Do You miss Christmas Past?

The title makes you think back doesn’t it? Remember when you were a child (well some us have to really stretch that brain to go back that far)? Some of my fondest memories were of Christmas decorations in the 60’s and 70’s of the previous century (wow, now this really does make me seem old).

In Panama City Florida in the late 1960’s I remember a downtown quite different than today. The McDonalds on Harrison Ave had large neon lighted golden arches to the right and left of the restaurant. On Saturdays the local firemen would come to the McDonalds with a fire truck for the youngsters to ogle over because in those days, the firemen and policemen were our hero’s. There would be a fireman dressed out in a Santa Clause suit sitting on a large chair with a velvety red throw over it giving out sacks of goodies. These sacks were made by the firemen on their own time with the help of the local scout troops. They contained crème filled chocolate drops WITH NO WRAPPERS, an apple, an orange, and numerous nuts in shells. McDonalds would donate food and beverages to the scouts and firemen who toiled there all day long until the goodie sacks were exhausted. It was a great feeling to be part of that as a boy scout and I am sure at least as much for the firemen.

I remember two weeks before Christmas the local fire departments driving through the neighborhoods with sirens and lights blazing because a jolly old elf came to call on the back of a Fire Engine. He would toss candy out to all the kids in the neighborhood as he passed by their homes. We would ride behind the trucks on our bikes with no helmets, no knee and arm pads, no lawyer in our pockets, with playing cards clothes pinned to our spokes for pop pop engine noise yelling at that top of our lungs at old Saint Nick to throw some more candy to us.

The lights on the houses were those really large light bulbs nailed along the edge of the eves. You might see a large tree or two with them wrapped all around them as well. Large plastic Santa’s and manger scenes filled the yards with excitement. Nothing was blown up during those holidays except maybe a mail box or two from the old M-80 fire crackers which are now designated in the same class as dynamite.

Carolers roamed the neighborhoods in those days singing from door to door. Grateful occupants would reward them with cups of hot cider and hot Christmas cookies fresh from the oven. Doors were left open if it were a warmer Christmas with just the wooden screen door for protection from the almost no existent gangs and drug crazed thugs. There was plenty of time to enjoy the carolers since TV only consisted of two channels for most, ABC and NBC with CBS if the weather was just right.

It’s a wonderful life was a treat because you could only see it once a year. There were no video recorders, DVD players or T vo’s to record it or play it. Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and real Christmas specials were a treat. Live TV shows like The Andy Williams Christmas Special, Bing Crosby Christmas Show and always Ed Sullivan with many Christmas songs performed by wholesome artists with respect and reverence.

The majority of the homes in those days had real Christmas trees inside decorated with popcorn strings, gingerbread cookies, hand cut paper snow flakes from school crafts, and always an Angel at the top of the tree. The only artificial trees were REALLY artificial. They were silver aluminum trees with a motorized light bulb at the base with a rotating plastic round lense with four different colored panels. When these panels came across the light bulb the shiny silver tree turned from yellow to red to blue and to green and was quite beautiful. Both of my grandmothers owned such a wondrous device as these.

People in those days knew their neighbors. They knew them all down perhaps six or seven houses down both directions and would drop by from time to time during the holidays for a visit carrying a cake, cookies or a freshly made pie. Maybe that is why people stuck together more. Because they met their neighbors and it became person to them. Today, if we even know the last name of the person living to our immediate right or left we are doing well. The personal touches are gone. The innocence of that age are gone.

We have insulated ourselves to our TV’s and computers so much today that we no longer have a need for human companionship. Perhaps that is one reason there are so many messed up people in our townships today. So many alcoholics, drug addicts and mentally oppressed and depressed people. Isolationist may be a great part of why we are in the mess we are in with our government. We depend too much on someone else to decide our fate. We depend too much on someone else to protest a crooked politician. We depend too much on someone else taking the time to go to the court houses and capitals to let them know we won’t stand for their corruption anymore. Christmas’s in our country have changed…. because we have changed. Have a great day.