Your fave holiday memories

A little girl's wish for a doll
When I was five my family lived in a little shack in a small western Canadian town. We had a simple Christmas Eve dinner. I knew we didn't have much money and the presents were bound to be small. That year all the little Canadian girls wanted a Barbara Ann Scott doll. Barbara Ann had just won gold at the 1948 Olympics. I would never have the doll, but I looked at the page in the Eaton's catalogue until it was dog-eared and stained.

That night I was lying in bed thinking about all the wonderful things that would happen the next day. Suddenly I heard big heavy bells ringing right outside my window. I jumped up and tried to see out but the frost was too thick on the windows. The next morning I told my parents what had happened. My dad told me to put on my boots and coat and look at the yard. There, to my amazed eyes, were sleigh tracks and hoof marks down the middle, the length of the yard. When I opened my present from Santa Claus, I started to cry. There she was. The most beautiful Barbara Ann Scott doll ever. She was in a royal blue skating outfit and she came with a pair of shoes and a pair of figure skates.
– Sandra Saive, Edmonton

A few good neighbours offer a gift of food
Our family had immigrated to Canada from Portugal in 1956. We began our new lives in Quebec and, even though we lived there for only one year, it was a Christmas I will never forget. We were poor and had few possessions. My sister and I were old enough to attend school. That Christmas there was a delivery for us of new school uniforms and other items of clothing for our family. Other neighbours gave us bushels of apples, bread, milk and so much food. We were so overwhelmed. Being a young girl of six, I could not believe my eyes and could not help but wonder why people were being so nice.

My father said to me that there are good people in the world and that God worked a miracle for our family that first Christmas in a new land.
– Emeria Soares, Strathroy, Ont.