Remember when again...

[mrs.tenacious]

This thread has brought back so many memories especially the items in the stocking. In the late 40's I always had a pomegranate in mine as well as the orange. Have vague recollections of eating it with a pin to dig out the pips.

Funny thing was I only ever saw them at Christmas don't remember any others in the family eating them either but then maybe that's probably the old memory box 

Jean

Pomegranates were a Christmas staple in our house too, Jean - and we always used to eat them with a pin!
We only ever had dates at Christmas as well, plus a big bowl of nuts in shells so nutcrackers were a necessity. 

Our Christmas presents from Santa were always left in those large plastic drawstring bags mysteriously during the night - oh the excitement to wake in the morning and find one at the bottom of my bed!

[Greensleeves]

Our fruit options were always very limited in the 1950s, and consisted generally of apples and oranges, the latter being cut in quarters and shared.  When I was about four my grandparents came to stay and brought a pineapple with them.  What excitement that caused, I can tell you!  And as Jan and Maggie have said, dates were for Christmas, as were figs and nuts, other than chestnuts which could be roasted whenever you could find or buy them.  My father used to split the skins and put them by the fire to roast.  Great fun!  I remember the excitement of going to London near Christmas, seeing great gaps between buildings which my parents told me were 'bomb sites', and seeing hot chestnut sellers on almost every street corner.

[ann255]

Taling of cutting things up and sharing to eat.  I can recall that my mother did this with a mars bar, cut it into slices and we shared it between us!

[Treetotal]

  ...There was a lot of it about then Ann...."Eat Me" dates..."Newberry Fruits" and "Turkish Delight"....and "Ye Olde Oak Ham"...always came with a Christmas Hamper that Mum paid all year round for in a hamper club!!!

Drinks were always..Tizer, Dandelion and Burdock and American Cream Soda...

Carol

[stevew101]

  Pickled onions - tinned salmon - turkish delight 

[groom]

Newberry Fruits - I'd forgotten those. I used to try and bite/suck all the jelly off without breaking the liquid centre. Christmas was always a special time as we had foods and drink that we didn't have during the rest of the year. Nowadays we can get them all year round.

[Treetotal]

That brought memories Groom...I did too...and threepenny bits in the Christmas Pudding 
Carol

[Wiggy]

Newberry Fruits - I'd forgotten those. I used to try and bite/suck all the jelly off without breaking the liquid centre. Christmas was always a special time as we had foods and drink that we didn't have during the rest of the year. Nowadays we can get them all year round.

Personally, I think that takes away from the excitement of it a bit.    I used not to buy ham at any other time of the year so keep it special - but I've given up on that now!    Christmas cake and properly made Christmas pudding are the only really special Christmas only foods now!   

[deeiluka]

That brought memories Groom...I did too...and threepenny bits in the Christmas Pudding
Carol

Oooh yes.....and one year my young brother ....probably aged about 7....swallowed a threepenny bit! That caused some consternation for sure . The end of the story is that Mrs Dee had to "keep watch" to make sure it passed through.       

And when decimal currency came in, Mrs Dee kept a whole heap of threepenny bits just to use in the Christmas Pudding......when you found them, you had to give them back to be used the next year.....and you were given 5 cent coins in exchange.