Of Christmases Long Ago

When I was a boy, my favorite holiday was Christmas. Birthdays were nice and so was Halloween, but the one occasion that held the greatest joy was Christmas. I remember one year I started crossing off the days until Christmas on a calendar 100 days before the event. That would be sometime in September, I believe. Usually, the event that kicked off my thoughts about Christmas was the arrival of the Sears-Roebuck Christmas catalog. I think this usually arrived in October, but it was a magical event. The catalog was just chock-full of toys and I would spend hours and hours looking through its pages, imagining what it would be like to possess the many different treats therein. And Christmas Eve was the best night of all. I could never get to sleep and I know that one year I heard reindeer on the roof and the jingle of bells and bright blue light outside. Another year, I slipped into the room where the tree was at 3 a.m. and found the presents under the tree. I pulled out a model battleship that had been left for me (our presents were never wrapped and although there were five of us at one point, we always knew what had been left for us and what was meant for a sibling) and had it entirely put together by the time the rest of the family came in at 6 or so. (And these were "real" models, lots of tiny little parts that had to be glued together; many modern kits are just click-together affairs). I also remember that we would write letters to Santa Claus and they would be read over the local radio station. This was a great treat! Santa reading your letter over the radio for the whole world (or at least those within range of the local station) to hear. And, on another occasion, one of my greatest shocks involving Christmas. Santa drove up in a green Chevrolet, walked in to our country store, and bought a pack of cigarettes. He then went back out to his car and drove off! I knew he smoked a pipe, but cigarettes? And what was he doing in that green car? I think I was told that this was a "helper" dressed as Santa, but it certainly started the wheels turning.