These Favorite Christmas Memories Will Bring You Cheer: Patch Survey

Every Christmas Eve, Allison Hudak and her family of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, attend midnight Mass at St. Bartholomew the Apostle Catholic Church.

There, they take a piece of hay from the manger and put it in her wallet, taking part in an Irish and European folk tradition handed down through the generations and now practiced worldwide.

It’s “so we will have enough happiness in the year to come,” Allison, a Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch, Cranford Patch and Westfield Patch reader explained in an informal Patch survey. We asked readers to share their most cherished holiday memories, as well as new ones they’d like to make this year.

After securing their good fortune for the year ahead with hay from the crèche, Allison and her family typically “reminisce about the wonderful year we had” as they open gifts. They’ll capture new memories in pictures, while at the same time remembering Christmases past.

The tree has “ornaments for all who are in heaven,” Allison said.

The holiday will feel a lot like the Christmases of Allison’s childhood, which began with “waking up in the morning and seeing toys set up around the living room — dolls in a carriage, a bike with a banana seat, Rock ’Em Sock ’Em game, Candy Land, a huge tricycle for my brother, a basketball for my older brother.”

“And new pajamas and clothes were always wrapped,” she said. “We didn’t get a ton of toys, usually one big thing and a few small things like a Barbie doll or baby doll and some clothes. What we definitely would get is love from our parents and joy from Santa.”

The gifts unwrapped, it was “off to church to see the manager and get a piece of hay, say a prayer, wish baby Jesus happy birthday, and thank him for another wonderful year, then home and downstairs to my grandparents’ house for late lunch with all my aunts, uncles and cousins,” Allison said. “Truly wonderful. Family is precious!”

‘Everyone Is A Little Kinder’

The holidays are Branford (Connecticut) Patch reader Joanne Palumbo’s favorite time of year.

“No matter what your celebration is, it feels like everyone is a little kinder and a little happier,” she said.

This year, Joanne has already made some new holiday memories with her favorite cousin, Laura, and her two daughters, joining the trio on their traditional Christmas shopping day.

Joanne’s most cherished holiday memories are of spending time with family on Christmas Eve.

“This tradition was my mom’s absolute favorite. Now that she’s gone, I still keep the tradition going by cooking the same foods and bringing people together,” Joanne said. “It makes me feel connected to her, and I hope she’s smiling in heaven.”

A Christmas Itch

Harlem (New York) Patch reader Sharon Lewis is 70, but recalls early Christmases with her aunt like an itch that needs to be scratched every year.

“Every Christmas, I remember as a child that my Aunt Julia would tell my sister and me to go get our gift from under the tree,” Sharon said. “We did not want to.”

Was Aunt Julia notorious for giving tacky gifts? Was she hopelessly out of touch with what her young nieces wanted? Were scratchy wool sweaters waiting under the tree?

It was none of these things.

“We did not want to because she is the only family member who had so much angel hair on her huge Christmas tree,” Sharon explained.” Back in the day, the angel hair would make you itch if it got on you.”

Angel hair was made of spun fiberglass. It created an ethereal effect, but the tiny, sharp fibers caused skin irritation and clung to clothes and furniture. It is no longer manufactured because of its hazardous properties.

“We couldn’t get it out of our hair,” Sharon said. “My uncle Stanley would say, ‘Julia, why do you put all that angel on the tree?’ Her response: ‘I like angel hair.’

“She did this every year,” Sharon continued. “Her tree would have the entire family itching

Her Brother Hung The Moon

“You are never too old to believe in the magic of Christmas, and never too old to make new friends,” said Patricia Santoro, a Branford (Connecticut) Patch reader.

“At 68 years old, I made new friends this year with a wonderful ‘gray-haired ladies hiking group,’” Patricia said. “Prior to this, I only had one girlfriend since retiring seven years ago.”

Patricia and her new friends have already established a new tradition. They hung a special ornament on a tree on one of their hikes, and got together for a festive “Friendsgiving” meal to celebrate Thanksgiving.

“I’m hoping for one or two more get-togethers to create new memories,” she said.

Patricia’s favorite old memory goes back more than six decades

“I was 6 years old; my older brother was 10. We fought like cats and dogs,” she said.

Behind the normal sibling conflict was a brother, for a while, hung the moon where his sister was concerned.

“This one Christmas, my brother told me he had a direct line to Santa, and he would send a message to Santa for me,” Patricia recalled. “He showed me this contraption he made. He nailed a metal aerosol can top to a small block of wood and left enough space for the metal top to jiggle. He then pretended to jiggle the metal top and convey my message to Santa.”

She added, “He was my hero for weeks, until we began to fight again.”

‘Santa Is Coming!’

Stonington-Mystic (Connecticut) Patch reader CB’s favorite holiday memory was of going to town to find the perfect Christmas tree with his dad and four siblings.

“Back then, trees were at the local gas station, grocery store, and the like, with a section of the parking lot roped off with Christmas lights,” CB recalled.

“Dad would usually talk with the locals while we ran through the forest of trees, playing hide and seek, and looking for the most beautiful (through a child’s eye) tree in the world,” he said. “We inhaled the wonderful evergreen aroma and finally took our prize home and decorated our tree.”

All the while, this thought was top of mind for CB and his siblings: “Santa is coming!”

Sneaky Santas

Amy K’s favorite holiday memories are of playing sneaky Santa with her mother to help some people they didn’t know but whose holidays they wanted to brighten.

They made and filled Christmas stockings with candy, fruit and other treats for people served by Operation Hope, a Fairfield, Connecticut, social services nonprofit focused on ending homelessness.

Before shifting its focus to preventing homelessness and providing affordable permanent housing, the charity operated an emergency shelter.

“We would sneak the stockings over on Christmas Eve, and the staff would make sure they were waiting for them in the morning,” the Fairfield Patch and Westport Patch reader said, adding it is “one of my favorite memories of my mom as well.”

‘Next Year Will Be The Best’

Like other survey respondents, Joliet (Illinois) Patch reader Shannon is looking forward to spending time with family this year.

“Next year we'll be the best, though. Our son will be home after serving in the Marines,” Shannon said. “It’s been too many years since he’s been home for Christmas.”

Shannon said one of her favorite Christmas memories was years ago, when the entire family gathered at her grandparents’ house to trim the tree with homemade paper ornaments.

“My grandparents loved doing crafts, so that year we made all kinds of things to put on their tree,” Shannon said.

Couple Celebrate First Christmas

Joliet (Illinois) Patch reader Cami is starting a new Christmas tradition this year.

“This year is my boyfriend’s and my first Christmas in our own apartment,” she said. “I am just excited to open gifts together and enjoy our tree and decorations together!”

Cami’s mother instilled in her daughter a love of making her home festive during the holidays. Her favorite childhood memories are of decorating the house and putting up the Christmas tree with her mother the day after Thanksgiving.

“My mom had so many decorations she’d put all over,” Cami recalled. “We all had a huge box of ornaments, and my brother and I would get to take turns hanging them up. We would have Christmas music playing, and we’d be baking something, so the house always smelled amazing!”

That’s Not Santa

Decades ago, when she still technically an infant, there was no fooling Willowbrook (Illinois) Patch AM reader Bonnie’s daughter about the identity of Santa Claus.

“My father always played Santa, and when my daughter was 10 months old, he didn’t think she would know who he was because he was so well-dressed in his Santa outfit. He walked in the house, and my daughter stood up in her playpen, held her arms out and said ‘up Bah,’” Bonnie said, recalling her baby’s attempt at “Grandpa.”

Bonnie hopes to create new memories with little ones this Christmas.

“It is now 60-plus years since that day, and I hope to see my great-granddaughter, along with all my other grandchildren and my children,” she said.

‘A Hanger!’

Across America Patch reader Nicki is hoping for a memorable holiday like Christmas Eve 1985. A bitter cold had settled in, Nicki recalled, but her sister’s home was full of warmth.

“My youngest nephew, then 2, opened a gift from my mom, his grandma, and the first thing he pulled out was a plastic hanger,” she said,

If the toddler expected a toy, he didn’t show any disappointment.

“He gleefully waved it above his head, shouting, ‘A hanger!’ We have a great photo of my great uncle sitting at the opposite sit of the couch, laughing.”

Last year was a tough one. Nicki’s older sister, with whom she lived, died in November 2024, making the holidays sad for the entire family.

“I just want to have a happy Christmas this year,” she said. “We all had a good time at Thanksgiving, and our Christmas Eve plans are looking like fun so far. We draw names and have a White Elephant exchange, as well, so this year should be a good one.”

What’s your favorite holiday memory? Join the conversation below in the comments.

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