Cape Town - From draping decorations all over the house to whipping up a fruitcake with a generous splash of brandewyn (brandy), these are the cherished snapshots of Christmases gone by.
In an era where technology often steals the spotlight, those simple, heartfelt traditions remind us of the joy in unplugging, gathering loved ones, and creating moments that don't need a Wi-Fi signal to be remembered forever.
Katheleen Williams, 73, remembers her younger days, celebrating Christmas in Heathfield.
“Look, we didn't have a lot during the year, but on Christmas, you had everything.
“So that day meant so much to us. You would get Christmas clothes, a hat for church and a new pair of shoes. Those shoes, you could only wear Christmas and on a Sunday to Sunday school, those shoes must last you the whole year.”
Yet that didn't take away that Christmas to them was the best time.
“My mother saved up, so on that day we had everything, every type of meat you can think of. Then the Bashew truck came around and you could choose whatever flavour cooldrink.”
Williams recalls the midnight Christmas choir stopped at their home.
“My daddy used to play the violin, so we got treated to a show at midnight.”
Smiling Williams said: “We didn't have money for a Christmas tree, so we made decorations with crinkle paper and cardboard and that hung all over the house.”
Charlene Webb, 48, recalls how she and her cousins would all go to their grandma’s house where everyone prepped for Christmas day.
“You would feel the Christmas spirit, the carols playing in the background. My grandma, religiously used to make a pot of soup on Christmas Eve, because she knew everyone was coming the next day and didn't want the food to be up by then.
“My aunty made Christmas biscuits with us, that would be up by the evening.
“My ma also baked, she made the best fruitcake, with Brandewyn she got as a gift from the madam. As children we could never understand why she didn't want to cut the cake but as we got older we realised it was because the wine had to mature.” Webb laughs.
She recalled how the family, blended with Christians and Muslims, would afterwards all go downstairs to the yard where they would take a photo with their clothes on.
“The boys wore suits and the girls dressed with their long socks, it was really such a special time.”
Leontine Wareley, 60, says the smell of Christmas triggers her old memories.
“Christmas was a time for family. The day before Christmas the girls are busy cleaning, washing windows, hanging curtains and the boys would be cleaning the yard.
“Every year my mommy used to get someone to paint the house, so those smells, all to me are Christmas smells.”
Wareley recalls going to sleep early while her mom cooks up a storm in the kitchen.
“Sometimes you wake up and try to stay awake until midnight to catch Santa, but we never caught him.
“We knew my mommy used to hang a sock on the stairs with small gifts inside, that usually happened with the Christmas songs played in the background.
“The next day you can't wait to get dressed and say ‘Merry Christmas’ to everyone. You would go to the neighbours and wish them, sometimes they even gave your money.”
Wareley said one thing she realised later on in life is that her mommy was the real magic to Christmas.
“My mom was a widow with six children and every Christmas was the best day ever because of her.’
Through these stories, one thing stands out: the heart of Christmas lies in love, creativity, and family, not in material wealth.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za
Weekend Argus