Feeling Nostalgic for Christmases Past by Maria Imbalzano

When I was a child, the anticipation of Christmas was overwhelming. Do you remember those feelings of hope, eagerness, and belief in the fantasy that only a child could have? I would write my list to Santa and ask for a few things that I wanted after seeing commercials on TV. My list always included a doll or a baby carriage and maybe a board game.

I grew up in Trenton, NJ and back then, Trenton was a beautiful city. The main stores were Arnold Constable, Sears, Lit Brothers, Yards, and Dunhams, but there were smaller stores in between as well as McCrory’s Five and Dime. My parents would take my sister and I to Arnold Constable’s to meet with the “real” Santa so we could tell him what we wanted. The streets as well as the stores were decorated with colorful lights and ornaments and it was such a beautiful sight to see.

Coming down to the living room on Christmas morning was the most exciting day ever—complete with those buzzing butterflies of euphoria. And there under the tree were the things I asked Santa for. It was magic.

One year, when I was four, I got a Patty Play Pal doll. The doll was my size and dressed in a pink and white dress with a white pinafore over it. She currently resides at my mom’s house—the house Patty and I grew up in—much worse for the wear. Her neck is broken (poor thing), her dress and pinafore fell apart and her underwear was falling off. Thankfully, my granddaughters gave her one of their dresses and a pair of new underwear so she looks somewhat presentable. I have no idea what happened to her socks and shoes, but she seems okay being barefoot.

One of my other favorite dolls and a gift from Santa another year was Tiny Tears. Much, much smaller than Patty, she was the baby that I rocked, and changed and fed as if she were real. She now lives at my sister’s house with her dolls Thumbelina and Snuggle Bunny, because none of them should be lonely.

I also still have my Barbie doll—the one with the blondish bob. When I say I have it, it’s still at mom’s. (I’m sure she would love for my sister and I to take all of our memories with us instead of cluttering up our old bedroom, but we don’t.) Many of Barbie’s clothes were made by one of my aunts or my grandmother back then because her clothes were too expensive at the store. I can’t imagine sewing by hand those tiny sleeves or putting buttons or a hook on the back—but they did. And I loved them for it.

Why did I save these dolls? Because I only had a few over the years and they were special. I had contemplated giving my Barbie to my daughters when they were into Barbie, but they ended up having about fifty of them and my Barbie would never have been special to them. I showed her to my granddaughters recently, but their reaction wasn’t good enough to turn her over to them. Enthusiasm is a must for that type of bequest.

The bedroom that belonged to me and my sister at my mom’s house was set up as a playroom, initially for my kids and now for my grandkids. There are two single beds, a table to color on, a doll house with furniture and a family, a few games that we got at Christmas when we were young— Cha-Cha Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Spirograph—and a train set with easy to put together tracks. And of course, Patty Play Pal.

But I digress. Back to Christmases past.

Every Christmas, my sister and I pulled out from the box of lights, ornaments, and stockings, two Humpty Dumpty Santa Clauses that we hugged and played with and slept with during the holidays. But once the tree came down, we had to put them back in their box until the next year. They are still around and come out every Christmas to sit on the steps leading up to our old room. They too look a little ratty, but will never be thrown away.

Back in the day, during the entire week after Christmas, different relatives would drop by our house after dinner to see our tree as well as what we got for Christmas. We would also visit our aunts, uncles and cousins to do the same. Coffee for the grownups, and cake or Christmas cookies for everyone was offered and enjoyed. No telephone call was necessary to say anyone was dropping by. It was just done and expected.

I definitely miss those days of celebrating the holiday for the entire week between Christmas and New Year’s— seeing all of my cousins and experiencing the joy of the season. Now no one visits unless specifically invited.

Reminiscing about Christmases past makes me long for those simpler days when the few toys we got were special, when family and relatives were a huge part of the extended holiday and when we believed in the fantasy. But as readers, we can slip into a fantasy world of our choosing whenever we have the time to enjoy a good book. We can pick the year to go back to (or stay in the present), we can slide into a different country, an island, the mountains, the plains—and we can experience a new or old world through the characters that come to life on those pages and in our mind.

Our life experiences, from childhood through adulthood, make those fantasy worlds that much richer because of our memories.       

To continue with the spirit of the holiday, I invite you to read my Christmas romance Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles. This contemporary enemies to lovers, small town holiday romance is available at all your favorite venues. (amazon, b&n, Apple, Google Play, Kobo). https://books2read.com/u/38d09r

Winner of the Still Moments Magazine Readers’ Choice Award, the Carolyn Award, and the NEST (National Excellence in Story Telling) Award, this book is the perfect book to curl up with when you want to escape into Bella’s and Dean’s world.

Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states. Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two daughters and granddaughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

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