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If any person does not believe that Christmas season is here, then they missed the Washington Christmas Parade.  The children lined the streets with smiles across their faces and waiting to see Santa Claus riding on top of a fire truck.  He did not disappoint them either, because he was bigger than life and throwing candy as he went by.  There was not a problem in the world and there should not have been, you see kids at Christmas make this season so great.  Can you remember when the Christmas season began in your home?

Christmas season in the Robinson home never began until the lights uptown were turned on.  The big tree on Main Street was turned on and the lights that stretched across Main Street were cut on.  There were big bulbs with multi-colored lights stretching from one side to another.  My dad would carry my mom, Rose Ann and me down Main Street to see the lights and the big tree. Stores had their Christmas decorations in the windows and never looked so nice.

We would then go to Guy Whitakers store and pick up our Christmas tree. We never had a fake one, rather, a real Frazier fur that stayed outside in a bucket of water until my dad decided it was time to bring it into the living room.  People took great pride in decorating their tree for Christmas. Dad would add the lights and Rose Ann and I would add the tinsel that hung from tree.

Nothing ever began until we got the wish book from Sears-Roebuck & Company and Montgomery -Ward!  We would then sit down and pick out what Santa could bring us, knowing that we were not getting everything.  We never got everything we asked for because dad worked two jobs just to provide for our family.  He worked at the cleaners, farmed and had a nursery out on Market Street.

 We would ride through town on Christmas Eve night to see other homes decorated.  That was a way to help us go to sleep, thinking we would go to bed early and sleep late. Never worked! That was the hardest night I ever had to go to sleep.  So much to look forward to and sometimes we would wake up as early as 4 a.m. but mom and dad would send us back to bed.

The next day was Christmas Day and we played with our toys and got dressed to go to Old Ford to have lunch with Mama Bert and Daddy Jim.  It was a spread! Our cousins would come out to have lunch and we would play under the house.  At night we visited my father’s family where we had drawn out of a hat to see who got presents.  We always got a present from Katie Pearl and Daddy Ray and it was what we wanted.

I hope you have a nice Christmas and a safe New Year and kids, do not make it more commercial than it already is.  Remember the season and what is stands for! Hope you have a Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

They were the best of times with best of friends and in the best of places, Washington, N.C.! The Original Washington!

Harold Jr.