Memories include putting up a real tree and it seems like it was always put up just before Christmas. I can remember trees leaning up against the garage. We had ornaments and also glass balls and other glass ornaments. We would either hang tinsel or drape it out in a string.
We would open presents on Christmas Eve and very late. My mother worked as a Christian Education Director and was working on Christmas Eve. Our tradition was to eat oyster stew/soup (Campbell's). I think I was the only one to chew the oysters. We would have this around 11pm if I recall correctly. And then we would open presents and go to bed only to wake up to Santa's presents Christmas morning already unwrapped. One year we all got TVs...Patti a 17" (maybe 19") black and white. Dean maybe a 12" and I got a 9" that I could put under the bed with me.
This was maybe the only night (or one of the few) that we would have a fire in the fireplace. We would also listen to music out of the old radio. Movies would include White Christmas, It's A Wonderful Life and Holiday Inn. Who knew they were black and white...wasn't everything?
Stockings on the mantle of a working fireplace/chimney was pretty cool. How else would Santa get in?
