We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people. ~Theodore Roosevelt~
I hear ya baby sister. We were so poor we didn't even know what poor was. I remember my mom breaking an egg and crying because that egg was part of dinner and I had shoes for Sunday School. I ran around barefoot until I started school.
And those old homemade gifts? I'd take them any day. I can probably tell you every one I ever got. Don't remember much of the store bought crap. Plastic stuff in a package. My great grandma knitted me a wool sweat when I was 6 (and I hate wool and sweaters) and I was the happiest camper in the world. I was freezing my butt off walking to school before that. And she could make peach cobbler that would have you drooling before you got up the driveway real good.Then we'd all have to get dressed up for church because it was still about Jesus' birthday back then.
How times have changed.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke
Gunny, it still is about Jesus' Birthday. They cannot take that from us. That is mine and I would die for it.
We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people. ~Theodore Roosevelt~
"The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill
We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people. ~Theodore Roosevelt~
I can't even imagine being a kid now. I want this. I want that. Brand name this. Brand name that. I was happy to get whatever I got. Because I saw them as gifts, not as "you owe me". Honestly I don't like Christmas. Look at who is in this thread. We're all in our 50s and remember when it meant more than getting something. Just another tradition lost. And now they fight over what to call it.
I loved my great grandma's peach cobbler and running around barefoot. When Christmas was a separate holiday you anticipated instead of spending half the year saving for it.. They trainroll Thanksgiving to get to Christmas now. The meaning has been lost to money.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke
I had pretty materialistic Christmases, from my parents and what done for my own kids. We got 'lots.' As you noted, most of the 'stuff' wasn't the memory makers, it was the wrappings, the time spent with family, and traditions-including church and doing for others over the season and during the year.
My grandchildren are very young, my daughter's is pretty much on the way towards the same as her mom and myself had. Including the new addition of a 'giving' advent calendar.
My grandson is being raised Jewish, along with parents that believe in giving of themselves and what they have.
Christmas alone isn't enough, not the stuff for certain. It's the values that are held that make for the special feelings of gifts, be they an Xbox or a peach cobbler. The recipient knows that they are special to the giver.
"The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill
My parents could afford gifts. But my mom's family was left destitute by WWII. Which is why they moved to the U.S. Even when they got to the point where they could things, they never did so. They started the one present per person tradition to emphasize that family togetherness was more important that gifts. My dad liked the idea and carried it over to our family. As did his brother and his family.
I want just thinking about a Christmas my great aunt told me about. It was 1945 and her family had previously moved to the western part of Germany after the bombing of Dresden. When the war ended, the Allies set up relief camps for families with no homes. Some camps had several hundred people in them. The vast majority of them had nothing left.
On Christmas Day, American forces feed everyone in my great aunt's camp. They set up a Christmas tree and gave all the kids chocolate.
I don't know how widespread this was. The French and British were a lot more repressive (and rightfully so).
Dec 24, 1914. The troops said screw all this and crossed lines to exchange gifts. The officers had a sh*t fit. And apparently as rumor would have it, both lines sang Christmas carols. Was a German troop that came out first. Men fought with honor back then. Nobody wants to kill or be killed on Christmas. We always wanted to be home.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke