Christmas Memories

In many ways, family traditions and memories of Christmas are what tie the holiday season together. We visited with folks in the community and asked them to share with us some of their favorite Christmas memories! (photos by Mark Levin) CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

SAMANTHA KRUSE, SPARTANBURG My favorite Christmas memory is going to “The Nutcracker” with my mom and making Christmas cookies with my sister.

LYNN ANKNEY, LANDRUM My favorite memory of all time was driving around the neighborhood and looking at all the pretty Christmas lights. TERRI & GARLAND RABURN, GREEN CREEK Terri: Going to my grandmother’s at Christmas with 40 to 50 people opening gifts is one of my favorite memories. Garland: Now with our own eleven grandkids, we’re making new memories.

MARCUS IAMURRI, TRYON When I was two or three years old, the lights on the Christmas tree were mesmerizing. They were magic. When no one was around I would unscrew the lightbulbs that I could reach and put them in a box in my room. I would shine my flashlight on them in the middle of the night and that made it feel like I had my own little Christmas tree in my room. My mother was all about Christmas. The whole month of December she would start each day singing, “We Need a Little Christmas.”

DARLENE MCFARLAND, TRYON One of my favorite memories was getting a little piano and piano bench as a gift and just the joy of playing that when I was four. AUTUMN STOTT, STOTT’S CORNER When Grandma and Grandpa Stott were still alive, all the family got together for both Thanksgiving and Christmas to celebrate in Clifford’s basement. All of the nine children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were there. There were two long tables covered with food, there was a fire in the fireplace, and a little silver Christmas tree in the corner. Grandma and Grandpa Stott would give the grandkids an envelope with five dollars each and the great-grandchildren an envelope with two dollars each. I remember one time when one of the grandkids asked Grandma when we were going to get a raise!

DAN FALKENSTEIN, BLACK MOUNTAIN My favorite memory was coming back from a tour and going with my lovely lady to visit with her Scottish mother in Greenville, TN. She prepared my first Scotch eggs. It was the most beautiful thing. It was a boiled egg, breaded and with sausage inside and then fried. Being a starving musician, I had about ten of them.

DIANNE PATTERSON, GOWENSVILLE When I was about five years old, I always looked forward to watching “The Wizard of Oz” on TV during the holiday season. As we only had one TV in the house, my dad was planning on taking it over. He commandeered it to watch a football game while he played cards with his friends. I was sent to my room. His friends weren’t happy about that, so my dad came in to say I could watch my movie. He would switch the channel every so often to see the score, but otherwise I got to see my favorite movie. It’s always been a fond memory. MONIQUE REEVES, WHITE OAK MOUNTAIN My favorite Christmas memory was on December 6 each year celebrating Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolas) because my parents were from Holland. It was so exciting to get up each of those mornings with my sisters and see wooden shoes filled with fruit, candy, and a little treat inside. That, to me, was even more exciting than opening gifts on Christmas. It was a wonderful tradition my parents carried on for years and years. It’s still such a fond memory and dear to my heart.

PHILLIP FISK, CAMPOBELLO My favorite memory was going out and cutting my own Christmas tree with a couple of family members, taking it home, and setting it up. BOB DENBY, TRYON My favorite Christmas memory is being together with all my family which is scattered abroad and enjoying all the smells coming from the kitchen. STEPHANIE BAKANOSKY, LANDRUM One of my favorite memories was made just last year. We had moved down from Massachusetts and had only experienced cold weather for the holidays in the past. We had bought a basketball hoop for our boys and on Christmas morning it was 72 degrees. So, everyone got to play a family basketball game on Christmas Day, something we were never able to do up North because of the weather.

EMILY RAY, DACUSVILLE I remember finally having a white Christmas when I was nine years old. That was my favorite memory.

ROBERT MANGUM, TRYON I remember receiving my first “Stretch Armstrong” as a kid. It was the best toy I ever had.

RACHEL BIERLY, LANDRUM I love watching the animals getting so excited to find their presents under the tree. It is so much fun to watch them rip them open and play with them right afterward. LAURA BIERLY, GREER My most memorable Christmas is when we do breakfast with the family. We break out the new coffee beans, grind them up, and enjoy a wonderful breakfast with family before opening gifts.

SHEILA MUNDY, MILL SPRING My favorite holiday tradition is the Christmas pickle and watching my girls trying to find it hidden in the tree on Christmas morning. That decided who got to open the first present.

PEPPER FORNEY, TRYON My favorite Christmas memory is every Christmas spending time with my family. It’s always fun on Christmas Eve baking cookies, having hot cocoa, and watching Christmas movies together.

STEVE MCKINSEY, TRYON One of my favorite Christmas memories is traveling down to Ft. Lauderdale for the Christmas boat parade parties.

CHRIS BALLIEW, COLUMBUS Getting a go-cart for Christmas was one of my favorite Christmas memories.

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