“Alas! How dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus!… There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.”
I remember being giddy every Christmas Eve. The minutes passed like hours. By four o’clock I was ready for bed figuring the earlier I went to bed the sooner Santa would come. I had nothing to do all day so I paced a lot, read for about two minutes, looked out the window hoping to see a snowflake and shook the few wrapped packages under the tree. The pajamas were easy to guess. Each of the other packages sported a small hole on the side where my sister Moe had peeked. She made the hole small hoping no one would notice. We all did. I wanted to be surprised so I used every bit of the restraint in my young body not to look.The wrapped packages were from my parents. Every Christmas Eve my mother would tell us we could open one, and we’d run to pick out the package, but she’d hand a package to each of us. We’d groan and moan because we knew it was new pajamas. It always was. I figured my mother wanted us looking good for the morning pictures. We’d complain and ask to open a different one, but that was a battle we never won.
This was one night my mother never had to argue with us about our bedtime. First we’d hang up our stockings on the banister. We didn’t have a fireplace but long ago my mother had explained that Santa could get into every house, and we believed her. After all, Christmas is magic. The stockings were hung by age so mine was at the top. My stocking was an old one my mother had bought when I was toddler. It has since disappeared, but I remember it well. It had silver glitter and my name was written in black across the cuff. When I was much older, I thought the stocking small. When I was young, it seemed to hold a million surprises.
We’d get into bed but falling asleep took forever. We’d talk across the hall to one another trying to guess what Santa might leave for us. My mother or father would yell up the stairs and tell us to go to sleep. They always reminded us Santa wouldn’t come if we were awake, but sleep evaded us for the longest time. I don’t ever remember falling asleep. I only remember waking up and hurrying down the stairs on Christmas morning.
Don’t forget to leave out the cookies and milk!
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
December 24, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Thank you Clement Clarke Moore for giving us many of our Christmas traditions with you poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” or “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.
As a child my sister and I also went to bed eagerly on Christmas Eve hoping Santa would bring us a gift. My parents always let my sister and I hang up a stocking even though we were Jewish and had already gotten our gifts on Chanukah. After all, this part of Christmas has no real religious meaning. We would not put up a Chanukah bush or try to make it into a Jewish version but we did get one present on Christmas morning. My wife and I do not indulge our children with this practice. Instead we usually go to the movies and then eat Chinese food on Christmas Day.
I want to wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas and I hope that your return to full health will be swift and your most precious gift.
December 24, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Thank you, Bob
That is my wish too. Enough of this hobbling is enough. My poor lip looks permanently indented from my teeth when I bite it so as not to curse.
I’m sorry to be late in wishing you a Happy Chanukah.
December 24, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Thank you. Biting your lip is only required in public or around children. At home alone you should be able to let out a good curse every once in a while. The dog doesn’t care he will love you regardless of your cursing.
December 24, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Chritmas is magic. And may you have the best one where you are, regardless of walker or bad pain in the leg, Santa will be visiting you tonight like always. Just get that stocking up on the mantle. Merry Christmas Kat!
December 25, 2010 at 10:39 am
Z&Me,
The stocking was hung and was filled this morning so I know Santa dropped by to visit. Santa’s cookie was gone, but I suspect Gracie. She did have a bit of a grin!
I love Christmas.
December 24, 2010 at 10:39 pm
I started this Christmas eve morning to throw up and have a stomach flu. The worst seems to have passed now and I hope I can at least eat one or two sandwiches today 🙂 🙂
Have a God Yule!
Christer.
December 25, 2010 at 10:40 am
God Yule to you as well, Christer!!
I hope the magic of Christmas makes you better so you can enjoy the day!
December 25, 2010 at 9:14 am
Merry Christmas to all the lovely coffee folk!’
Enjoy this special time with those you love:)
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
December 25, 2010 at 10:41 am
Merry Christmas to you and to your family, splendid.
May the magic of Christmas make this the most special of all days!