Thinking back to Christmas programs takes me clear back to my grandparents’ home when I was a child. My mom was the oldest of ten, and all the families got together at Grandma and Grandpa’s house every year on December 26 (Boxing Day in Canada). Lest you imagine a huge house with plenty of room for nearly 20 adults and a passel of grandkids (I’m 11th of 32), the answer is no. The house was a simple bungalow with a full, partially finished basement. How we all fit I don’t recall, but us kids took over that basement for the day and only went upstairs when it was mealtime.
And for The Program.
All those people jammed into my grandparents’ living room. Grandma and Grandpa (shown at right) sat together on one side, and rows of fold-up chairs (I wonder who they borrowed those from every year?) faced them. Then, from the smallest tots on up, each child came to the front and presented their part of the program to our grandparents.
A very small child might whisper, “Jesus is born.”
A slightly older preschooler memorized a short verse like this one I found here:
O welcome, little Christmas Guest,
Dear Jesus, from above;
Upon Thy face, so pure and mild,
We see God’s smile of love.
Older kids memorized longer poems, like this one I found here. (I remember memorizing my poem in the car on the way to their house sometimes!)
“Christmas Eve” by Christina Rossetti
Christmas hath a darkness brighter than the blazing noon,
Christmas hath a chillness warmer than the heat of June,
Christmas hath a beauty lovelier than the world can show:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus, brought for us so low.
Earth, strike up your music, Birds that sing and bells that ring;
Heaven hath answring music for all Angels soon to sing:
Earth, put on your whitest bridal robe of spotless snow:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus, brought for us so low.
The teenagers, of which I wasn’t one at the time of my memories, were too old to stand facing Grandma and Grandpa and recite poetry or Scripture. Instead, they’d sing a carol together. Four of my sisters are in this photo.
The aunts must’ve done a group carol as well, but I don’t remember specifically. However, the uncles always sang “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” That struck my funny bone as a child!
We ate turkey dinner in shifts on Boxing Day at Grandma’s, and there was a small gift for each child. Not only that, but Grandma had several boxes of mandarin oranges and we were each allowed several of them! Those were a huge treat. I don’t remember having them at home. If we did, they were certainly rationed.
Yes, I participated in other Christmas programs as a child. I’ve attended dozens and dozens of programs over the years. My kids were in their share of them at both church and school, and I’ve helped direct a couple. But still, the memory treasure bank went all the way back to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and the chaos and joy of a houseful of cousins.
What are your Christmas program memories? Check out some others from Jolly Daze 4 U & Me if you’d like to read other participating posts.