Christmases Not So Long Ago

 Christmases Not So Long Ago
Elementary school children made decorations to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Brightly colored construction paper was cut into strips making interlocking loops to form long chains. These garlands were hung around the blackboards, walls, and draped from the branches of the live evergreen tree. The Christmas tree stood in a corner with colored lights peeking from branches and student-made ornaments. The classroom was transformed into a yuletide retreat.
Children saved their pennies to purchase items for their parents from the teacher’s stock. Choices included dish cloths for moms and handkerchiefs for dads. These gifts could easily be slid inside a construction paper envelop, cut into the shape of a Christmas tree. The children cut and pasted stars and bulb shapes from scraps on for decorations. The aroma of the thick white school paste soon filled the classroom.
Children quietly hunched over their desks also made Christmas cards, bringing to life their artistic talents. Teachers sometimes shared stars from their stash “perfect attendance” or “making 100% on a test” sticker to brighten the “Merry Christmas greeting.”
At home, children anxiously awaited the arrival of the Sears & Roebuck, Spiegel’s, or Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog. Mesmerized children would claim a spot on the floor with tantalizing photos of toys, sports supplies, and clothing capturing their attention. Soon names would appear as a wish list beside items the children hoped Santa would place in their stockings or tucked beneath the Christmas tree.
Fruit, nuts, and candy no longer fill stockings. Popcorn strands, gingerbread men, and paper loop garland no longer dangle from the branches of live fir trees. So much of the old Christmas flavor has been swallowed by progress and commercialism.