5.12.09

Vintage Xmas

My advent calender has been in our family for ever. My mum brought this with her from Austria. I know there is another one, maybe my mum still has it.
There are lots of little windows to open and my mum had a story for each illustration. But my most favorite one was for the 6th of December which is children's day. We kids had to polish our shoes and leave them under our beds. In the morning, if we had been good, (which we always were), our shoes were filled with lollies. I was always so amazed and still am as I've never seen these lollies before and always wondered where they had come from. To this day I still look in candy stores and see if I can spot the ones that St Nick/parents bought for us to put in our shoes! I remember as we got older, I was so disappointed that we no longer kept this tradition going. But I have the calender to remind me of these times and great stories to inspire my art and illustrations.

9 comments:

Ree said...

What a very beautiful story! I love it. Childhood memories are so precious and priceless!

Xoxoxxx Ree

Bec said...

Oh this is so lovely, and such a beautiful story!
I've been a 6th of Dec convert since meeting my husband 7 years ago (polish family). Saint Nick is sooo much better then santa :)

vivian said...

great story grace. christmas lollies! too bad you cant find them anywhere now.
have a sweet weekend sweet friend!
vivian

Rois said...

I love your story. I am going to do it.My boys are young teens but won't they be surprised to find goodies in their shoes come morning.

Marita said...

Love this story, such a lovely calendar. I think this is an excellent way to get kids to polish their shoes...I'm a bit late with my advent calendar this year.

Susie McMahon said...

I had similar Christmas experiences (being the mixed-up post-war child of an English father and a German mother). We lived in dread of finding the bundle of sticks that the naughty children were left with. Never happened.

The best part of Christmas for me was the wonderful parcel that always arrived from my German grandparents in December. I remember it was always STITCHED ever so neatly into a linen outer covering which was painstakingly unpicked. They always had a wonderful, evocative "German" aroma, which I now know was mostly from the pungent cigars my grandfather smoked (and which, sadly, eventually did him in from throat cancer). The best part was that we got to open our "germany" presents on Christmas Eve, in the European tradition. And there were always wonderful, exotic things like marzipan animals and fruit. Ahhh! The nostalgia! Thanks for sharing!

Sparky said...

I am so glad Jess highlighted you...what delightful inspiring dolls...the bunny's have got to me my fav's...you are one talented artist...I will return again and again..

blessings madame samm
http://sewdollswhosnext.blogspot.com

Lady Euphoria Deathwatch said...

Hi Black Crow,

You got me remembering again.

One of my mothers friend used to send us (I'm the oldest of six kids) an advent calendar each year. We took turns opening the little doors and seeing the new pictures along with the reading of that part of the poem each evening until Christmas. By the time my kids came along it was out of fashion and they were hard to come by. I made a few for them in the early years. I'm sorry I didn't keep it up.

Thanks for the memories.

Hugs, Euphoria

lilmamasprimitives said...

What a great memory you have year after year. That is truly very special! It's amazing how things change. Some traditions I miss as well. But I guess I will always hold them in my heart.
Blessings
Stephanie