I would like to hear from members with memories of Christmasses past.
I remember hanging up our stockings for Santy but as our socks were very small we hung up our Dad's work socks which were roomy hoping to get more I suppose. In the morning we each had an orange in the toe and other items such as sweets colouring books and pencils. We got one bigger item such as a doll or train or car. We were very excited and were easily pleased in those days. As we lived in the country we often had goose (our own) and plum pudding but the highlight for me was Sherry trifle. You guessed it I have a sweet tooth!
I particularly remember going to early morning Mass as we were fasting all night (from 6pm the previous night) Adults fasted from Midnight but of course we were gone to bed earlier in case we would meet up with Santy, then we would get no presents! But I really loved those early morning Masses as it was still dark and the candles lighting in the church made it magical somehow.
Margaret
Christmas was a special time for the children in our house in Rockchapel. I remember the the house was scrubbed from top to bottom.We had turkeys and pigs on the farm so we had turkey and ham, the cake was made 6 weeks in advance also the plum pudding.There were three country shops nearby so we went for groceries in each one. we got a gift from each shop which could be Butter loaf, loose tea or biscuits. On Christmas Eve my father went to the village in the horse and car for stout , beer and lemonade (a rare treat).When he arrived home he got the candles ready for each window, in our case three upstairs and three downstairs. He used red pound candles and placed them in 2 lb jam jars set in meal which was in the shed for the calves feed.He had been putting the jam jars aside for a while but if he didn't have enough he used turnips.
The highlight for the children was to go up the hill and look down on the village and surrounding land and see all the lighted candles twinkling in the dark. Pure Magic!
Christmas started with early mass and afterwards a big fry a rare treat indeed. Dinner would be at about 3oclock.Turkey and ham plum pudding and trifle with our own cream.On St Stephen;s day we went out" hunting the wren".Going around the area in groups singing and dancing and enjoying ourselves calling to each house where we might be asked to entertain and be given a token few pence or a slice of barm brack. I have great memories of happiness at Christmas in my young days. It was so simple then, easy to make us happy.
Rene.
I remember getting a railway track from my Godmother Nora one year. It had sections of track to be put together and a car with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and they bobbed up and down as they went around the track. My maiden aunt came to us for dinner of Turkey and ham and then my father went to visit his elderly aunt and cousins. They had goose so he had another dinner of greasy goose which he loved. He then had to have a large glass of whiskey and as they did not drink in that house they poured it out like lemonade and he dare not insult them!
After dinner I mostly went to my grandmothers house where they had a fire lighting in the parlour upstairs over the grocer's shop on this only day of the year.After 4 oclock the aunts and uncles and cousins came to visit . All the children played games while the adults had a drink and talk of old times.The grandparents were delighted to have all or most of the family there.
I remember the candle in the turnip in the front room window on Christmas Eve.All shops and pubs were closed on that day.The pubs opened for 2 hours on St Stephens day.
The only days my grandparents closed were on Christmas day and good Friday.They worked from 9am to 6pm or later and 1pm to 6pm on Sundays. Six and half days a week 363 days a year.That was hard work!
My grandparents were up at 7am each day to cut the butter in half pounds and wrap in greaseproof paper and weigh and bag the tea and sugar in special bags.The bacon and pigs heads and crubeens came in jute sacks and the bacon had to be cut up as well according to customers wishes.
They are lovely memories to have of my youth.
Joe
I am also a rural girl from the West of Ireland. I remember the excitement on Christmas morning. My Mam and Dad got up early and we all set off for early Mass.For the dinner we had a big black pot placed over the open fire where the goose was cooked.When it was cooking in its own fat she moved it onto a Brandine. this was like a trivot on three legs. Hot coals and hard black turf was placed under and on the lid of this Brandine.It was a very important job to keep the fire going, a full time job to keep the fire stoked.,Mam stuffed the goose with potato stuffing made with mashed potato, scallions,buttter and flour and seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme.The smell of cooking around the house was fantastic.
When I was six we got the electricity in the house, prior to this it was oil lamps and candles.My mam's sister had an electrical shop in the nearest town(Castlerea), so we were the first in our area to get fairy lights for the tree which was placed in the front window of the parlour and they came from far and near to see the magical lights!
We always had mam's younger brother and sister to stay at Christmas causing great excitement for us children as they put on a show of traditional music after dinner and later played cards.On the following morning we looked forward to breakfast cooked by Dad. Traditionly it was stuffing which had leaked into the goose fat which he heated in the frying pan and it was absolutely delicious. With full bellies we set out on the wren.Dad made the false faces for us( known as the wrenboys ) which we wore and had a great time going around to the neighbours houses where they tried to identify us while we entertained them with music and song for which we were treated to barmbrack or sweets or other treats.We walked for miles and miles as the houses were few and far between so we fell into bed tired but happy that night.It is great to have such happy memories of my childhood.
Mae
We lived in the town and went to our grandparents in the country on Christmas day.We were very excited but what stands out in my memory most of all was the raspberry cordial our granny gave us. It was bright red and tasted delicious and we got it only on Christmas day each year.
Mart F
What I remember most about Christmas is the decorations and glitter and tinfoil everywhere it seemed.My mother had covered the pudding and cake trifle etc with tinfoil. I suppose tinfoil was new at that time but it impressed me no end.I also remember the making of the Christmas cake before Christmas and the red lemonade which we rarely saw.The other memory was the great big roaring fire for which we got a load of turf well before Christmas.
Eileen
What I remember most was the decorations and the Christmas tree. We got fairy lights for the first time and they were magic twinkling with different colours.I remember being very excited as we visited our grandparents and met all our aunts and uncles and cousins. it was very exciting for all the children to be together as we did not meet very often.
Nora
