In message <0I8D00D65N6E23@smtp1.clear.net.nz>, Carole <caz@clear.net.nz> writes >Does anyone have any customs that they followed, or remember as children, in >the lead up to Christmas? > Hi Carole, Oh Yes! Magical times they were. Lots of great ceremonies! Watching the making of the Christmas puds and being given a stir and told to make a wish. Watching the mincemeat being made and queuing up for a share of the juice which leaked out of the mincer and was collected in a bowl underneath. Tasty that was. The decorations went up on Christmas Eve, we all helped and we had REAL candles on the tree. Mum would ceremoniously light them when it was all finished and she did this every day throughout the 12 days not leaving it for a second, of course, while they were still lit. She usually timed it so that Dad would see them when he came up the road from work. We still have many of the original tree decorations and they all go on every year, even now. A plate of Mince pies and a bottle of Ginger wine were left on the table for Santa Claus when we went to bed.... in the morning only crumbs were left. Christmas stockings carefully labelled with out names were left out also when we went to bed and in the morning had magically filled with all sorts of things but the most important was the orange, apple and a shiny new penny at the bottom of it. The Church choir came round the district and sang carols in the road. Wish it was still like that. Dorothy -- Dorothy Gibbs (in Hertfordshire UK)