Christmas Memories
Christmas memories make the best stories of Christmas. Here we share our collection of great memories that seems to grow a little more each year.

, , ,

Jimmy Stewart Talks About It’s a Wonderful Life

It's A Wonderful Life has reached such a point of saturation in American Christmas culture we can practically quote it line by line. But even still we cannot get enough of it. Even though Jimmy Stewart has been gone now for many years…
, ,

Legend of the Christmas Pants

By Jeff Westover It began as a simple, thoughtful gift. Back in 1964, Larry Kunkel's mother thought he'd appreciate a nice new pair of moleskin pants. He didn't. Living in Minnesota, the pants were prone to stiffness in the freezing…
,

Old Man Kramer

By Elise Jenson He lived next door to me through all the years I was growing up and I thought he was the meanest man in the world. Mr. Kramer had thick, dark black hair and bushy eyebrows that dominated his tiny dark eyes. He was fair…
,

How to Fit the Tree in the Car

By Oberon This is a hoot and a real treat for Christmas, made all the better because it is entirely true. It takes a bit of getting through, but stick with it. It's worth it, I promise. A few Christmases back I was delegated to buy the…
,

My Little Lie

By Max Schilling We were in love that Christmas. Brenda was 19, I was 22. As students, we didn't have much. We were kids, really. We didn't know much. But we were both away from home, still trying to figure out who we were and who we would…

Grandpa’s Christmas Tree Hunt

By Lawrence Hawkes My father was born when my grandfather was 71 years old. By the time I was born in 1968, my grandpa was well into to his 90s and very hard of hearing. Because he could not hear he did not talk much. But I do recall him…

Just Say Merry Christmas

By Denise Richardson (As told to MMC Editor Jeff Westover, September 2011) Carla was the strongest woman I had ever known. I once saw her take on a snarling mechanic who attempted to force a brake job on her that she didn't need. Carla…
,

Nothing

By Jeff Westover The first Christmas for us really wasn't so hard. After all, we were in love and there was nothing else more important. Sure, being a couple changed the holidays for us but wasn't everything else different too? It wasn't…
,

That’s How You Eat Gravy

By Vance James One of my best Christmas memories comes from when I was about nine years old. But I have to warn you: this is not a feel good Christmas story. It is kind of gross. After getting up early and opening our presents it was a…

Once Upon a Foggy Christmas

By Chad Darnell It was a dark and stormy night. No, really. That is how this story goes. In 1972 I was a college student spending my first Christmas away from home. To be gone from all the traditions of my family and childhood was a novelty.…

The Gift My Brother Couldn’t Give

By Gary E. Anderson In the first years after my brothers, sister, and I left home, there were several Christmases in which our ability to give fell far short of our desire. In fact, we often found ourselves getting very creative if we were…

Christmas Twice

By Dena Simmons Another long cold December night lay ahead of us. It would be much longer than we knew at the time. With the last minute shopping behind us, we thought we would be able to rest. It was the 23rd of December and we had been…

A Christmas Past Comes Home

By Allison Dubois Christmas was my mother's favorite holiday. She brought an enthusiasm and happiness to that special day that I have missed since she passed away over twenty years ago. It's hard to concede how much time has passed since…

Seeing Christmas Different

By Julie Dacus It was the Christmas after my oldest son, Will, was born, the Christmas of 1995. That year had been a hectic one, with our son being born in May, and all of the adjustments to parenthood that followed. My husband and I were…

My Santa Claus

By Arlene Graham Daddy was sick. That was the only way I could explain it to my 24-year old sister, Sheena, who has Down syndrome. But I knew in my heart it was much worse than that. He looked terrible lying there. His face was a sickly…