Christmas Past

Emily Smith Stewart, a daughter of President George Albert Smith, recorded her memories of what Christmas was like growing up in the Smith household. She tells that her fireplace was so big that Santa Claus could actually step out of it. Her Christmas trees were so tall that they touched the ceiling. The family home had long banisters that were two stories long, and she could ride down them without stopping until she got to the bottom floor. Her memory of her first Christmas toy was a doll with real hair.

Christmas was a special time at her home. Their money had to stretch because they gave many presents to those in need. Their gifts were usually holiday food given to those who were usually forgotten, and the children helped with the delivery of these presents.

Christmas Eve was when they had their big holiday festivities, and they hung huge stockings to hold their presents. After they hung their stockings, they left food of milk, bread, and mince pie for Santa. Christmas morning, they were not allowed to go downstairs to see what Santa brought until they had cleaned up and dressed for the day.

Emily tells of the Christmas were her father was very ill and they had a lot of expenses. Her mother had the choice of Christmas like they always had or pay her tithing. Her mother decided to pay her tithing, and on the way home from the tithing office a neighbor handed her a check as he knew the family was struggling. When her mother got home and looked at the check, it was for the exact amount that she had paid in tithing. Her mother was able to provide her family with the Christmas she wanted and informed the children that this was their tithing Christmas.

Emily’s family is lucky to have this memory. Emily not only shared her happy memories of Christmas but the struggles too and the lessons learned from the hard times. Not only did Emily learn from these experiences but because she shared them, her family can learn too. Research conducted by psychologists of Emory University concluded that children who know their family stories tend to do better when faced with challenges, have greater self-worth, and show fewer signs of depression or anxiety. Christmas is a great time to start sharing these family stories starting with memories of your Christmas past.