“three wise guys” circa 1984
I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed reading all of your stories!! Thank you for sharing and thanks for making the days up to my holiday celebration filled with great memories! I feel like we are making a big memory snowball!
Today's giveaway is going to be a little dramatic. Every year around Hanukkah or the Christmas holiday, the scores of performances begin. Choir, band, orchestra, school plays, dance, church plays, and pageants …the list goes on. At one point or another I know you all have been part of one or two of these, (I know I have) and I want the details.
I remember sun-tanned color pantyhose, dickies under choir robes, Jeffery Hillard throwing up in the back row of our Christmas choir concert…you know the really sentimental stuff. I also remember practicing “Canon” for our big winter choral concert in high school and getting goose bumps as the whole corps sang. To this day, I think my brother only comes to chapel with me on Christmas Eve so he can sing (and play with hot candle wax). It is such a huge part of celebration.
The photo above is not of any of my more “formal” performances, which, as you might imagine, there were many. But of one of the skits my brother and cousin and I put together for our family. The one pictured here was “The Three Wise Guys”.
I am unclear if it was scripted or more of an improv piece, but this picture made me howl with laughter and remember with such fondness our many many theatrical works. This is one of the few in which my brother did not have to play a girl or a dog. Poor guy.
Today I am giving away this:
A beautiful holiday collector's plate to remind us that it really is about the little things. Sun-Tanned pantyhose not withstanding.
The deal is the same:
Your comments are your entries. One comment per person please. Winner will be picked by Lucy. (At random) Comments will be accepted until 4pm EST Friday 12/17.
So share away!
xoxox
I have wonderful memories of my school orchestra performances during Christmastime. My parents endured many, many concerts (some good and some not so good), but the were there in the front row for every one.
Oh, how I love that plate! If you only knew how many times I have looked at it online…
I do wish I had a story about performances as a wee one, but I just don’t remember any. There are photos at my mom’s house to prove that I participated in holiday performances, but my mind can’t pull it all together. Either I have some repressed horror story type memories that only a shrink could work out of me regarding these productions OR they just weren’t that exciting to remember.
My comment is that I will never be able to write a comment like my sister!!!!!!!!!!! hahahaha. I just cried when I read hers…
Love reading the memories Leigh. I was wondering however, if you had ANOTHER cousin??????? 🙂
I remember about 5 years of incredible performances by our church children. They were always musicals, and every year we had fabulous costumes. Specifically, “Angels Aware” was one of our favorites. We were all wearing white sweats and tinsel garland as halos.
I remember our entire Catholic grammar school reciting “What can I give him poor as I am, if I were a shepherd I’d bring a lamb, if I were a wise man I’d do my part, what can I give him, give my heart”. The memory doesn’t translate well but it was beautiful to hear all the children say that in our church. To this day when I hear it, I go right back to those eight years and all the memories.
My brother and I would sneak out every Christmas morning just to peak in, look through our stockings and re-pack them. I love Christmas.
your plate is fabulous. thank you.
The funniest memory that my family always laughs about is when I was in 1st grade my school had a Christmas play and my role with a few other kids to be “a gift/present.” My mom cut out the bottom of a box, made arm holes and decorated the box so I was the prettiest present around. What she didn’t do was get the proper size box so when it came time to walk up the stairs to go on stage I couldn’t bend my knees!! The entire stage had a tall set up steps leading up to it and I struggled to the top of the stairs. I was almost at the top when, to my parents surprise, they saw their shiny little 6 year old present come tumbling down the stairs taking out other presents with me. There was laughter and tears but one of our favorite memories! I got an extra scoop of ice cream after that play. 🙂
GREAT topic! I have been thinking about this every Christmas for years: I was a senior in the 80’s. For our Christmas Choir Concert, I decided I would add a little sparkle to my look, so I sprayed gold glitter spray in my hair. Our bathroom lights were fairly dim, so I recall adding more glitz to my hair several times before finally leaving for the concert.
I seem to remember only one “nice hair” kind of comment that night, and I was oblivious to how sparkly/ridiculous I must’ve looked under the bright stage lights (I’m tall, so I stand out in a crowd anyway, plus I had an instrument solo in one number). I’m now certain most people were too embarrassed for me to say anything. I’d LOVE to see a little snapshot of that night!
Thanks for the darling giveaway! I love your style!
I did not perform in Holiday skits at school-in third grade my teacher Mrs. S told me that I should never sing in public, “just pretend” she said! but I did perform with my cousins-we made hula skirts out of newspaper and little bikini tops out of the same (and wore them over our undershirts of course-it was ‘back then’)and we would put on dance shows for the entire family at the holidays and sing at the top of our lungs…luckily my family was not considered “public” I may have a picture or two somewhere!
Your description of the suntanned pantyhose reminds me of my kindergarten Christmas show (and although it was in 1980, I still remember)….we were dressed in our holiday best with puppy dog ears made of pantyhose, singing Fa la la la but barking it like dogs.
I’m not quite sure what they were thinking!
I don’t remember doing any Christmas plays in school, but in high school I would go caroling with my friend and her family to the local nursing homes. We would meet at one person’s house after for a holiday party, it was such a fun event each year and a nice way to get out in the community.
LoveloveLOVE that plate! And, all the fun memories you stirred with your post :).
The one I’ll share is my most PAINFUL Christmas memory. My 5th grade teacher was NOT pleased with our progress for our class’s Christmas song; her remedy was to make sure everyone knew the words to our song. She paraded each one of us in front of the class BY OURSELVES and we had to sing all the stanzas of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”
Oh…my…word! While I didn’t mind performing in front of our class, I DID mind SINGING! I knew my voice wasn’t very good and this mortified me! THEN SHE MADE ME GO FIRST! I stood, knees knocking, and thought I knew the words to the song, I got stage freight and couldn’t do it. She smugly pronounced “See? I TOLD you you didn’t know the words…” and I’ve never forgotten it.
To this day, every time I hear that song, I think of Mrs. Henderson. It’s not with great affection, I can promise you that!
🙂
Love the giveaway idea! I can’t help but think of great memories over the holidays. I was on multiple dance teams in high school and I remember each performance our coach struggling to include the Christmas spirit. It really isn’t possible without being cheesy! So needless to stay I spent many embarassing Christmas shows in horrible costumes, dancing to the cheesiest of Christmas songs! 🙂
I love this plate! I am an elementary reading teacher now, and today our school choir went Christmas caroling through the halls, stopping at each classroom to sing a song. It was wonderful to see and hear!
I love this plate….so true!
The most memorable Christmas performance that comes to mind is when our children were participating in the church pageant. Our son was 4 years old and part of the angel choir. His shoe “somehow” came off and when he reached down to pick it up, his halo fell to the ground. The very “righteous” angel standing next to him scowled so he pinched her on the tush as he stood back up. Makes me think of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It’s been around for a few years but I still read it every holiday season.
I was in fourth grade and we walked out into a pitch-black gym holding candles. I was first and couldn’t see the risers until I was almost on top of them. To make matters even more interesting we were singing in French. We’re lucky we didn’t burn the place down.
I was in first grade and our church had a rather extensive group of children to partake in the Christmas program. Going around the room, our Sunday school teacher was placing each student into their role for that years program… Due to the fact that I was the closes student to the end of the line, all of the desirable spots were being taken; the angels, humans, lambs, donkeys… I was a llama. At first I was disappointed, but my family’s sense of humor really made me realize that it was actually pretty big honor to be the first llama to ever experience the birth of Jesus… and there is a pretty amazing video of a small llama snickering behind a wooden bush on an 8 mm tape…
Thanks for the chance. So cute!
I can’t remember all the details but I know I was in a school play making my debut. It was maybe 1st grade. When it came my turn I just stood there petrified and when I finally unfroze I started crying. Right there on the stage. I guess the stage was not my calling.
Oh, so many memories! When I was young, my favorite part of our Christmas performances at school was having my grandparents come and visit. I swear I spent more time waving to my grandpa than actually singing. Also, performing Christmas songs on the piano for my entire family (which I’m sure were packed with wrong keys…but I never would have known based on the awesome reactions I got!!). Thanks for the great giveaway!
I can barely remember this, but I was in a play in Junior High School and as the curtain rose on our scene we started laughing and could not even speak, we just stood there laughing….looking out on the whole auditorium unable to speak….what a memeory thanks for letting me remember that, I don’t think I have thought of that in forty years..Merry Christmas….
Thanks for sharing the memory—brought a smile to my face—as would this plate! Merry Christmas!
I’ve done more of these little Christmas pageants than I can count, in a variety of roles, mostly involving angels, or one year, Mary, which was actually the most boring role, because you just kneel there, with no lines, and try to look all happy and pious, and your knees hurt, and you don’t have to pay attention, and you get pretty bored, quickly, staring at that doll.
i love this photo. as it did for many of your readers, it bought back gorgeous memories for me. my brother and sister and i used to dress up in our parents bathrobes and sweatshirts to put on elaborate plays. the nativity was our favorite, and my mother even has a picture of us acting it out on the beach – with me as a donkey, little sister as Mary riding on my back, and little brother as Joseph, leading the charge.
also, love the plate. i’m a relatively new follower and am obsessed with your designs!!
What great stories!! Thanks all for sharing!! I giggled through them all day!
Lucy has pawed through all the entries and picked us a winner!
Day 2 Winner is: Abby, the first llama present at the birth of Christ! Congratulations!!
Abby, Email my assistant Emily (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) with your address and we will get your prize right out to you!!
I remember how when we were in elementary school we would troupe over to the ‘big’ high school gym for our winter concerts/performances. One year I was a christmas tree (while singing O Christmas Tree, of course!) and other year I was a mouse. Except I was super tall for my age, so I could never really pull that off… Fabulous memories- except when the boys started a giant fight with their cardboard cut-out Christmas trees!
Wow, so many memories! I think that my favorite – and the one I always remember when people mention Christmas plays or pageants – was the year that we did “Psalty’s Christmas Calamity” for our church children’s pageant. My dad got to dress up as Psalty, the giant (blue) singing songbook, and we had to act and sing and dance (but it wasn’t really dancing – more like hand motions). We started rehearsals in October, and that was also the year of the Great Halloween Blizzard, when my town actually cancelled Halloween because of snow and re-scheduled it for the next Sunday afternoon . . . which was during our rehearsal. Instead of trick-or-treating that year, the lady in charge of our program brought in tons of candy and gave it to us during practice. And after all that, almost half of the kids came down with the flu the weekend of the actual program and we had to improvise speaking parts and singing parts and placing on stage. But it all worked out in the end – and twenty years later, I can still sing at least half of the songs! 🙂