Reeling Back The Years – Childhood Christmas Traditions

Although Christmas is a magical time of year no matter what age you are, it's especially exciting for children. Their little faces light up at the very mention of the word  Santa and the threat of telling the man himself is enough to deter them from being bold in the run up to the festive season. We're genuinely not quite sure how parents cope once January comes around... Here are  a few of the traditions we remember as children... The letter to Santa This was a pretty big deal, often rewritten a couple of times. Poor Santa must have a hard time reading it by the time it reached the North Pole due to the numerous rubbing out mistakes and changing present choices. Nevertheless he always did a good job and there were happy faces all around on the big day. There was the odd incident, when a surprise was asked for and it wasn't appreciated or when a tractor came in place of Barbie but that's another story... Decorating... everything Children are often drawn to colours and pretty things so there's no curbing their enthusiasm when it comes to Christmas. The tree is one thing and it's meant to be covered in all things shiny but this doesn't extend to the rest of the house. However, try explaining that to a wide-eyed four-year-old with a distinctive wobbling lip and you'll quickly find yourself agreeing to anything as your parents were often forced to. The same goes for the crib, if they had their way every toy animal in their possession would be in there too... never mind that there's no room at the inn. Sonas annuals 90's kids and those who learnt Irish at national school will remember these annuals given out in the run up to Christmas. The collection ranged from Sonas, Spraoi, Simasa and Sugradh depending on your class, they cost £1-£2 pounds at the time and the crosswords, word searches and colouring options provided hours of fun. They're still very popular although they're available to buy in euros now! A new Christmas outfit Dressing up in your good clothes for Christmas mass was and still is a rule of thumb. Knitted jumpers and jeans (chinos these days) for the boys and pretty dresses for the girls... if you had a sibling close in age, chances are your mother dressed you in identical outfits. Don't worry, you weren't the only one subjected to this fashion crime. Stocking at the end of the bed Christmas just wasn't Christmas until that all-important stocking was ready and waiting at the the end of the bed/in the sitting room, ready for Santa to come and fill it later that night. How we didn't wake when "Santa" came into the room with all his wares is difficult to understand but it's all part of that elusive Christmas magic. Leaving food for Santa and Rudolph An important tradition in many the household was leaving some food for Santa; from a glass of milk and a mince pie to a drop of whiskey and some Christmas cake, the treats varied each year. Looking back, poor Santa would have been fit to burst had he eaten something in every house, never mind get around the world in one night. Also one carrot wouldn't have been enough to feed twelve reindeer but let's not spoil the magic of Christmas with sensible questions. Rising at dawn on Christmas morning Year after year on Christmas morning, parents are woken by the sound of excited voices and little feet clambering all over their bed. That's not to say this doesn't happen every morning but Christmas morning is exceptionally early. You would think that getting up at ridiculous o'clock would tire children out but there's something about Christmas Day that makes you want the day to last a lot longer than the average 12 hours. Maybe there's little ones in your house this year, or maybe they're all grown-up... either way we hope everyone has a fantastic time.