Christmas, Year’s Longest Day

By Don Nelson
As I grew older, I marveled at the effort my dad put into Christmas. He was the real Santa Claus. Christmas lights and garland went up outside the house a few days early.
Evergreens and holly enhanced the lighting, thus creating a display that set us apart from others. The holiday was coming and we kids were becoming anxious. Would we hear Santa come down our chimney? Try as we might, we always fell asleep before that occasion. Our three-story house with a fireplace in the living room made this fantasy a reality to three young cherubs.
We nicknamed our mother “M’er,” which had begun when my sister couldn’t pronounce “Mother.” She seemed busy with all sorts of things, but all I remember were the Toll House cookies. Can I have another cookie right now … PLEASE? Why couldn’t we have MORE of these tasties, right now?
It was Christmas Eve, the tree was trimmed and the train platform had been placed to help Santa with the Lionel display. We hung our stockings on the fireplace and Dad read us “The Night before Christmas” with antics which we found to be entertaining if not good theater.
“Now Dasher, Now Dancer, Now Prancer and Vixen.” Gosh, reindeer have funny names. With all the adrenalin flowing, we weren’t tired. All the better to listen for Santa from our bedrooms.
We never could stay awake that long; but we were awake at 6 a.m., pestering our parents to get up so we could open presents. Why were they always tired on Christmas morn?
Sneaking partway down the stairs, we saw the train set-up and lots of beautifully-wrapped gifts. Trying to guess the contents of those packages was the game, but we had to get back to our bedrooms before we got caught. Why do we need to wait for sleepy parents? I hope I’m not that sleepy when I grow up. Christmas is the longest day of the year.
Finally, everyone is ready, including a couple aunts and uncles who had no kids, but stopped by to watch us.
Cars, toy soldiers, Tinkertoys! What a great holiday! My sister got dolls and stuff which I’ll never understand. Sometimes my brother got toys he didn’t like, but I did. Wow, a double Christmas! There was magic in the air. We loved it.
(Nelson writes from Voorhees and Reeds Beach.)