Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, my Family Way!
By the time Christmas came around, much time had gone into the preparation of the season, and the children put in most of the time. The children?
When I was growing up in east central So. Dak., "Christmas was a labor of love"! We always had line's to remember, song's to memorize, and special parts in Christmas plays.
Our first big task of the season, was the school Christmas program. It was a rural school with nine boy's, and one girl, it was never a question who would be Mary. I went back into Hoffman #55 years after it closed, and the two hooks that held the wire for the curtain were still in the walls. After the program was over, there was lunch in the basement, taverns, potato chips, home made pie, and ice cream. The mothers made the food, and charged a small fee for it. Then the money that was made we enjoyed in the spring going on a school picnic, which usually corresponded with going to the circus in Yankton. So we were paid well for our performance!
The second big task of the season was the church program. At the school program, the teacher was the producer, but at "The Church Program", Marcella was the producer!! Marcella had a eye for talent, like no other person in the congregation. Her children were taking music lessons at the age of three, so who could argue with her eye for talent. After the "Greatest Christmas Programs ever"( I did them from K-8), as we were leaving the church, we would receive a sack of Christmas goodies. The Christmas program, was always on Christmas Eve, and after the program, the childhood fun began.
Over the hill, (there was only one) and through the snow, to Grandmother's house we'd go. We would gather at the Grandpa Tschetters, all the local family, and we ( the children) wanted to do what kids like to do, open presents! But Grandpa was a preacher, and he wanted to make sure that we understood that Christmas was about the birth of Christ. He would read both accounts (Old and New Testament), but we wanted to open presents! Today I am thankful for his diligence. As a child I was never taught that there was a santa, but I was taught there is a Christ Child. All the gifts were given to us by people. "Could we please get to opening some?"!!!!
Opening gifts had a ritual! After the gifts were passed out, the opening order started, first the youngest would open one gift, then the next youngest, all the way to the oldest. You were selective as to which you opened first: if it was a boxed gift, it would be first, hoping it might be a game. But ours was a simple family, so there were few games, much clothing, but always treasured memories. Then it was time for neckoless (one of those words nobody knows how to spell). All the sacks we received at church were separated into a bowls of fruit, nuts, peanuts, and candy (some of the weirdest in the world). We would all gather around the oak table and the festivities would begin. We would be up late and, by the time we went home (over the hill), we were ready for bed. The next phase of Christmas. How many did you have???
Christmas Day always started with a Christmas service. If it was a alternating year we would go over the hill's (there were nine miles of) and through the snow (there were nine feet of) to the Bertsch gathering. It was a repeat of Thanksgiving, there were so many we never exchanged gifts, but we sure had fun with all of the cousins, sledding down those long hills. Mid afternoon we would go back home, and do chores, have a simple meal, and open presents from mom and dad.
When I turned nine, the question was asked: "What would you like for Christmas"? "The golden opportunity"!! "I want a Daisy BB gun"!!!! Mom and Dad knew, but they wanted to see the expression on their son's face: the Daisy probably had been bought already. Christmas Day, and time to open presents again. There were two long gifts under the tree, and we could hardly wait. Could they be our BB guns?
The moment of truth had arrived, and we both (Darryl and Delmar) got BB guns. Now for the big moment: Dad was going to show us how to use them?? When we received our gun's
: "The first commandment don't shoot out any window's"!! We understood the value of that, but you never take the first shot, with someone else's new gun, the second commandment!!! "Boy's get that empty cereal box and put it on the table"! "Really"? What happened next we couldn't believe: he loaded the gun, and pointed it at the cereal box, and pulled the trigger. Through the box, and off of the table, and through the window the BB did go.( sang to the melody of over the hills to grandmother's house we go). I couldn't resist, Dad. All fond memories to a older man, and all the love that was shared with me as a child. May this season bring you all, peace, and joy.
When I was growing up in east central So. Dak., "Christmas was a labor of love"! We always had line's to remember, song's to memorize, and special parts in Christmas plays.
Our first big task of the season, was the school Christmas program. It was a rural school with nine boy's, and one girl, it was never a question who would be Mary. I went back into Hoffman #55 years after it closed, and the two hooks that held the wire for the curtain were still in the walls. After the program was over, there was lunch in the basement, taverns, potato chips, home made pie, and ice cream. The mothers made the food, and charged a small fee for it. Then the money that was made we enjoyed in the spring going on a school picnic, which usually corresponded with going to the circus in Yankton. So we were paid well for our performance!
The second big task of the season was the church program. At the school program, the teacher was the producer, but at "The Church Program", Marcella was the producer!! Marcella had a eye for talent, like no other person in the congregation. Her children were taking music lessons at the age of three, so who could argue with her eye for talent. After the "Greatest Christmas Programs ever"( I did them from K-8), as we were leaving the church, we would receive a sack of Christmas goodies. The Christmas program, was always on Christmas Eve, and after the program, the childhood fun began.
Over the hill, (there was only one) and through the snow, to Grandmother's house we'd go. We would gather at the Grandpa Tschetters, all the local family, and we ( the children) wanted to do what kids like to do, open presents! But Grandpa was a preacher, and he wanted to make sure that we understood that Christmas was about the birth of Christ. He would read both accounts (Old and New Testament), but we wanted to open presents! Today I am thankful for his diligence. As a child I was never taught that there was a santa, but I was taught there is a Christ Child. All the gifts were given to us by people. "Could we please get to opening some?"!!!!
Opening gifts had a ritual! After the gifts were passed out, the opening order started, first the youngest would open one gift, then the next youngest, all the way to the oldest. You were selective as to which you opened first: if it was a boxed gift, it would be first, hoping it might be a game. But ours was a simple family, so there were few games, much clothing, but always treasured memories. Then it was time for neckoless (one of those words nobody knows how to spell). All the sacks we received at church were separated into a bowls of fruit, nuts, peanuts, and candy (some of the weirdest in the world). We would all gather around the oak table and the festivities would begin. We would be up late and, by the time we went home (over the hill), we were ready for bed. The next phase of Christmas. How many did you have???
Christmas Day always started with a Christmas service. If it was a alternating year we would go over the hill's (there were nine miles of) and through the snow (there were nine feet of) to the Bertsch gathering. It was a repeat of Thanksgiving, there were so many we never exchanged gifts, but we sure had fun with all of the cousins, sledding down those long hills. Mid afternoon we would go back home, and do chores, have a simple meal, and open presents from mom and dad.
When I turned nine, the question was asked: "What would you like for Christmas"? "The golden opportunity"!! "I want a Daisy BB gun"!!!! Mom and Dad knew, but they wanted to see the expression on their son's face: the Daisy probably had been bought already. Christmas Day, and time to open presents again. There were two long gifts under the tree, and we could hardly wait. Could they be our BB guns?
The moment of truth had arrived, and we both (Darryl and Delmar) got BB guns. Now for the big moment: Dad was going to show us how to use them?? When we received our gun's
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