Christmas is a time for reminiscing and I would like to recall some of my memories of Christmas from the 1940's. At that time we didn't have electricity or running water in our homes. Yet, Christmas was a wonderful time. Looking back over the years before electricity came to the country areas, it was dark and dreary. But in December the shop windows were decorated. From that day on we hoped to get lots of toys. And we never tired of looking at each window and its dazzling display of toys, beautiful dolls and lots of games like Ludo, Draughts, Snakes and Ladders, cowboy hats, guns, mouth organs, tin whistles, doll's tea sets, skipping ropes, crayons, and paint books, story books and pencil cases.

At home, the house was cleaned from top to bottom. Homes, where family members worked with big farmers, would give a wonderful welcome home to a son or daughter who had been away for most of the year. Mothers would welcome them with outstretched, embracing arms on their return. Someone coming home from England was very special. The money they brought home was very welcome. It would be small, for in those times you would only get £10 or £12 for a year's work from February to Christmas Eve. A huge log fire and a loving welcome was very important. The house was decorated with holly and ivy and coloured garlands and paper flowers. A sprig of holly was put over each picture and mirror. The big one pound candle was placed on each front window with frilly paper around the jam jar filled with sand to keep it safe. The youngest child in the house always lit the candles. That was the custom then. Holy water was sprinkled on the candles and prayers said. The lovely table oil lamp in the parlour would be lit. This only happened at Christmas, or Station (of the Cross) times or for visitors. A fire would be burning in the parlour, with special black turf picked to heat up the room for visitors. The days and nights of story telling and card-playing was wonderful. The ghost stories were fairly scary. We would look under the bed to see was anything lurking in there, we were so scared. The older men loved frightening young people and I'm sure made up a lot of their stories. The gramophone and record set up, we danced jigs, reels and hornpipes and enjoyed ourselves.

On Christmas Eve we went to the bubbling spring well two fields away to fill up with enough spring water. Two big enamel buckets and a galvanised bath full would carry us over Christmas Day. The goose was prepared and plenty of potato stuffing made. Two round flat bottomed bastibles were readied for use, the larger one for the goose and the smaller one for the smoked ham. A pot of potatoes was readied and a skillet for the vegetables. Plenty of logs for the fire were stacked up, and bags of black hard turf were hand-picked for the cooking of the goose and ham. We also watched for the postman with huge bags of mail on his bicycle. There might be a parcel from America and also a few dollars. The postman would get his Christmas gift and a drink. When darkness fell on Christmas Eve we could go out in the yard to see the countryside lit up with Christmas candles. Every window in every house had a lighted candle and from our house, on top of the hill, the light stretched for miles in all directions. It was beautiful to see.

Also lovely to see were the horses and traps going to Mass with the stump of a candle flickering in the lantern attached to the side of the trap. On the way into Mass everybody was cheerful and friendly with people shaking hands and wishing each other a Happy Christmas. In church, the beautiful bunches of greenery tied with red ribbons added to the sparkle. The Crib in the church was covered with holly and ivy and we all prayed there. There would be a line of people waiting their turn. The church would be a blaze of light, with the smell of wax from the candles. Christmas was also a time of grief, remembering all those dear to us who died during the year. There was forgiveness also, as people who may not have been friendly during the year would shake hands and have a drink together. At Mass, the choir would sing the Christmas hymns and it was beautiful. The "Adeste Fideles" at the end of Mass brought everybody to their feet as the whole congregation joined in the final chorus.

On Christmas morning there was the excitement of seeing what Santa had brought. Usually a game of Ludo or Snakes and Ladders, a doll's tea set, an orange and an apple, maybe a doll for the eldest girl and that was handed down to the younger ones in the family. There might also be a shining penny with a hen on it in the bottom of our stocking on Christmas morning. I remember one Christmas morning I woke about six o'clock. It was black dark and I waited to hear some noise in the kitchen. After a while I got out of my warm cosy bed and walked across the floor. I welcomed the chance to dress myself near the blazing turf fire. The candles in the front windows were lighting again. We had severe frost during the night and I could see the icy patterns on the windowpane. Then I saw what Santa had brought. Our names were on the parcels. A big box of Lemon sweets were burst open on the floor. I called upstairs that Santa had come. Then the excitement started and we each in turn opened our own presents. I looked outside and it was bitterly cold with millions of stars twinkling in the sky. Then it was time for breakfast and I helped with chores that had to be done.

Later the table was set for Christmas dinner. The new oil cloth was put on the table and covered with the white linen tablecloth. The good china glasses, and cutlery from the parlour were placed on the table for the festive meal. The willow patterned serving platters were taken down from the dresser to put the goose and the ham on ready for carving. The aroma of cooking filled the kitchen. We all now helped to serve the meal. Everyone took their place at the table. The prayers were said and then we all enjoyed the meal. Later we played with our toys and had lemonade and cake. The men had a bottle of stout or punch.

Times have changed and I often wonder is there the same magic about Christmas as there was then. We were certainly happy with what we had. Happy Christmas everyone.