“I heard the bells on Christmas Day. . .

Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”  ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Although missing the nursery rhyme light shades, I think
this is the tree Mam brought from England

     "In 1959, I came to America with my family aboard the Queen Elizabeth.  Mam packed a small, artificial Christmas tree.  A central wooden dowel sat in a hole in a square base.  It was 3 feet tall with branches that pulled out and down to form the shape of a tree.  It came with light bulbs, each with a shade like an inverted Dixie cup.  A nursery rhyme and character were painted on each shade."






   "In the early 60's, we bought a 5 ft. silvery tinsel tree.  It had a silver painted 'trunk' with holes drilled in it at increasing angles, so that when each of the branches of the same size was inserted into the holes, they would perch upwards forming a tree shape.  My brother Darryl was born during the era of the silvery tinsel tree.  Maybe that's why he loves tinsel so much."





   






     "In the 70's we had a 6-foot artificial evergreen tree.  It looked real, but didn't smell real.  We three kids could assemble it, no parent help needed.  Dad always put those big, cone shaped, multi-colored lights bubs all over the tree.  Maureen and I begged for fairy lights.  Darryl just wanted to lob tinsel at the tree, big clumps that would drip from random branches."
                                                                                                                 --Barbara

Maureen remembers:

     "I can't say that I remember any Christmases in England.  I would've been 6 years old on my last Christmas there.  I remember Dad taking me down to Nanna's house to receive a gift.  Pop would always give me a small glass of Advocaat at Christmas, a yellow drink that tasted a bit like eggnog.

'Advocaat or Advocaatenborrel is a traditional Dutch alcoholic beverage made from eggs, sugar and brandy. The rich and creamy drink has a smooth, custard-like flavor and is similar to eggnog.'

     I remember more of our first Christmas in Hickory, N. C.  I got a bridal doll that came in a hinged case with a few clothes.  We lived upstairs in a small attic bedroom, but Mam has since said we didn't stay there long after finding rat droppings.
     Mam and Dad would hang a pillow case on our bedposts, and in it would be nuts, fruit and a few gifts.  I believe it might have been the Christmas after we came back from  England, that you and I each received a bridal doll that was about 3 feet tall.

Opening a package from England

We're very dressed up for opening gifts--must have been for
the photos

    





       
     I remember a Christmas in the duplex on
Oakland Avenue in Statesville when I received
a Brownie Bull's Eye camera.  First I opened a
package with film, then one with a camera bag,
and finally the one with the camera.  I still have it!
     Every year we went to a Christmas party at Dad's workplace, Hunt Penn.  Mr. Waring, the owner, led the singing.  Each child of an employee received an age appropriate substantial wrapped gift.  They served cupcakes covered in red and green icing.  What a treat!"
                             



FYI:  Below are some British Christmas traditions, some of which we celebrated.

1. Letters
It is very common for school age children to write letters to Santa Claus.  But, the Brits take it a step further and burn the letters in the fireplace so the ashes fly up the chimney and Father Christmas can read the smoke.

2. Stockings
Rather than hanging stockings above the fireplace, British children hang them at the end of their bed hoping they will be filled by Christmas morning.

3. Crackers
The cracker is a paper tube, covered in foil, twisted at both ends. It’s shaped like a large sweet with hidden treasures inside. Each person crosses their arms, using their right hand to hold their cracker, and pulling their neighbor’s cracker with their left. POP! The cracker will make a bit of a bang with the contents spilling out which usually is a joke to be read at the dinner table, a small trinket and a paper crown.

4. Next Year
Brits say you need to take your tree and decorations down within 12 days of Christmas or you’ll have bad luck for the next year.

5: Crown
Everyone is a king on Christmas! The paper crowns are made of tissue paper and unfold into an actual crown. Adults and children alike don the crown making it a colorful sight. The paper hat was added to the crackers in the early 1900s and the tradition has carried on.
                                                                                               --from BBCAmerica

Bit of history:  

     "The most famous Christmas tree in the UK is the giant tree in Trafalgar Square. The tree is a gift from Norway to the people of the UK as a token of gratitude for British support of Norway during the Second World War. Every year since 1947, Norway ships over a spruce tree that the British ceremoniously decorate with white lights.
 
     Crazy costumes, audience participation and cross-dressing all in one performance! What more can you ask for? Pantomime season in the UK begins around Christmastime. The audience always gets excited at pantomime performances, cheering for the heroes and yelling angrily at the villains. The tradition of pantomimes comes from medieval mummers plays, in which men acted all the parts in a silent play with a moral theme for noble households. Today, pantomimes sometimes even feature famous pop stars or TV personalities.

     While some children leave cookies and milk for Santa Claus like in the US, it is quite common in the UK to leave something a little stronger for good old St. Nick. Many families leave a glass of whiskey, sherry or brandy, along with a heartier snack, like a mince pie, made of fruit and spices. It’s a long, cold night for Santa, so they like to give him something to keep him warm.

     Brits used to stay warm by the Yule log during the cold Christmas season. The Yule log was a large piece of wood that was burned in the fireplace as part of the holiday celebrations. Traditionally, it would be decorated with ribbons and dragged into the house ceremoniously. Once it was lit, it would be kept lit throughout all 12 days of Christmas. If you could keep the log burning, it would bring warmth, prosperity, blessings and good luck all year long"
                                                 --from http://usa.britishcouncil.org/british-christmas-traditions

"The American Dream is all about social mobility in a sense--

                                                            the idea that anyone can make it.     --Fareed Zakaria

Erik,

     "When Mam and Dad were able to purchase their first home in Statesville, NC, they had accomplished something that wouldn't have happened in England at that time.  It was a huge moment, I think.  They were well on their way to 'making it.'"                   --Mom

Maureen remembers:

     "It was in Statesville that Mam and Dad bought us each a bedroom suite (bed, dresser, and desk) from Gordon's Furniture Store.  I still have mine, as does Barbara.

     I was allowed to ride my bike to the library.  I would cut through the back of the high school, cross North Center Street, and ride through a residential area to the front of the library.  I had a basket on my bike; in the summers I went through a lot of Nancy Drew books.
        A few years ago when I visited Statesville, I noticed how small the library (now a Head Start center) actually is; it still looked the same, with curved wrought iron steps on both sides of the front door.

Statesville Drug  Store/Holmes Drug Store

     I would also ride into downtown Statesville and go to the movies.  I remember Cherry Cokes at the corner drug store, Statesville Drug Store or Holmes Drug Store.  On one of my many trips into town, I bought Barbara a tiny china tea set for Christmas.


     I joined a Brownie troop; Mam would help at the meetings.  I remember making a small ceramic fawn and shoe, both of which I still have.  Mam painted the eyes on the fawn.  Barbara and I also made egg cups, her's was a rooster (she still has it) and mine was a duck.



     I was playing over at a Brownie friend's house one day, in the backyard, when her dog jumped up and bit me in the behind.  I had to be taken to the doctors to get a Tetnus shot.  I think that is the reason I've had a fear of large dogs every since.  I stayed in Girl Scouts through high school.
     Our next door neighbors, the Lipshitz family, had a daughter,  Donna, who I often played with.  I needed a dress for a school dance, and Mam had just had Darryl and couldn't get out to the shops, so Mrs. Lipshitz went to a local department store,  Spainhours, and brought home several dressed for me to choose from; I chose a lovely white dress with big green flowers on it.

Maureen holding Patches; Barbara on the far right

 






     "We had our first dog while living in Statesville, a beagle named Patches.  We were out driving up in the mountains and saw some kids playing with some puppies, stopped, went to the door and asked if we could buy one.   The woman who answered looked so down trodden; the house had a dirt floor.  It made us count our blessings.
     Patches became a memeber of the Shelton household, but he kept running away.  We had just about given up on him, when one day he came home with a piece of rope tied to his collar.  We found out later that he would go and visit at some nearby shacks, and the people who lived there were feeding him, obviously something he liked because he would keep disappearing.  We left Patches home alone one time; when we returned there was toilet paper strewn all over the house."
                                                                                            --Joan Shelton