and listened to Christmas songs on the radio.We would enjoy a big breakfast of eggs and bacon and juice,after we'd been up for what seemed like hours.And later in the day we would have turkey.Life was good,there was plenty,though we were not wealthy.We were a close and growing family,with loving parents and good providers,as we moved into 1966.
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