Sunday, December 9, 2012

Christmas Past

Christmas Eve~ 1968
I was just a few months shy of being 3 years old.
 

 
When I was growing up, one of my favorite Christmas traditions was lighting candles on Christmas Eve.
 
Do you remember the Gurley candles?
 

There were Santas and snowmen,
Christmas trees and reindeer
I think the Christmas carolers were my favorites!
My mom had a set of 3 carolers (2 boys & a girl) and a lamp post. I loved those little candles!
 
On Christmas Eve, my 2 brothers and I would each have a candle. We would sit them in a jar lid to contain the wax. We would listen to Christmas music & watch for Santa's sleigh as the candles burned. When the candles burned out, that was our signal that it was time to go to bed.
Those little candles burned pretty quickly too!
We have a family Christmas party on Christmas Eve with Rick's family, so we haven't been able to carry on this tradition. We do it occasionally though. When we were in Arizona, I bought a really big Santa candle & we burned it every year. I think I'll pull him out this year...a little nostalgia sounds good to me!
 
We also had an "Elf on the Shelf" before they were the in thing.
During the 50's & 60's small red (or green) felt, knee-hugger elf ornaments were popular.
We had one and he would always show up the beginning of December. It was always fun to find him every year. He didn't move once he came to visit, but he kept a watchful eye on us all season long.
My kids are older, so we haven't joined the Elf on a Shelf craze, but we do have a couple of elves that I put out each year...to keep a watchful eye & jot down if we are on the Naughty or Nice list. :)
 
 
I love traditions~ All the little moments that make the Holidays extra special!

7 comments:

  1. I think our blogs are the perfect place to share memories and traditions of Christmases past. What a cute almost three-year-old you were. :)

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  2. I love going through Old Christmas photos over the years. They always make me laugh. I have a box of them I always bring out for the family to paw through.

    Traditions....I like to think of them as Anchors for families.

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  3. Love that picture!

    You have some wonderful memories of Christmas traditions.
    It's so nice that you are carrying on some of those traditions, and making new memories.

    Keep enjoying the magic of this wonderful Christmas season.

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  4. I had completely forgotten about those candles until this post!
    I remember each one of them. It was so exciting for me as a little girl to have my own. Of course I never got to light them, but then I didn't want to spoil them anyway and make them black. I think I had them in my room for years.

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  5. I love that flocked tree!!!
    Such a cute picture!!

    And those candles are amazing.. I have seen some around in Vintage shops. ~ And the vintage elf on the shelf? ya.. I have the old one. We don't use it like they do now.. but I thought he was cute so he just hangs out in my kitchen.

    Thanks for thinking of me when you see Pink. I appreciate your comments -- and more so -- your friendship. Love ya!

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  6. I remember those candles...seems like my grandma had some she put out at Christmas time. I don't ever remember her burning them. Awe, that fun memories of years past. thanks for a trip down memory lane.
    Hope you have been having a wonderful Christmas with your family.

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  7. Love that pic of cute little you! Christmas is surely a time for nostalgia!

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