A vintage family Santa Claus and 2 legged Reindeer
A vintage family Santa Claus and 2 legged Reindeer
The store shelves groan with shiny new things, tempting shoppers to bring them home.
New things seldom tempt me.
I am more of a memory keeper. What others might consider trash, I rescue with tender affection. The value of “things” isn’t so much in the item itself, but the stories behind them.
Our family Santa Claus was an invitation to children
Santa’s face is practically rubbed off, without his sleigh and reindeer he might be just another guy in a suit. But my hands, the same fingers typing this story, were part of a family of children who gingerly played with him under the tree.
He is part of it too.
It being my Grandparent’s Christmas village. Every year we grandkids eagerly looked forward to this tiny world.
Grandpa would assemble a platform with multiple levels to sit the tree on. Grandma would cover it with white and place the cardboard houses and plastic figurines just so.
And, we would enter the land of magic.
Our family Santa Claus is a precious gateway
Lights illuminated the tiny windows of colored plastic. The bottlebrush trees made us dream of snow (something we NEVER had in SoCal), and the animals and elves and angels would invite us to imagine.
Memories are precious. My much older fingers once again arranged that vintage scene. Shiny and new have nothing on faded and broken in my book. Not when there is still a story left to tell…
Do you have a memory keeper’s heart?
Christmas Resources better than Santa Claus:
- God Hears Her, A Joyful Christmas: 31 Morning and Evening Devotions
- The Great Christmas Bowl
- Have Yourself a Minimalist Christmas: Slow Down, Save Money & Enjoy a More Intentional Holiday
- Our Christmas Story: A Modern Christmas Memory Book
- Why the Nativity?: 25 Compelling Reasons We Celebrate the Birth of Jesus
- Disclosure: I only recommend products I do/would use myself. This post may contain affiliate links that at NO additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission to help support this blog. Read full privacy policy here.
Christa,
Your story brought back a flood of childhood Christmas memories. And tears. Thank you for sharing your childhood story and photograph.
Old, broken and faded with memories is better than new and shiny.
What a wonderful thing to tell me, I am so glad for that Pamela
Christa, as with the case with Pamela, your post brought back a lot of childhood memories. I love vintage things, especially when it comes to Christmas. And I’m finding the older I get (although I always want to be young at heart) the more I cherish the things of old. Love the photo.
Joan, I wonder if it something wonderful that comes with us aging a bit? When we are younger we like new but as the years go by we learn the value of memories
I remember one Christmas when we went to our Grandmother’s house and were told that Santa left a gift for each of us there. I was filled with amazement when I opened my very own miniature broom, dustpan, and other toy cleaning aids. A memory I have never forgotten from a VERY long time ago. There was just something magical about that day.
Thank you for sharing it now with us! Do you feel the same happiness as an adult getting those things at the store? I always loved “homemaking/motherhood” stuff as a kid. Oddly,perhaps, I still enjoy buying it now
So beautiful Christa
Thank you La ♥
Such fun memories – even before you got to play! lol
I wasn’t sure just HOW old they were, even better
So sweet. I’m not generally very nostalgic, but I do cherish the memories of special Christmas ornaments and decorations, some of which I still have. I love the photo of the Christmas tree. I miss tinsel.
I do too!, Kathleen were you one of those one piece at a time or clump throwers?
Can you guess which kind I was?
Beautiful post, Christa! Wonderful memories!
When I was growing up in Greece, Christmas was not about decorations, celebrations and gifts. It was about church going and carols, the excitment of being treated with whole walnuts and sweets, about telling stories and designing paper ornaments to hang on naked branches of trees.
I love vintage things and both in Greece and here have everywhere around my house. As for Chistmas, I go all the way out with decorations most of which date back from the time I came to Chicago 48 years ago..
I love your photos and memories! Thanks for sharing them.
Thank you SO much for sharing your life in Greece, it makes me happy to imagine your recollections with you