Back in the day - 23 for Christmas lunch
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (326351)
Rockingham, Australia
November 4, 2023 6:07pm CST
I am transcribing my mother’s diaries. I’ve written about it before but I’m going through them again more carefully, then will be gifting them to a nephew who is the only family member interested in them. Actually, my son in Ireland might be but it’s not really viable to get them to him.
There were two diaries for 1956 but on closer inspection one of them is my grandmother’s. It details what was going on on her farm. An interesting snippet there is that she hosted 23 that year for Christmas lunch. She had six children but one died at three months.
The other five, with their spouses and own families, were present for the lunch. My mother and an uncle both had sets of twins in their families.
Large lunches for Christmas Day were the norm for our family back then. Any that couldn’t make it for Christmas Day would come on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. The latter was always a big celebration too.
The photo shows my mother kneeling with the mother in the black hat behind her. Her grandparents are to the right of the photo. The two on the left are siblings and I think fourth from the left is another brother.
30 people like this
29 responses
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
4 Nov
That's a nice photo. 
We always had a house full for Thanksgiving and Christmas... but if the day was nice enough, everybody sat at a table dad made in the front yard...
We always had a house full for Thanksgiving and Christmas... but if the day was nice enough, everybody sat at a table dad made in the front yard...8 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
5 Nov
@JudyEv Here, by Thanksgiving and Christmas, it was usually too cold but we all crammed ourselves with our families into the three bedroom house, anyway. 
3 people like this
@snowy22315 (170737)
• United States
4 Nov
That is a lot for lunch, but the nurse that works at the clinic is having 60 for Thanksgiving. I think I would have a nervous breakdown..She is making the turkey and the ham, but basically everyone is bringing a dish so it shouldn't be too overwhelming. She said she is basically giving them a place to hang for the day.
5 people like this
@JudyEv (326351)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Nov
@spiderdust I think maybe we had a couple of long stools. It's too long ago now. I can't remember.
3 people like this
@shaggin (71671)
• United States
5 Nov
So nice to have big gatherings like that. I think reading those diaries would be so fascinating to anyone in your family I’m surprised only two are possibly interested. When you transcribe them are you typing them up? I was thinking it might be easy to send that file to your nephew and son online.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (326351)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Nov
It's all on a Word document. I can't imagine anyone will really want to read them. They won't know the people and a lot of it won't make much sense. But I want to get rid of the 'hard copies' so I'm really typing it all out for me in case I ever want to go back to read it.
2 people like this
@allknowing (130217)
• India
5 Nov
What a precious photo. Sad that today's generation has no interest in such valuables. Same with our family. There is just one niece.
3 people like this
@allknowing (130217)
• India
5 Nov
@JudyEv Here even if they knew everyone in the photo they would not be interested (lol)
2 people like this
@JudyEv (326351)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Nov
@allknowing i can see that happening too.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40636)
• United States
4 Nov
What a treasure you have! I love the photo, too. That was a large crowd for Christmas dinner.
3 people like this
@FourWalls (62532)
• United States
5 Nov
Those were the days….the card tables set up for all the kids while the adults ate at the big table. My parents each had four siblings, so you know family get-togethers at the grandparents’ homes were HUGE.
I hope you’re having a fun experience while transcribing those diaries.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (49167)
• United States
5 Nov
Love the photo. I can remember large Christmas gatherings too.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (95957)
• Marion, Ohio
4 Nov
Nice picture. My grandmother always had a house full
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (95957)
• Marion, Ohio
5 Nov
@JudyEv They had larger families too. She raised 10 kids
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (9889)
• United States
5 Nov
Growing up, we had a house full on Christmas eve, over 30, to open presents, huge dinner and then pie, ice cream, and cookies would be served. Christmas day, several families would go to the mountains to play in the snow. Looking back, my childhood house wasn't that big but everyone seemed to fit in and have a lot of fun.
2 people like this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
5 Nov
That's a lot of people for Christmas!
I suppose if all of my siblings and our spouses and children got together at once for a holiday meal these days, there'd be at least that many people too.
2 people like this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
5 Nov
@JudyEv Yes, my siblings and I are spread across the country. I think the oldest of the brothers and I are the furthest away from where we grew up -- he is in Alaska and I'm in California.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45609)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Nov
We used to gather Christmas Eve at my grandparents... 4 uncles, 2 aunts, some of their spouses, my parents of course, my brother and 3 sisters... some other relatives not directly related. Yeah, it was a full house. Now, of course, I spend it all by myself.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (326351)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Nov
@CarolDM Our boys live plane flights away and won't be able to take much at all, even if they wanted stuff. We've photocopied a lot of the photos but I'm loath to get of the hard copies. I guess they can just be tossed when someone has to clean out the house.
1 person likes this
