Christmas Mayhem: My Childhood Remembered

An Excerpt From My Memoirs

As children, we were prevented from entering the Grand Salon at Christmas until all the preparations were complete. An enormous tree was adorned with great care; its decorations and garlands were produced each year from a vast array of boxes in which they had been meticulously packed.

While some of the trinkets were new, others dated back to my mother’s childhood. 
At length, a multitude of candles were lit, and the imposing Venetian chandelier was turned off. We were led into the room and gasped at the sight, but our eyes soon wandered in gleeful anticipation toward mountains of presents wrapped up in colorful papers and tied with golden ribbons.