Your Favorite Christmas Memories

Time for the Christmas Tree

I remember when dad would say to us kids, "It’s time to look for the Christmas tree." We would bundle up in our warm snow boots and ski pants, with big scarves that mom made for us around our neck and face,. We would walk out in the deep snow and into the woods to find a tree. Then, happy as a lark, we'd watch dad cut down the most beautiful tree ever. We all dragged it home, falling in the deep snow, and laughing all the way with the dog trailing behind us. To this day, every time I smell pine, I think of dad cutting down the Christmas tree.

Back when I was child, we were lucky to get one gift. There were twelve of us kids, and I still visualize mom's long, cotton stockings hanging all the way up to the stairway, just waiting to be filled by Santa. At five in the morning, we were up and ready to open up our one gift, but the most important thing was the fruit, ribbon candy, nuts, and box of Life Savers--all colors of the rainbow--in our Christmas stockings!

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- Shared by Beliefnet member vina101_1999

The Christmas Angel at the Door

When I was nine-years-old, my father was in the hospital during the holidays. Money was scarce and mom had five children to dress for Christmas and she had o find presents for each of us. She told us the story of the Christmas Angel who, like the original Christmas Angels, brought tidings of great joy.

Two days before Christmas, we heard a knock on the front door. When mom went to answer it, no one was there, but she found a package on the doormat. She brought it inside so we could all open it together. It had a label on it that read, "From the Christmas Angel.” Inside the package were new dresses for all four girls and a new dress shirt and pants for my brother. There was even a dress for my mom. Everyone screamed with joy and ran off to try on our Christmas Angel gifts.

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- Kathleen Bergquist of Minnesota

A Special Greeting for Our Troops

A friend asked if I had any photos for a magazine she had started. She was looking for a special photo that conveyed a message of love. I told her about a photo of my daughter praying that had been taken in the days following 9/11. The photo was inspired by the firefighters and police officers who had lost their lives trying to save others.

We wanted to share the photo with everyone in America. One of our greatest hopes was to get a copy of the photo to our troops for Christmas. Many of our friends posted the photo on their websites and shared our request.

On Christmas Eve, as we were getting ready to go to the candlelight service at our church, I sat down to look at email. There was an email from a man in Iraq. He was in charge of internet services for the troops overseas. His message to me was simple and the best Christmas present we ever received. He said, “Bill, I heard about your request to share your picture with our troops for Christmas. Consider it done! It will be in their email on Christmas morning."

I sat at my computer with tears in my eyes, reading an email from a man halfway around the world and thanking God for helping us to share a gift straight from the hearts of our heroes.

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- Shared by Beliefnet member willyrain

In the Night Kitchen

During Christmas night, when I was an extremely young girl, I awoke to chatter in the kitchen. It sounded like two women. My sister was asleep in the same bed, so I nudged her awake. The two of us went off to investigate. Still hearing the festivities, we proceeded to the kitchen, but when we got within a few feet of the kitchen, the sounds suddenly stopped.

The two of us entered the kitchen to find it dark, and the way it was left the night before. Everything was put away, neat, and tidy. Not a single sign of the festive activities that we heard.

The next morning, we both ran downstairs to open our presents. Before we could begin, we had to ask our parents about what had happened. Both our parents went pale. You see, when our parents had looked at the house, one elderly woman was there. Our parents explained that she was moving because her sister, who had lived with her, had passed away.

To this day, I have never forgotten this.

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- Cecilia Andes of Pennsylvania

Music Heard Around the World

It was the morning of Christmas Eve. It was a lonely one for me; my mother had recently died, and my best friend had moved a thousand miles away. For the first time, I was alone for Christmas. Since I was by myself, I didn't bother putting up decorations, and I had no one to shop for. I planned to serve at a local charity on Christmas Day, but I was home alone on Christmas Eve.

I was listening to the Christmas radio broadcast from King's College, Cambridge University. Usually my best friend and I would listen to it together on the radio, but since he'd moved away, I was on my own. As the familiar music of the first carol emerged from my computer speakers, all my loneliness fell away. I realized that through this broadcast, millions of people all around the world were worshipping together, united through prayer and music for 90 minutes on Christmas Eve. We were all listening to the same beloved carols, hearing the same readings, praying the same prayers at the same time. I imagined fellow worshippers in Africa, Australia, Argentina, and Austria as well as those present in the chapel in England. I felt connected to this huge, invisible congregation.

After a few moments, a little beep sounded, and I saw my best friend's instant message on the computer screen. He was a thousand miles away in body, but he joined me, on the internet, as we once again listened to the broadcast together and shared our Christmas tradition.

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- Shared by Beliefnet member resonance

The Best Christmas Present

The Christmas of 1980 is my favorite. I was approximately seven months pregnant, and my parents and my sister had made the trip to Jacksonville, Florida to spend Christmas with my husband and me. We stayed up until the wee hours talking and watching holiday movies. Finally exhausted, we went to sleep.

Well, we didn't get to sleep for long because my water broke. My beautiful son was born at 10:27 a.m. by Caesarian section, six weeks premature. It was as if God had said, "Here's my Christmas present to you this year. I love you; that's why I sent MY son to you so many Christmas' ago. Now your son can help remind you of my gift whenever you are feeling low. “ I still say that...my son Ryan was my best Christmas present.

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- Robin Henry of Florida

A Walk to Remember in New York City

My parents and I don't celebrate Christmas in a traditional way. We don't put up lights or decorate a Christmas tree or exchange presents. We don't even own a large-scale Christmas tree; just a miniature one, passed down from a friend, with miniature ornaments. I usually hang up Snoopy stockings and bake a lot of cookies.

The one thing we did do two years ago was walk around Rockefeller Center in New York City on Christmas Day. We thought there wouldn't be a lot of people, but there was actually a ton of tourists crowding around the ice skating rink and the huge tree. Amidst the glittering ice, the sparkling ornaments, and the glittering twinkle lights, there was definitely a warmth of spirit and camaraderie in the city atmosphere; everything was beautiful and everyone was in good cheer.

- Shared by Beliefnet member BeliefnetAngels

Comfort on Christmas Day

Every year I leave New York to visit my parents in Orlando, Florida. About two years ago, I was really anxious about my visit because I kept imagining that it was going to be my last Christmas with one parent. They were both getting older and as I've watched them, I associated old age with death.

The day after Christmas, I spent the evening with my parents at dinner. By the time dessert arrived, I shared that my biggest wish was that I could celebrate my birthday with them for many years to come. My mother looked into my eyes and told me, "My mother is 89-years-old, so if that tells you anything, I am not going anywhere. We are going to be here for quite awhile." That comforted me immensely and all my fears about losing my parents dissolved in that very moment. I couldn't imagine spending my Christmas with anyone else.

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- Shared by Beliefnet member BeliefnetComforter

The Year That Changed Everything

My favorite Christmas memory is from when I turned 10-years-old. That Christmas was the last one spent as a family. My parents moved my brother and me to Florida and, soon afterwards, they divorced. That was also the last year I was sexually abused by my brother. You can imagine why that was a lasting memory for me. That Christmas, as a sheltered little 10-year-old, I felt very grown up because I got many of the things on my list…a princess ring, hair accessories, grown-up clothes, but most importantly, I got my own private telephone. When I opened that gift, I felt so grown up and so loved. When I think of that last Christmas so long ago, it truly does give me happiness and peace in my heart.

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- Shirley Little of Georgia

Santa's Personal Phone Call

The year my son was just turned seven-years-old, someone at school told him there was no Santa. He came home in tears and it broke my heart to see his innocence ruined by a thoughtless comment.

I told a friend at work what had happened, and we came up with the idea to have her husband’s friend call my son one night and say he was Santa. A few nights later the phone rang. I answered it and told my son that it was someone for him. He took the phone and got the most joyous expression on his face. The friend told him that it was Santa, that he understood Nicholas didn't believe Santa existed anymore. Then the friend told my son to always believe in magic and the joy of Christmas. After that phone call, there was no one who could convince my son that Santa didn't exist.

Nicholas is now 30-years-old and he became a father five months ago. A few nights ago, he reminded me of that phone call and how much it had meant to him. He hopes that the first time his own son hears there is no Santa, a phone call will be made to remind him of the true meaning of Christmas.

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- Deborah Finan of Florida