Memories of Christmas past



Each Christmas I remember

The ones of long ago;

I see our mantelpiece adorned
With stockings in a row.





Each Christmas finds me dreaming

Of days that used to be,

When we hid presents here and there,
For all the family.



Each Christmas I remember

The fragrance in the air,

Of roasting turkey and mince pies
And cookies everywhere.




Each Christmas finds me longing

For Christmases now past,

And I am back in childhood
As long as memories last.
   Carice Williams, Christmas Past 


Thank you Babsi for the gifts you sent me to remind me of German Christmases from my childhood.

What are you favourite memories from Christmases past? Mine include the excitement of finding presents at the bottom of my bed from Father Christmas, singing carols, waking to snow on Christmas Day, being with family and friends and in later years seeing that same excitement again through my children.

Charles Dickens wrote this about Christmas ;
Happy, happy Christmas that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days;
That can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth;
That can transport the sailor and the traveller,thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home. 

This will be my last post before Christmas so I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope you will be creating more joyful Christmas memories to treasure in years to come.
Sarah x








Comments

  1. Hi Sarah - lovely post - your german goodies look yummy - our christmas tree fell over one year when I was young it was so big and had to be nailed to the wall with string. Merry Christmas to you and all your family. Julie xxx

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  2. A wonderful Post Sarah.
    How this post touches my heart. My christmas smells will begin tomorrow afternoon..through to me cooking the turkey's.. the rest D.in law is doing for the whole family this year.. i did last year.
    when i was a little girl.. i used to love to run to the window to see the snow.
    Life was good..
    wishing you a wonderful Christmas..around your lovely fire..
    your decorations are lovely
    thanks for all your blogging with me.
    best wishes..
    val x x x x

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  3. merry christmas & happy holidays!!
    x

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  4. We do get sentimental over Christmas (in the nicest sense of 'tender' and 'gentle') If we have had happy experiences ourselves we naturally want to recreate them for our children, which is a lovely thing to do. Have a happy time Sarah, creating more treasured memories!

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  5. lovely little poem....I remember hot hot christmas's mum and nan slaving over hot turkeys...in 40 degree days, heading to the beach to cool off!
    merry xmas Sarah and thanks for being a supporter of my blog all year!
    Bec x

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  6. I love this poem. My favourite memories of Xmas are the huge family parties that my Nan and her three sisters used to take turns to host on Boxing Day. Everyone was there, special times xxxx

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  7. All sorts of favourite memories here that continue to the present: setting fire to the Xmas pud, the lights glowing on the tree, carols in a tiny country church... Happy Christmas, Sarah!

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  8. Wishing you and your family the best of times this Christmas, it's been nice getting to know you in 2012 and thank you for being the first person to welcome me into Blogland way back in March. with love Jay x

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  9. Lots of lovely memories from you Sarah, many of which I share.
    I recall my father digging up our christmas tree from the garden every year, strangely it never seemed to grow. The lights on it consisted of oriental people and Chinese lanterns which I thought were magic when lit up.

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  10. I love this post, Sarah...
    And it 'so' reminded me of Christmas past.......
    Sensing you all the trimmings of the season, dear friend and 'Wishing' You and Yours a Joyful Noel...****
    Dean home on the 23rd, Christmas will begin then for us here!
    Hope your family is here, safe and sound...
    love Maria x

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  11. And a Merry Christmas to you and yours also!

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  12. Merry Christmas Sarah, have a great time! :) x

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  13. Good morning beautiful Sarah (oh, and Daisy, too!)

    Memories are all wrapped up in Christmas, and it is lovely to come here today to see YOUR memories. Enjoy this season and may all the blessings of new memories be yours! Anita

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  14. Hope you have a wonderful time over the holidays. Juliex

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  15. Dear Sarah,
    Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
    June

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  16. Hello Sarah,
    I love the beautiful poem! Your Christmas decorations are lovely and make me would like to visit you. Joining in your wonderful blog was one of the nicest things to me in 2012!
    Have a merry and happy Christmas and New Year!
    Yoshiko

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  17. What a lovely poem.

    Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and new year.

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  18. Going to the mass at midnight, together with the rest of the family, watching the whole Christmas play there, singing those lovely christmas carols, that would be my favourite memory as a child of Christmas, and the typical cake on dec 25th as well, all decorated with little deer and a sugar Jesus and chocolate leaves.... Sweet memories.
    Have a wonderful christmas time Sarah!
    Bye,
    Marian

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  19. Hi Sarah again - hope your daughter enjoys the book with all your lovely recipes in it. Yes it was very frosty at Eype when we arrived about 8.15 a.m. but a lovely place. Looking forward to seeing you next year. Julie xxx

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  20. Such a beautiful post - happy Christmas...have a super time.

    Nina x

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  21. A wonderful, melancholic post, Sarah! I do like it! I am like you... somehow, the pictures of my childhood are always with me during this time of the year. Merry Christmas to you and your family and all the best for 2013! Christa

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  22. Can't say I specially look back to old Christmases. More like potter through each one as it comes along.

    Hope you have a lovely time.

    Happy Christmas!

    Lucy

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  23. Beautiful post...I just remember every year running down the stairs so excited to see if Father Christmas had been and that feeling of wonderment that he had (and somehow had got hold of one of our pillowcases to put my presents in...how clever of him!) And trying to watch TOTP while all the 'oldies' chattered in the background!!
    Happy Christmas to you and your family, Claire x

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  24. Meine liebe, kleine Meerjungfrau,
    wie ich sehe kann das Christkind kommen, alles ist vorbereitet: Der schöne Baum, die Geschenke, die Kerzen sind angezündet. Wie hübsch ist das Hexenhäuschen anzuschauen, ich würde es gar nicht aufessen wollen.
    Ich wünsche dir von Herzen ein himmlisches Weihnachtsfest mit deinen lieben Kindern, guten Gesprächen und viel wohliger Herzenswärme. Und wenn du dann mal in die Sterne schaust, dann denkst du vielleicht mal an mich, so wie ich an dich.

    Alles Liebe, Babsi

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  25. SWEET SARAH!

    How kind of you to come to visit me my dear! I wish you a magical Christmas by the seashore! Isn't that French carol just a lovely thing? Many happy wishes to all, and give the little fuzzy ones a warm hug! Anita

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  26. Oh that was lovely Sarah, thank you. Have a wonderful Christmas and see you again in the New Year.
    Patricia x

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  27. Hi Sarah,

    I love your Christmas village on the mantelpiece, it looks lovely.

    As I child I loved crawling under the Christmas tree and looking up to see the inside lit up with fairy lights. I always remember that.

    Wishing you a Happy Christmas and New Year.

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  28. AHHHH............ I absolutely love the pictures!! Happy Holidays to you and your family.

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  29. Merry Christmas and thanks for your visits! Lovely greetings

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  30. Wishing you have a Magic Christmas :0)
    With lot of love from Moscow
    Natasha & Fam

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  31. Lovely post. Wishing you a very happy Christmas with your loved ones. Groetjes, Gerda

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  32. What a great post...and the words of Charles Dickens are so right! Years ago, when travelling at sea, at Christmas, hearing the BBC play Oh Canada...I was overcome with such longing to be home, as Dickens says, Christmas, that can "transport the sailor and the traveller,thousands of miles away"

    Enjoy your Christmas! Make new memories.

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  33. Hi Sarah,

    You have shared a lovely post and photos and I enjoyed reading the memories you recalled.
    Like you, I remember happy times with the stocking at the end of the bed and waking up on Christmas morning to some lovely gifts.
    Hope you have enjoyed a happy Christmas and best wishes for 2013 for good health, happiness and prosperity.

    Enjoy the holidays
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  34. Hello Sarah, I do hope your Christmas has been all that you wished it to be :)

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