Author name: Ruth Blair

When my mother was a child they wrote their letters to Santa and put them outside on the window sill with a stone on top. They were told the Christmas Robin would pick them up and take them to Santa. The children would stand transfixed to the window until they were called away to come and help with something. When they returned the letters were gone.

The experience for my brother and me was slightly different. As soon as the Sears Christmas Wish Book came through the door the list was made for Santa.

Going to visit Santa was a Christmas tradition. We went into Toronto to see Santa at the department store. We would go in on the train and meet my father. The next stop was Santa. We were dressed in our very best clothes and had our picture taken. This was an important picture as it was sent to both sets of Grandparents every year.

After our pictures were taken and we had gotten our candy canes from Santa we were allowed to buy one very small toy in the toy department. Then it was off to a restaurant called Diana Sweet’s for dinner.

When we were finished with dinner we walked to Eaton’s and Simpson’s department stores to look at the windows that were specially decorated for Christmas. It was dark and cold outside and the windows were alive with animatronics, lights, colour and activity; Santa’s workshop, a family around the Christmas dinner table, a mother doing her Christmas baking, families doing their holiday shopping, children playing in the snow. These windows were a wonder to behold for a small child.

There were vendors with red and yellow carts that had freshly popped popcorn and roasted chestnuts for sale. They also sold a variety of colourful suckers. We were allowed to have one item from the cart.

Then it was time to drive home. We were tired but still watched the lights of the billboards and advertisements flash by us on the highway leaving Toronto. These are some of my fondest memories of Christmas. It was my family enjoying a special time together that did not cost a lot of money but created fun, laughter and memories.

I believe in the spirit of Santa and the joy that he brings to children around the world at this time of year.

©2010 – Blair Archival Research

My Scottish ancestors did not really celebrate Christmas until the twentieth century and then it was for the children. My Irish ancestors celebrated Christmas quietly. As a result decorating the outside of the house was not something that my ancestors did.

When I was a child my grandmother decorated the outside of her house with big snowmen and candles that lit up inside. These were put on the upper balcony or sometimes on the patio on the first level. She did not decorate the outside of her home until she moved to Canada. This was a North American tradition that was done for the grandchildren.

It was not until we got a house that my parents started putting up outside lights. It was the usual string around the eaves and maybe some around a bush. At one point they gave up the stringed lights and used spot lights which were red and green. If we got a lot of snow around Christmas they stayed in place until the spring thaw. Now there are white lights on bushes and an evergreen decoration on the wall next to the front door. The urns out the front are filled with greenery, red sticks, pine cones and a large glass ball.

©2010 – Blair Archival Research

Most of our family lived in Ireland, Scotland and England so Christmas cards were the main way of keeping up with everyone. My mother is one of twenty one first cousins and this was the only time during the year that they would communicate, unless of course there was a birth, marriage or death.

The cards would be placed on the mantel over the fireplace in the living room.

Some cards held handwritten letters telling of the families activities during the year. It could be a small note on a card or several sheets of blue air mail paper. Sometimes a picture would be included to show the latest member of the family. This now includes pictures of grandchildren.

Mum would start her card writing early in December especially if letters were to be included. You had to have them in the post by a certain date to guarantee that they would arrive before Christmas.

Everyday when we got home one of the first things we did was to check the Christmas cards to see whose had arrived and what news they held.

©2010 – Blair Archival Research