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Meredith's Favorite Christmas Memories

Posted: Monday, December 17, 2007 7:00 AM by Dan Fleschner
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With Christmas approaching, I asked some of our TODAY personalities for their favorite holiday memories and traditions.

Here's the first entry in the series, from Meredith Vieira:

Christmas was always a big holiday at my home. My mom made all the holidays really special, but especially Christmas. So I have a lot of great memories.

My mom and my brothers and I -- but mostly me and my mother -- would make these ornaments out of styrofoam balls and sequins and jewels. We'd put the ribbon on to hang them from the tree.

I always loved unpacking the ornaments every year, because you'd find all the ornaments, and every one would have a story. You'd remember making this one or that one. So I loved to do that and decorate the tree.

We used to string popcorn -- I mean, I feel like I'm "Little House on the Prairie" here -- but we would string popcorn and cranberries, so I used to love to do that.

Every Christmas Eve, the last thing I would do every night is just sit in that room and imagine what was going to happen overnight. And I truly -- to this day I believe -- I truly believed something magical was going to happen.

I just remember sitting alone, with only the tree on, and putting out the cookies and the milk. It's just a wonderful memory. I don't know, it's very evocative for me. And every year, I do the same thing. The last thing I do is just sit alone with the Christmas tree and then go to bed...that's my favorite memory.

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Our family Christmas tree was always special, like yours Meredith.  One year my mother made foil cones and filled them with fruit and nuts.  Several other years we also did the popcorn and cranberry garlands.  One year the family was munching about five feet of the garland unbeknownst to me.  Remember angel hair made of spun glass?  I always remember those homemade ornaments.  So my Christmas tree is actually my "memory tree" because of the special handmade ornaments made by my two sons when they were small (they're now 34 and 32).  Unwrapping each one brings back many memories.  Sitting in front of the lit tree on Christmas eve is such a wonderful, magical time.  It makes me forget I am now 64 and I am back to being five years old again.  It only comes once a year.

Lois Horan, Queens, NY (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 10:18 AM)

My parents always hosted an Open House evry Christmas Eve, and the house was filled to capacity with friends and family.  But the most important Christmas memory is what took place every Christmas Eve at midnight:  my Dad would gather all of us around the Nativity and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.  This was his was helping us to remember what Christmas is really about ... not just Santa Claus and presents.

Maryann Brown, North Fort Myers, FL (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 11:00 AM)

My best memory was the year over 40 years ago that my Dad and I tossed the artifical tree after hours of frustation and ran out and bought a real tree before Mom got home from work. The look of surprise on Mom's face when she saw and smelled the real tree, trimmed with all her family's antique German ornaments was priceless, and Dad and I were so proud. It became our tradition that Dad and I got the tree every year, and no one else was allowed to come! He's been gone 23 years now, and each year, I put a small special Christmas Tree on his gravesite. And, no one knows when, it's still a tradition between him and me.

Debbie Snitzer, Warren, RI (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 11:35 AM)

I remember me and my two older brothers would stay awake as long as possible to see if we could "catch Santa" but my most memorable Christmas was the year I was about 6 and all of us kids were sick with a virus on CHristmas eve,  My brother was the worse and I remember being afraid that if we did not get better no santa would want to come to our house.  It must not have mattered that we were so sick, because he came and brought everything we wanted.(We didn't have alot of money so we didn't really ask for expensive gifts)  The best of that memory was realizing in later years that it is the spirit of Christmas that makes is memorable. I couldn't ell you every present we got that year but I can tell you how I remember worring about my brother.

Vickie Watts Taylor Mill, ky (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 11:39 AM)

My brother Tommy was born in 1949 mentally handicapped, his boyhood years were a challenge for my mother and I his younger sister.
For 47 years he truly believed in Santa, and the majic of Christmas and we did too. My Mother did everything she possibly could for Tommy all the days of his life,but espically at Chritmas, Santa always came with what was on his list. Except in 1997 when my mother passed away from colon cancer,  Tommy died six months later of the loss of his beloved Mom.  
Merry Christmas Mom and Tommy.

Hollis Cornell, Midlothian, VA (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 2:48 PM)

Christmas Eve was always a hectic time at my house.  My mom and dad always hosted Christmas dinner, so there was always last-minute housecleaning and food prep (not to mention the shopping!).  We waited until Christmas Eve to put up our tree so that always added another element to the experience.  I can imagine my mother trying to get her 4 super-excited kids to pitch in with the clean up and then having to deal with my father lugging in the tree and getting pine needles and dirt everywhere! I don;'t know how she handled it all. The boxes of ornaments would come down from the attic - the glass balls rolled in sleeves of newspaper in an old Farberware pot box.  The newspaper in that box was reused year after year.  Stockings went up; we were dressed and out the door for church; and then back home for some fondue before we were sent off to bed to wait for Santa.  I remember lying awake for hours.  Christmas was always a special time.

Denise Reynolds, Kenilworth, NJ (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 3:34 PM)

I remember our home on CHRISTmas eve would be full of family young and old I am the youngest of nine so you see we always had lots of family around the kids would play open gifts and then come back CHRISTmas day for my mothers GRAND CHRISTmas dinner oh in my mind how I see that turkey and dressing (the dressing was my all time fav.) coming to the table yum.. and the year that I was told there was no Santa my Dad and Mom had gone shopping in the truck and left the car in the garage so my brother who is four years older than me says "I will show you there is no such thing as santa" so he goes and gets a set of car keys comes out and unlocks the trunk and there is my easy bake oven that I had asked for ..Me being Me told my Dad and Mom When they got home that my brother had shown me the easy bake oven and could I have it now .of course my brother got in trouble but I never got the easy bake oven until CHRIStmas day ...
Meredith like you I love to look at the CHRISTmas tree lights and reflect back I can see my father carrying in the fruit and candy for us now my oldest Brother carrries on the tradition of the cases of fruit and candy that my father so loved to give out
the memories seem more precious with each year that passes ...

Glenna Reynolds , Allen Ky (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 4:06 PM)

My parents and I emmigrated to the U.S. from Germany in 1957.  Because we had no family here, my mom and dad befriended other German people and we all celebrated Christmas together.  I remember our home on Christmas Eve ... the presents piled so high, from one end of the room to the other, most of them for the children (including me).  I remember singing Christmas carols and my dad always choking up because he loved them so much.  I remember the polka music playing and dancing on my dad's feet.  I lost both my mom and dad in an accident just 12 years after we arrived here -- they were only 39 years old -- but I still try to keep their traditions alive with my own family.  

Birgit Hansen (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 4:38 PM)

When I was 13, my Dad died from a fall from a crabapple tree. Shortly thereafter, my Mom had a serious heart attack and my family all were told she would not survive.  But...she did.  I was the last of 8 children and I was born when she was 49. At 13 I was the only one at home,and it fell to me to take care of her when she came home to recouperate. And it was not easy for either or us.  So, she always told me that I was a gift and that God knew that even thought it was not easy having another child at 49, he sent me to her for a reason.  I always felt she was the real gift, because she was the most wonderful mother in the world to me. And I was so grateful that she didn't die.   One Christmas when I was 18 and had my first full-time job that year, I decided I would make her Xmas special, just like she always made Christmas special for me in the past.  I spent every spare cent I had on presents for her and piled them up in a corner of my room prior to Xmas Eve. I caught her checking out the boxes when she thought I didn't see.  I could see how excited she was, too.  She would scold me and tell me, "don't be so extravagent" or "I should save my dollars."  But that Xmas Eve, I will never forget. We never had much money, and she never, ever got alot of presents in the past, but watching her open mine and the twinkle in her eye and the love that glowed in that room, was the best Xmas present I ever receive and one that gave me such pleasure in giving.  I learned it is better to give than to receive...at least it was for me that year.  

Judith Hoff, Sherwood, WI (Sent Monday, December 17, 2007 9:34 PM)

My faorite memory was December 1982.  My brother Rick had not been home for Christmas, or anytime for that matter, in several years.  My Mom was preparing for another year without Rick and feelig terribly blue.  My sister and I pooled our money and bought him a plane ticket that would get him as far as Boston.  I drove to Boston the night before as he was to arrive early in the morning, I woke to a snowstorm but that did not stop me from getting to that airport.  Rick arrived safely and we started the long snowy journey home to Maine.  We arrived at the home of my sister as Mom and Dad were coming to celebrate a family birthday.  We had Christmas carols playing as family members arrived, of course "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was playing as Rick came out of the bedroom to welcome my Mom to the party.  The look on her face will stay with me forever.  It was the best present we gave her....both my parents and Rick have passed away, but each December 22, I remember that wonderful day.

Laurie Gifford, Monmouth, Maine (Sent Tuesday, December 18, 2007 8:18 AM)

I remember my younger brother Joe being so excited at around Xmas that he would have what my mother called his "Christmas fit".He would be so full of energy the few days before Christmas and barely slept Xmas eve.We would laugh and chase each other around the house and around the tree. I am 49 and he 47 now and we get get so silly about it every year and giggle to each other which I think is great!  

Maureen Sullivan Fall River Mass (Sent Tuesday, December 18, 2007 12:42 PM)

i remember my mom making the styrofoam ball ornaments as well and we would help.  she would even take beautiful bright shinny gold cloth and cut and sew the fabric around the ball. then decorate it.  then she would decorate the tree in the theme of the 12 days of chritmas with the partridge and the pears......... she would even paint the birds and have feathers, the whole it. it was beautiful.  every year we would bring them out and hang them on the tree.  my mom died 12 years ago, but every year when i decorate the tree i think about those ornaments and how the tree would just shine.  she was a very talented women and very arts and crafty.  i miss her.

lendy, wilmington, nc (Sent Tuesday, December 18, 2007 6:17 PM)

Wow, that sounded like it came almost straight from my mouth!
That's one my favorite part of Christmas too...decorating the tree. We have to keep getting bigger trees every year since we keep adding on christmas ornaments. There are ornaments I got from sunday school teachers, or that i made in school for my parents, or the one's that I got for Christmas from family. Each one really does have a special meaning, and there's something heart-warming about turning on some Christmas music as you gather with your family to go through memories.
And as for sitting by the tree Christmas eve...one of my fondest memories (one that I still do every year, and many other nights), I just sit with all the lights turned off, and just looking at the glittering tree with soft Christmas music either playing through our sterio or my headphones....and then heading up to bed eager to be with family the next morning.

hannahmsp (Sent Wednesday, December 19, 2007 5:34 PM)

Hi Meredith.  Like you, we made home made ornaments and strung popcorn when I was a child.  My grandmother lived 2 doors down from us, and every year she had another Christmas project for all of us grandchildren to work on. Thank you for sharing your memories. I find your warmth and personality such an asset to the Today show.

Wendy Hendel, Thunder Bay, Ontario (Sent Thursday, December 20, 2007 4:15 PM)



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