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I know this is not the "traditional" christmas story but I feel it still fits into the spirit of things. The meaning behind this bit of writing embraces the spirit of christmas and shows why any other "christmas story" we might know should exist. The first time I heard this over the holidays and was old enough to truly understand the meaning behind it is still one of my favorite memories of the holiday.
...Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus...
...Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus...
This is a great Christmas story--but I'm looking more for memories or personal anecdotes.
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Thanks for pointing that out--I'll enjoy reading those answers, as well!
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Well, not a pleasant memory, but still it's my Christmas memory from last year!
I got hit by a fireworks rocket in my ear, yes, exactly in my left ear. I lost my hearing for two months, had to go on doctor's prescribed steroids to correct the problem that occurred in the ear nerves, and got 7 stitches just below the ear. Well, that memory of Christmas is always going to remain with me :-)
I got hit by a fireworks rocket in my ear, yes, exactly in my left ear. I lost my hearing for two months, had to go on doctor's prescribed steroids to correct the problem that occurred in the ear nerves, and got 7 stitches just below the ear. Well, that memory of Christmas is always going to remain with me :-)
My favorite Christmas memory is volunteering to serve dinner at the rather swanky Denver Chop House. In the back, we sing Christmas carols. It's an event that gives something to everyone involved.
"For thirteen consecutive years, the Denver Chophouse together with the surrounding Denver community, has served Christmas dinner to the city’s hungry and homeless. This event is known locally as the Miracle on 19th Street, because of its location on 19th Street in Lower Downtown Denver. Together with local non-profits and the generous financial and volunteer support of community members, we serve 2,500 homeless and displaced individuals this year on Christmas. All guests receive a delicious ChopHouse meal, free flu shots are offered and guests have the opportunity to take a souvenir photo with Santa home from the event."
"For thirteen consecutive years, the Denver Chophouse together with the surrounding Denver community, has served Christmas dinner to the city’s hungry and homeless. This event is known locally as the Miracle on 19th Street, because of its location on 19th Street in Lower Downtown Denver. Together with local non-profits and the generous financial and volunteer support of community members, we serve 2,500 homeless and displaced individuals this year on Christmas. All guests receive a delicious ChopHouse meal, free flu shots are offered and guests have the opportunity to take a souvenir photo with Santa home from the event."
First white Christmas!
My family is from Texas. Hot and mildly windy. We don't have the perfect Christmas weather, per se. We all love to ski and vacation anywhere with snow, unfortunately, our part of Texas does not offer such luxuries. Our family is also very into home Christmases. We like to stay in, enjoy each other's company and open presents in our pajamas.
One year, we decided to move our Christmas elsewhere. Big deal in our family. So much that my mother packed our stockings, wrapped gifts and a mini tree complete with ornaments. With Christmas packed in our suitcases, we traveled to Salt Lake City. Yeah, there's a lot of snow there.
I can't even begin to describe the different, magical feeling of waking up on Christmas morning to snow. We moved in to a condo for a week and made it our little snow home. I have three younger siblings, and to hear laughter, "mom, can we PLEASE play in the snow" and be able to do that in a flash was such a nice feeling.
I know our family is more fortunate than others to be able to pick up and head off anywhere our little hearts desired to have a white Christmas. It just made me truly count my blessings. Oh, and it didn't hurt that it was my sister's birthday a few days later. We celebrated with her there as well.
My family is from Texas. Hot and mildly windy. We don't have the perfect Christmas weather, per se. We all love to ski and vacation anywhere with snow, unfortunately, our part of Texas does not offer such luxuries. Our family is also very into home Christmases. We like to stay in, enjoy each other's company and open presents in our pajamas.
One year, we decided to move our Christmas elsewhere. Big deal in our family. So much that my mother packed our stockings, wrapped gifts and a mini tree complete with ornaments. With Christmas packed in our suitcases, we traveled to Salt Lake City. Yeah, there's a lot of snow there.
I can't even begin to describe the different, magical feeling of waking up on Christmas morning to snow. We moved in to a condo for a week and made it our little snow home. I have three younger siblings, and to hear laughter, "mom, can we PLEASE play in the snow" and be able to do that in a flash was such a nice feeling.
I know our family is more fortunate than others to be able to pick up and head off anywhere our little hearts desired to have a white Christmas. It just made me truly count my blessings. Oh, and it didn't hurt that it was my sister's birthday a few days later. We celebrated with her there as well.
G'day Ssmacd,
Thank you for your question.
My favourite Christmas memories are two white Christmases in Australia. The last one was in 2006 when it was snowing up in the Snowy Mountains. As Christmas is in summertime in Australia, this is quite rare.
My least favourite Christmas was in 2005 when I was taken to hospital with cellulitis. It took me three weeks to get out. All I had for Christmas lunch was an egg sandwich but I didn't feel like eating.
Regards
Thank you for your question.
My favourite Christmas memories are two white Christmases in Australia. The last one was in 2006 when it was snowing up in the Snowy Mountains. As Christmas is in summertime in Australia, this is quite rare.
My least favourite Christmas was in 2005 when I was taken to hospital with cellulitis. It took me three weeks to get out. All I had for Christmas lunch was an egg sandwich but I didn't feel like eating.
Regards
When I was about 5 years old, I really wanted a Barbie PowerWheels 4-wheeler. By "really wanted," I mean that I even remember having daydreams about riding this thing around our backyard. So, of course, when I visited Santa, and he asked me what I wanted, my five-year-old self shyly said, "a barbie four wheeler."
Fast forward to Christmas morning. I rushed into the living room expecting to find my pink, battery-operated path to freedom. But instead, I found a mockery of my dreams. Underneath the tree, was a small REMOTE-CONTROLLED barbie four-wheeler. I was speechless. How could Santa do this to me? Somehow, I managed to keep my composure and open the remainder of my gifts. Afterward, while I was playing with my new toys (except the remote-controlled impostor, of course), my mom went into the kitchen to make breakfast. A few moments later, she yelled my name and told me to come quick.
I could not believe my eyes. Right in the middle of our kitchen floor was the barbie powerwheels 4-wheeler. I was completely shocked. My mom told me that Santa must have wanted to play a little joke on me, so he had hid it in the kitchen. I remember thinking to myself that I knew Santa would never let me down, as I hopped on my new toy and rode down the hallway.
I love this story because it perfectly demonstrates how wacky and yet incredibly loving my family is.
Fast forward to Christmas morning. I rushed into the living room expecting to find my pink, battery-operated path to freedom. But instead, I found a mockery of my dreams. Underneath the tree, was a small REMOTE-CONTROLLED barbie four-wheeler. I was speechless. How could Santa do this to me? Somehow, I managed to keep my composure and open the remainder of my gifts. Afterward, while I was playing with my new toys (except the remote-controlled impostor, of course), my mom went into the kitchen to make breakfast. A few moments later, she yelled my name and told me to come quick.
I could not believe my eyes. Right in the middle of our kitchen floor was the barbie powerwheels 4-wheeler. I was completely shocked. My mom told me that Santa must have wanted to play a little joke on me, so he had hid it in the kitchen. I remember thinking to myself that I knew Santa would never let me down, as I hopped on my new toy and rode down the hallway.
I love this story because it perfectly demonstrates how wacky and yet incredibly loving my family is.
In France, I took along the road two young stoppers from Hungary. They had never seen the ocean, so I made a slight detour to show them. The look in their eyes when they saw the sea for the first time was awesome.
My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was living in Seoul, S. Korea. If you have never been, it is an incredible place - a technological marvel where everyone is beautiful and the people are so sensitive to fashion trends that they once commented that my jacket was "out of style 2 weeks ago."
As a typical nerdy white guy, from all the stares I got from many of the 12 million residents, one would think I was Mandy Patinkin.
There is a sense of existential dread that the people seem to share, and it certainly rubbed off on me as well. I was cold and depressed much of the time, even though I loved the place.
It was also very hard to find "good American food," aside from the USO building (which basically served eggs and burgers).
During Christmas, I was cooped up in a small hotel room (that thankfully had warm water piped under the floor) and missed my family in the States, and even more so, mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, and the like.
I was watching tragic K-pop videos and planning on eating a bowl of Bi-Bim-Bap for Christmas dinner when I got a call. "Yo, the officers club on the base is having Christmas dinner, wanna come?"
Sweet. I went to Yongsan and had an incredible buffet - turkey, smoked ham, potatoes, dressing, green bean casserole, the works! It was the first and only American-style meal that I had during my stay in Seoul, and, not to be ethnocentric, but it was nice to be in a room eating Christmas dinner with a bunch of other American citizens. Honestly, I LOVED Seoul and wanted to move there, would STILL move there, but "there's no place like home," even if it is just a taste. =)
As a typical nerdy white guy, from all the stares I got from many of the 12 million residents, one would think I was Mandy Patinkin.
There is a sense of existential dread that the people seem to share, and it certainly rubbed off on me as well. I was cold and depressed much of the time, even though I loved the place.
It was also very hard to find "good American food," aside from the USO building (which basically served eggs and burgers).
During Christmas, I was cooped up in a small hotel room (that thankfully had warm water piped under the floor) and missed my family in the States, and even more so, mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, and the like.
I was watching tragic K-pop videos and planning on eating a bowl of Bi-Bim-Bap for Christmas dinner when I got a call. "Yo, the officers club on the base is having Christmas dinner, wanna come?"
Sweet. I went to Yongsan and had an incredible buffet - turkey, smoked ham, potatoes, dressing, green bean casserole, the works! It was the first and only American-style meal that I had during my stay in Seoul, and, not to be ethnocentric, but it was nice to be in a room eating Christmas dinner with a bunch of other American citizens. Honestly, I LOVED Seoul and wanted to move there, would STILL move there, but "there's no place like home," even if it is just a taste. =)
three favorites, in chronological order
1972 we had guests in my room, so i slept on the living room floor in a sleeping bag under the tree. the lights and tinsel were really beautiful. Gung avtug, V qvfpbirerq zl "fcrpvny checbfr" naq jura gur ubyvqnlf jrer bire gur fyrrcvat ont arrqrq qel pyrnavat.
1977-1980 I was in the madrigal ensemble, the mass choir and the mixed ensemble at high school. All three groups did a Christmas show, so rehearsals started early. Like the second week of school. Christmas lasted a lot longer back then.
1994 I proposed to my then girlfriend on Christmas Eve. She said "yes." By the grace of God, she went insane before the wedding. Thanks, that hurt, but not as much as our eventual divorce would have.
1972 we had guests in my room, so i slept on the living room floor in a sleeping bag under the tree. the lights and tinsel were really beautiful. Gung avtug, V qvfpbirerq zl "fcrpvny checbfr" naq jura gur ubyvqnlf jrer bire gur fyrrcvat ont arrqrq qel pyrnavat.
1977-1980 I was in the madrigal ensemble, the mass choir and the mixed ensemble at high school. All three groups did a Christmas show, so rehearsals started early. Like the second week of school. Christmas lasted a lot longer back then.
1994 I proposed to my then girlfriend on Christmas Eve. She said "yes." By the grace of God, she went insane before the wedding. Thanks, that hurt, but not as much as our eventual divorce would have.
I remember being in my bed the night before Christmas. On my end table were a white, bayberry scented candle and a red and white plastic light-up christmas house.
I remember not being able to sleep, I was so excited about Christmas the next day. I just kept staring at the light-up Christmas house and smelling the bayberry candle (it was not lit). I kept that candle for years after to remind me of the happy memories.
I remember not being able to sleep, I was so excited about Christmas the next day. I just kept staring at the light-up Christmas house and smelling the bayberry candle (it was not lit). I kept that candle for years after to remind me of the happy memories.
A couple of years ago, we got hit hard by a snow storm on Christmas day. My family and I went out to shovel the snow, and of course we needed to bring our St. Benard along (his name was Einstein). Everyone worked, everyone was tired, but the dog had a blast. He was running around, jumping in piles of snow that were taller than him. We were almost done shoveling when my sister asked where the dog went. None of us had a clue!
It seemed hopeless and all of us were freaked out. This was going to be the worst Christmas he everrrrrr had, and we've had some pretty bad Christmases. It was then, that my brother noticed that there were tracks. Einstein left tracks in the snow. We followed the tracks for blocks, sometimes we'd lose the tracks because the plows plowed the streets, but after a few moments of being worried we were always able to find his tracks again. My brother and I followed the tracks block after block after block running in the snow. Where we finally see our Einstein. Probably 3/4 of a mile from our house. Einstein was lying sadly in front of a stranger's house under a porch light. We looks sooooo excited to see us again. He ran to us and tried to jump and slobber all over us. We knew that getting him home at this excited state was going to be difficult, so we tried picking him up. Our attempt to pick him up was rather futile, he was one big dog. So we grabbed him by the collar and started jogging, he ran with us, jumping over the same snow banks we were jumping like a prize horse. I think that we all wanted to get home. We finally got home, and everyone was surprised we managed to find the dog. It was like this last big celebration before the clock hit 12 and Christmas was over. My parents stayed past their bedtimes (they work really early in the mornings) and we all spoiled that brat.
As I was writing this, I realized I was writing it as if it were really a couple years ago. This actually happened many years ago, but its a memory that's been kept so vividly. It was just this, beautiful Christmas moment in my family I don't think will ever fade.
It seemed hopeless and all of us were freaked out. This was going to be the worst Christmas he everrrrrr had, and we've had some pretty bad Christmases. It was then, that my brother noticed that there were tracks. Einstein left tracks in the snow. We followed the tracks for blocks, sometimes we'd lose the tracks because the plows plowed the streets, but after a few moments of being worried we were always able to find his tracks again. My brother and I followed the tracks block after block after block running in the snow. Where we finally see our Einstein. Probably 3/4 of a mile from our house. Einstein was lying sadly in front of a stranger's house under a porch light. We looks sooooo excited to see us again. He ran to us and tried to jump and slobber all over us. We knew that getting him home at this excited state was going to be difficult, so we tried picking him up. Our attempt to pick him up was rather futile, he was one big dog. So we grabbed him by the collar and started jogging, he ran with us, jumping over the same snow banks we were jumping like a prize horse. I think that we all wanted to get home. We finally got home, and everyone was surprised we managed to find the dog. It was like this last big celebration before the clock hit 12 and Christmas was over. My parents stayed past their bedtimes (they work really early in the mornings) and we all spoiled that brat.
As I was writing this, I realized I was writing it as if it were really a couple years ago. This actually happened many years ago, but its a memory that's been kept so vividly. It was just this, beautiful Christmas moment in my family I don't think will ever fade.
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