Holiday Memories

[Ailish]

I remember quite a few different holiday celebrations from different lives, but I will share something I posted previously about my life in Italy as Nicoletta – and remembering La Befana:

I am small perhaps 6. I am excited because it is Christmas season and there are so many good foods – especially sweets. Lera helps me hang my stocking on the end of the bed, but changes her mind and gives me one of hers – it’s bigger.

She does the same on her own bed and tells me “Go to sleep La Befana is coming to fill our stockings with goodies.”

I jump onto my bed and scramble under the patchwork quilt. It’s cold in there! I swish my legs and feet around to warm up the bed and Lera laughs at me. That makes me giggle.

Papa and Mamma come in to kiss us, and Papa laughs when he sees Lera’s stocking on my bed. I close my eyes as Papa kisses my forehead and then Mamma reminds us to say our prayers. I jump out of bed to kneel by Lera at her bed. She is saying words – but not praying – I can tell. She is smiling too much to be praying.

Aili

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[Karoliina]

I have surprisingly few Christmas PL memories, thinking about how much I love the season in this life. But then again, it hasn't been such a big deal in most eras and cultures earlier.


I remember very short flashes of Christmases in Finland in the 1910's. One memory from Paris (I think) in the 1930's is connected to Christmas, even though we were Jewish (or maybe it was about Hanukkah?):

"I'm in a dark, cramped attic room/flat, and there are lots of people there, who are either poor and/or sick. People are coughing. There is a woman who is running the place. I think it's a home for poor, or poor and sick people. I don't think I live there. I see two fancily dressed little girls bringing something for the woman, who runs the place. I think it's Christmas and the girls' parents want to help the poor people by bringing them food or something like that. I think I'm
one of the girls that has a sheepskin coat and a matching hat, and a dark brown, bobbed hair. I feel at the same time curious, disgusted and compassionate going to that attic. I think it's possible this is Corinne in Paris in the 1930's."

The memory came in the summer of 2007, but I actually remember now I recently saw a documentary about Jewish people in Europe before WWII and the traditions of charity. Maybe it was a custom to give to the poor around the holidays in our community/family?


Later in that life Corinne married a Christian man and they celebrated Christmas. Bing Crosby's It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas is a huge trigger for me to remembering the season in America in the 1950's.


Karoliina


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[4mysonK]

When asked to think about my happiest memory, it was of my Dad holding me in front of the Christmas tree. He was tickling me, and I was leaning away from him laughing. I felt so loved, and I knew my Dad was a good man. I knew we didn't have a lot of money, but that wasn't the point at all. It's kind of nice to think about being a small child without the thought of Christmas gifts.


I think that's a good lesson to us. Little kids just want to be with their parents and feel happy during that magical holiday. That seems to be the same type of experience you had, Ailish. You were giggly and excited, but centered only on your family and the love around you. Toys are just the icing on the cake!


*The year I 'saw' during that regression was 1868.*


This post and discussion is continued in the thread Holiday memories