My Christmases

Christmas has always been very special to me. As a child, on Christmas Eve, I'd sit on the front door perch at night and look at the stars. The brightest was the star of Bethlehem. Then dad would come outside and say: "If you don't go to bed right now, Santa won't come. He wants all the good children of the world to be asleep by the time he visits." And then , in a panic, I'd go inside and make sure mum's homemade biscuits and some milk were nicely placed next to the Christmas tree for Santa. And then I'd go to sleep. On Christmas Day, I got up early and rushed to the living room anxious to see if Santa had come. He had drunk the milk, eaten some of the biscuits and put his presents under the tree.

As an adult, I've always been under the spell of the magic at Christmas. I still look at the sky on Christmas Eve trying to guess which one of all the bright stars is the star of Bethlehem, the star of wonder. The star which led the three wise men to the humble manger where the King of Kings was born. I also look forward to shopping, partying, singing Christmas Carols and being lazy and self-indulgent. 

Here are only a few of my most memorable Christmases.

Comments

[Lakis]

Thanks for sharing your Christmases, sugar. Great photos, can't have enough looking at them, especially the sweet little girl on Christmas 1961! And what an impressive tree!When I was a child, the best thing about Christmas was going from door to door with my friends singing the kalanta. The people were always very friendly and generous. On Christmas day, I got up very early to go to church with all the family. And then we had lunch at my mother's village - soup avgolemono and chicken which was the traditional Christmas lunch in those days.

[Bernie]

Hey! What a festive page! In my family Christmas has always been a real feast with everyone gathering round the swimming pool in our swimming costumes and would engage in the traditional family water pistol fight.Of course some fruit, candies and a cool drink was left out for santa. xo xo xo

[Laura]

Great pictures Anastasia - thanks for sharing. Did you manage to flame the pudding? You have a very mischievous smile on the photo. Take care and have a lovely Sunday

[Srefania]

Amazing slideshow, I loved every photo especially the one of the school play. Oh Anastasia, you are so sweet as Virgin Mary but don't you think you should have looked happier? Must be the stage fright! Filakia

[Tina]

I loved your various outfits and hairstyles from Christmases past in these photos--especially the long cream colored dress and your long straight black hair with bangs(fringe)

[Anastasia]

Thank you Tina,I always shop for a special outfit for Christmas. The cream dress is also one of my favourites. I haven't shopped anything for this Christmas yet. Hope I'm not too late!

Stefania, you are right. It was my first school play, I was only 6 and had just started school!I was scared to death! The worst of it all was Act I - just before the nativity scene with me (pregnant!) on a donkey! Thank God the donkey wasn't real!!!

Laura, yes, I was able to flame the pudding after a few unsuccessful efforts. But it's the final result that counts!

Bernie, I can picture your Santa feeling hot and tired. The cold drink sounds perfect. Christmas must be such a fun day for you and your family!

Lakis, in 1961 I hated my hair style and my clothes but loved the huge pine tree dad brought home on Christmas Eve. I have one regret, though. I never went from door to door singing Kalanta because I had a terrible voice!

[Jeff]

I said it before but I'll say it again - you are stunning and very chic yet so gracious and humble. One of my favorite Xmas quotes is by Charles Dickens : I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. Cheers

[Walid]

Habebti.
We start Christmas decoration on the fifteenth of November take it off on the seventh of January.We use to cut a Small pine tree from the forest near by .we pick one of the bushy place or we cut a branch.with it we get to fetch an asparagus plants with it.In fact we plant in tea plats all kinds of seeds we cook Lintels wheat barley check peas ets.The tree will be decorated with electric lights old days we use to put clips where candles use to fit in it.Bulbs shiny twisted lines Hanging all kind of fruits.
Under the tree we do a cave with brown panted paper fixing statues of the animals all round the New born baby .A statue of Mary to the right and statue of st,Joseph to the left side.We put the statues of the three wise Men coming from the out side of the cave.The most important thin is the bright star to be put on the top of the tree.The asparagus plants will be as an arc on the cave entrance the planted plates will be all over the out side of the cave.
singing Christmas Carols until mid night at home then to the church for the midnight service.
Christmas day we get up after three or more hours of sleep if some one had any.Checking the boxes by names.I remember the roster who every house use to raise at home for the Christmas .It was for the lunch stuffed with mince meat and rice with a soup.as a Lebanese we have the traditional dishes Hummos Kibby Tabbouleh and others.If some one don't want any of the roster there is a stuffed Sheep neck after taking the bone off stuffed with mince meat and rice.
As a desert there will be a Christmas cack plus milk cookies or what you call Browne's these days.fruits of the season is a must.
With Love and best wishes to you Walid.ber

[Lucy]

I'm sure that each one of your past Christmases was full of very special memories. I'll be looking forward to more photos from this coming Christmas. Have a lovely week.

[Anastasia]

Walid, thank you so much for sharing your Christmas traditions. The Christmas tree you describe sounds amazing! Many people in Cyprus also place the nativity manger round the tree in statuettes representing Joseph and Mary, the Three Wise Men, the shepherds, even the animals which kept Little Jesus warm. Most people in villages eat something similar to your stuffed rooster - chicken with avgolemono soup but for most of us it's the traditional stuffed turkey and the Christmas cake.

Lucy, indeed, each one of my Christmas past had something special, something different and something unique. Certainly I'll post many photos this Christmas as well.

Thank you for your kind words, Jeff, and for the great quote. Charles Dickens is one of my most favourite novelists and I have read all his books - my favourite being "Great Expectations" and "Christmas Carol"

[summer]

i enjoyed watching your slide show. i love your pictures, seeing u in different hairstyles and outfits. you look great. thanks for sharing. really love it. :)

[Faith]

Oh Anastasia, your Christmas' seem very similar to mine growing up. We would have to be in bed early and I too would look for the brightest star, thinking it was the star of Bethlehem. When we arose early in the morning, we were not allowed to venture down the staircase until mom and dad had the cameras in order. Then we could come downstairs and open ONLY our Christmas stockings until we had all had our breakfast. It was a real killer. Then we would chide each other if one ate more slowly than those of us who had inhaled our first meal. We would then unwrap our gifts each child would unwrap one and wait on the others to finish BEFORE another gift was "delivered" to us again. This year is going to be a NEW tradition ... Muslim/christian mix and established on a great amount of love and hope. I'll let you know how it goes.