Christmas Vacation in the Old Days

Christmas Vacation in the Old Days

October 18, 2017

Memories of our childhood at Christmas time. Sixty five years ago are quite different than it is today. 

We were on Christmas vacation from school. We four  got to sleep about one half hour longer than usual. Soon we alerted to get up, dressed warm and go out and take care of the animals and the chores.

Snow had fallen even more than the day before. 

One of the adults made a few paths to the wood pile, coal bin and on out to the animal quarters.

We knew after breakfast we were going to do some heavy shoveling. This happened before we got to go out and enjoy our two week vacation.

After tending the animals and other chores we came back indoors. A warm hearty breakfast lingering a bit hoping the sun would melt the snow. That was a pipe dream and did not happen.

We were asked  to bundle and gear up then collect the shovels so  we could clear the driveway. 

The  “L O N G”  driveway was  where at least a dozen cars or trucks could fit in a straight line down the middle.

With a lot of kids and an  adult that was not at work we got that all done pretty fast, well, within two hours that is. We also took a little time to make a few snow balls and cream each other laughing all the time.

We were all called inside where we took off our coats, scarves, hats and gloves.  We hung the wet clothes  in the backroom on the inside clothes line to dry near the roaring furnace. 

Next we sat at the kitchen table near the fireplace for hot chocolate.  Hershey’s brand cocoa, milk, a bit of sugar with a pinch of salt then slowly cooked in a double boiler.  Next it seemed like dozens of Oatmeal  and Molasses cookies were placed in front of us to have as many as we desired.  

After about an hour we bundled up again and went out to build snowmen or forts. If the snow got slushy enough we went out front. The depression in the side yard along the driveway dipped down enough to make a rink. Smoothing  the slush all around we groomed it as flat as possible. The next morning it was  frozen enough for us to don our ice skates and play ice hockey to our hearts content.

We were pretty cold and hungry by then. After doing some little chores,  tending to the outside animals food, water and other needs. We brought  in wood and coal for the furnace. We all piled indoors for warm homemade  soup and sandwiches for lunch.  After lunch we played board games, read books or put a puzzle together.

Later on that evening after doing the same chores we had a nice warm dinner. We all piled up into the car and went off to look at all the Christmas lights  all around the neighborhood . 

The Nativity scenes, hand  made and painted were brought out every year. and put in a prominent place with a shining light on them for all to see.  If the driver was not too tired we would venture into the nearest town and look at the city kids light displays.  Their houses seemed to have bigger displays with more lights than us kids in the country. The in town  decorations were store bought. More sparkly  as ours were. Country  farm tractors were  lit up with a single string of lights that did not blink. The   trees in town were not real trees. Store bought trees  were  perfectly shaped. whereas ours were alive growing in the yard. Some people used  real cut down trees. There were  mismatched limbs.  We always seemed to have fun  decorating the gaps of the trees beautifully in our eyes.

Seeing the lights all lit up was a favorite thing to do back then.

Now you plug in a color “wheel” and set it in the front yard throwing a light on a wall, bush or tree. That’s suppose to  be a decoration along with the blow up Santa, reindeer and snowmen that leak air in a few days. 

No malls to go to or electronic games back then, not even talking on the one phone attached to the wall. We were happy and we grew up not at all deprived.

Our Christmas vacation was so much fun that we even remember sixty five years later.

©Julia A Knaake