So this is Christmas - what kind of Christmas did you have as a child?

Thanks to Sharn White for her 2014 Christmas Genealogy Meme - the first being - what kind of Christmas did you have as a child?

Well growing up in Queensland it was always hot I guess but as a child it never seemed to bother me. Christmas was so exciting. We always had Christmas with my maternal grandparents at their house in Windsor (Brisbane). I loved the anticipation, what would Santa bring ...

What I remember most about Christmas was the watermelon - we didn't have watermelon all year then as we do now AND it tasted better. Yes, I know things always look better in hindsight. 

My grandfather would go the markets to choose the watermelon for Christmas and sometimes, if I was lucky I went along as well. He would pick up the melons, tap them, pick up another and so on. Very scientific. Apparently he could tell whether the melon would be good by this tapping. And, he was always right.

Then, home with the melon. On Christmas day the melon would be in one of the laundry tubs with ice to keep it cool and covered with a wet hession bag. The other laundry tub would have the drinks, also with ice and the wet hession bag - no wine, just beer and soft drinks. Apparently the hession bag was mandatory.

Watermelon, my aunt & grandparents Christmas c1950

After a hot Christmas dinner it was time to go into the back garden and enjoy the cold watermelon - this was after hot Christmas pudding of course!  Then there was the competition of who could spit of the seeds the furtherest - yes they had seeds. My grandmother would be worrying about me swallowing the seeds and had this bit of advice - don't swallow the seeds or you will get a watermelon vine growing inside you. Of course I believed her and tried to win the seed spitting competition each year. My grandfather usually won.

You can find information about the 2014 Christmas GeneaMeme at http://sharnsgenealogyhints.blogspot.com.au/