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OldBaldy1701E

(9,839 posts)
43. Yes. This.
Thu Dec 4, 2025, 12:12 PM
Dec 4


My grandmother would place this on the table in the front hallway of her house. I remember it from every single Christmas that was celebrated at her house, which was every year until she passed.

There were a few more figures, but they were broken or disintegrated over the decades. I am missing the other two 'Kings of Orient', as well as another shepherd boy leaning on his crook, with a sheep beside him, and three sheep laying down like the mule and the cow are doing. I had to repair some of the ones you see because they were also broken, but she did not throw them away. I am very glad, because I was not interested in the display being 'correct', I just wanted to the one that I grew up with. It is fragile, but I will still set it out for the holiday in remembrance of my grandmother, who obviously liked it enough to buy all new figures for it on three different occasions. It is on the shelf behind me a this very moment.

The stable has a wind up music thing on the inside where it plays the first verse of 'What Child Is This?' I have not tried it since I got it, so I think it still works, but I don't want to risk it without some prep first.

(I also remember the TV stations doing the burning log, but my grandmother did not have a color television until the late seventies, so it was always a bit funny to us grandkids to see a black and white fire.)

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

We used to have real candles on the Christmas tree Turbineguy Dec 4 #1
Oh you. Thank you very much, Turbineguy. I never knew anyone with real candles on the tree. debm55 Dec 4 #3
They were common when we lived in Switzerland... regnaD kciN Dec 4 #31
Thank you very much, regnaD kciN. We used the string lights too. debm55 Dec 4 #36
Instead of Christmas stockings, we had vinyl boots, red with Christmas decoration Walleye Dec 4 #2
Thank you very much for sharing with us. Walleye. That is a unique idea. debm55 Dec 4 #4
Living in a small town in northern New Jersey... FalloutShelter Dec 4 #5
Great post, FalloutShelter. The local fire department would throw candy from the truck. You are so lucky to get Tiny debm55 Dec 4 #7
Thanks for the post Deb and FalloutShelter Dec 4 #10
You are welcome, FalloutShelter debm55 Dec 4 #15
A big memory is my dad and I singing "The 12 Days of Christmas" every day after dinner during the season lark Dec 4 #6
Thank you very much lark for sharing with us. May the memories of your mother be a blessing to you. debm55 Dec 4 #8
ALCOA is from western Pennsylvania.... MyOwnPeace Dec 4 #9
Thank you very much, My OwnPeace. We never had one. I am so glad. Didn't know that ALCOA made them here in Western PA. debm55 Dec 4 #11
my mother was delighted when she was able to get one of those aluminum trees yellowdogintexas Friday #79
Thank you very much,yellowdogintexas. for sharing your memories for us. My sister had an allergy to live trees too. She debm55 Friday #84
Midnight Mass displacedvermoter Dec 4 #12
Thank you very much, displacedvermotor. I was in the children's chorus. and we sang at the Midnight Mass. debm55 Dec 4 #14
Before the inflatables, the hard plastic yard decorations. debm55 Dec 4 #13
My parents always bought the Firestone Christmas album Freddie Dec 4 #16
Thank you very much, Freddie for sharing. I am unfamiliar with the album, but it sounds great. debm55 Dec 4 #21
It was an annual record only available at Firestone dealers Freddie Dec 4 #32
Thank you.Freddie. debm55 Dec 4 #38
We had the cardboard fireplace... discntnt_irny_srcsm Dec 4 #17
Thank you very much, discntnt_irny_srcsm. So Santa had a way to deliver the presents. debm55 Dec 4 #23
Our main tree was in the living room on the first floor. discntnt_irny_srcsm Dec 4 #34
Thank you very much for sharing with us discntnt_irny_srcsm. debm55 Dec 4 #41
My dad raised three kids on his own. That said, we were lucky to even have a tree. Emile Dec 4 #18
Thank you very much for sharing with us Emile. Your tree sounds beautiful. And your father sounds like a great man. May debm55 Dec 4 #24
Two: the nut bowl and the angel chime decoration. Xavier Breath Dec 4 #19
Oh , Thank you Xavier Breath. I had the angel carousel with the candles . Didn't you just stare at it in wonder? debm55 Dec 4 #27
we had one of those as well. nt yellowdogintexas Friday #80
Thank you yellowdogintexas. I loved it and could watch for hours. debm55 Friday #85
We used to go to a Christmas Party every year. Kids applegrove Dec 4 #20
My dad would take us 3 kids to the VFW Christmas Party Emile Dec 4 #22
Sounds like a riot. What is VFW? applegrove Dec 4 #25
Veterans of Foreign Wars Emile Dec 4 #28
Thank you Emile for sharing with us. I went to the Knights of Columbus party and got a gift. Bless you Emile. debm55 Dec 4 #26
My Dad was a coal miner..... MyOwnPeace Friday #83
Thank you very much, applegrove for sharing with us. I bet it was fun for you. debm55 Dec 4 #42
We did the same, but it was a Kiwanis Christmas party. I'll never forget Cloudhopper Dec 4 #47
Thank you for sharing . Wow that was a huge teddy bear. I got a tin of those hard candies. debm55 Dec 4 #50
HAHAHHAHAHha Sounds great. Thank you applegrove. debm55 Friday #86
My family never did huge, elaborate, easily-spotted-from-orbit outdoor decorations. Aristus Dec 4 #29
Thank you very much Aristus. I remember people decorating their doors that way. I though it was very nice and festive. debm55 Dec 4 #44
Cookies, cookies, cookies! Raven123 Dec 4 #30
My mom's aunt would make a TON of cookies, all kinds Mad_Dem_X Dec 4 #35
Thank you very much Raven123. Yes, Christmas cookies are the best. debm55 Dec 4 #46
We had a cardboard fireplace Mad_Dem_X Dec 4 #33
HAHAHAHAHHA. Did you have the red brick cardboard one? Thanks Mad_Dem_X debm55 Dec 4 #51
Oh yes! Mad_Dem_X Dec 4 #73
HAHAHHAHAhah. thank you very much for sharing with us.Mad_Dem_X Love it. debm55 Friday #87
My dad would routinely burst into song Mad_Dem_X Dec 4 #37
HAHAHAH. Thank you very much Mad_Dem_X. May your dad's memories be a blessing to you. debm55 Dec 4 #54
I miss him terribly, especially this time of year. Mad_Dem_X Dec 4 #74
______________ debm55 Dec 4 #75
I loved hanging the tinsel. pandr32 Dec 4 #39
Thank you very much, pandr32. My brother would do the same. It made my Father very angry. debm55 Dec 4 #71
We had a Lionel train on a platform my dad made some_of_us_are_sane Dec 4 #40
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHA. I am sorry some_of _us _are_sane. but that is sort of funny. debm55 Dec 4 #72
Yes. This. OldBaldy1701E Dec 4 #43
Thank you very much OldBaldy1701E for sharing the manger scene. It is beautiful and carries the memories of your debm55 Dec 4 #45
I remember always having this mix of hard Christmas candy that came in a blue or green foil tin. The brand was Society KitFox Dec 4 #48
Thank you very much, KitFox for sharing the wonderful Christmas Eve events in your home. Excellent. debm55 Dec 4 #64
We had these plastic hanging decorations made from small, round, colored plastic Cloudhopper Dec 4 #49
I remember them. Cloudhopper. We called them popcorn decorations as they were rough. I live in SW PA and they were all debm55 Dec 4 #53
The annual Christmas music album 31st Street Bridge Dec 4 #52
Thank you very much, 31st Street Bridge. debm55 Dec 4 #63
I remember some time before Christmas, awaiting the arrival of the big Sears catalog SheltieLover Dec 4 #55
Thank you, SheltieLover. Did you dog ear or circle the items that you wanted Santa to bring you? debm55 Dec 4 #58
Oh, absolutely. Dog-eared & circled items. Lol SheltieLover Dec 4 #59
HAHAAHAHA Thank you. SheltieLover. debm55 Dec 4 #61
Mr Jingaling ... marble falls Dec 4 #56
HAHAHHAHAHAHA, Thank you very much, marble falls. debm55 Dec 4 #57
Homemade cinnamon bread, rum balls, egg nog and homemade fruitcake. mwmisses4289 Dec 4 #60
Thank you very much, mwmisses4289. That sounds wonderful. debm55 Dec 4 #62
Popcorn balls. Sneederbunk Dec 4 #65
Thank you very much, Sneederbunk. And you could make more popcorn to string on the tree. debm55 Dec 4 #69
Plywood/painted cut outs ballardgirl Dec 4 #66
HAHAHHAH. Thank you very much, ballardgirl for sharing your memory. debm55 Dec 4 #70
That pink light bulb, pushing a candied yam around on my plate (I hate yams, even candied ones), and Mom's wonderful Dorothy V Dec 4 #67
Thank you so much for sharing your Christmas memories with us Dorothy V. Love you, deb. debm55 Dec 4 #68
One of my grandmother's churches had Christmas caroling every year with a party at the church afterwards. CrispyQ Dec 4 #76
Thank you very much for the Christmas caroling. In 8th grade, my homeroom went caroling. You don't see that any more. debm55 Dec 4 #77
Velvet dresses for girls and a velvet vest and dress pants and white shirt for boys. debm55 Dec 4 #78
My mom and I had a real adventure assembling my sister's Barbie Dream House yellowdogintexas Friday #81
Wow, What a great celebration you had and all the memories. Thank you yellowdogintexas. for sharing with us. debm55 Friday #88
I guess my Mom making various Christmas decorations almost every year... electric_blue68 Friday #82
Thank you for sharing electric_blue68. I have some of the styrofoam ball balls with the pins holding the beads, sequins debm55 Friday #89
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