Christmas Calendar

I have no memory of a Christmas without the Christmas Countdown Calendar that my Mom made back in the 70's, so this tradition must have begun around the time I was four. 1974 or so.

So..... Once upon a time, in 1974 my Mom made a calendar for her three sweet little children to use to count down the days until Christmas.  Twenty four is divisible by three, so we each had the same number of days.  That should have curtailed any fighting............. should have.

I'm sure the first year or so went alright, but then we got a little older, and if you wanted to put the star on you had to be in the third position.  That's where the fighting began.

Also, if  you forgot in the morning, some little bugger would put it on before you remembered.  So the fighting continued.

Then David came along.  Thankfully 24 is also divisible by 4.  However, now you had to figure out what the best position would be to get the coveted "star" turn.  Also, for a good two years someone had to help Davy with his turn, which in reality got you another turn, and the battle raged on.

I don't know how old I was when I caught my Mother tossing out some Christmas things, this calendar included.  I had some choice words for her, and snagged the lot of it.  For the last twenty years or so it has lived with me, in four separate homes.  I put it up every year, and the turns have been mine.  ALL MINE.  Well, I do share it with the Goovers when they are around, and don't you know there was a fight?  First it was who got to go first, then someone who had the first turn, took the second turn too.

The set has lost three pieces over the years, If I had felting skills I would fix that.  Oh well, at least it didn't end up in the trash.  Some day I will pass it down to one of the kids.  Although let me tell you, I will be watching to see if it's going to go to a home that will cherish and  take care of it.

My Aunt Pat has a very similar tree, made for her by her cousin Nancy.  I guess the big fight in their house was whose stocking was closer to the top of the tree.  I couldn't resist taking this picture when I stopped to visit with Auntie Pat one afternoon, and posting it on Jill's facebook page.  ;)

The best part about having this calendar, you know besides the part where every turn is MINE, is the memories that it brings of Christmas when I was a child.  I swear that each time I'm putting on an ornament I am not in my own home, but standing by the back door in my folks kitchen, the place where it hung every year.  I can see so very clearly the other Christmas decorations, hear my siblings getting ready for school, and smell the breakfast my Dad so lovingly created. (oh Lord, that just brought back the soft boiled egg horrors.)  We'll just focus on frozen waffles......

We are down to one more sleep til Christmas, so after breakfast this morning I put the star on top. I will enjoy the fully decorated tree for another week, and then back in the closet it goes until next year.  Oh the things it has seen, and the memories it holds after some 40 years.  I'm not heading down that rabbit hole, or I will need a box of Kleenex.  I think it's about time to crack into the apple cider and make up some boozy drinks for our traditional Christmas Eve bonfire.

Merry Christmas everyone!  I wish you the holiday of your choosing, and I hope that you all have a very blessed New Year.