Christmas Traditions

My very earliest memories of Christmas involve our family traditions. One that I especially loved (because I’m the youngest, I’m sure) is that when it was time to go in to see the tree, the youngest got to go first. I especially remember this in the house by the Duncan Ward Building. That home had a door that separated the living & dining rooms from the hall with the bedrooms and bath. That door had to remain closed until everyone was dressed and made their beds, then we would line up and go in to see if Santa had been there. My memory might be wrong, but I think in my very youngest days the Christmas tree was also put up after I went to bed on Christmas Eve. I have no memory of the tree being there until we walked through that door Christmas morning. It felt magical. I also remember all the wonderful bubble lights that were strung on our tree. They were so beautiful.

Afton recalled the year that Mother got the new living room furniture for Christmas. I was too young to realize what was happening, but apparently Dad took the family to buy furniture for Mother. They picked out the set and brought it home or it was delivered. She only remembers that it was “hidden” in the hallway by the bedrooms by covering it with sheets. It was only later in her life that she learned that Mother had actually picked it out before the family “chose” it.

Gift-choosing wasn’t easy for Dad. For many years when we owned the Western Auto store in Duncan, Mother’s gift was chosen based on what was left in the store after closing on Christmas Eve. When Afton and I lived in Tempe, Dad would call and give us an idea of what he’d like to give her and we would either bring it home with us, or go to Clifton and buy it after we got to Duncan. He was not stingy; he just had a hard time having ideas and he always and forever worried about money.