My favorite Christmas story was the year my middle boy got exactly what he wished for on Christmas Day.. My sister had asked him what he wanted for Xmas. He replied " I don' know" and every time she asked him , he gave the same answer. ON Christmas Day, the biggest gift under the tre had his name on it. He was so excited!!! He rapidly tore into the package ... only to find another wrapped box. Again off came the wrapping ... to find another box. This kept happening until he got down to th final the last box roughly a foot square. Opening it, he found loads of balled up newspaper. My sister asked him what he got for Xmas and he said "I don't know". She replied " Oh good, just what you asked for!"
He did get a beer gift but it was such fun to watch him open each box and see his face when he thought there was nothing in it for him. Needless to say, there was always a list every year from then on.
My mother used to tell us about when she was a child, her mother made ger and her younger sisters dresses for the big baby doll they would be getting soon which they took as meaning " for Christmas" as that holiday was fast approaching. Christmas came and went, but no big baby dolls. However, in March, they got a new baby sister. Boy were they mad! Baby siser was earing their big baby doll dresses!