Sweet - The Christmas Candy Ribbon

One sweet a day to count down the days until Christmas.

My grandma gave this candy ribbon to me and one like it to my sister for Christmas one year. I remember my mom hanging them up in the hallway across from our phone. 

It's funny to think about the phone in the hallway now when we all have cordless phones and cell phones these days. But that was back when phones had cords and rotary dials and you had to sit in the hallway to talk on the phone because the cord wouldn't reach very far. That's right kids. No running off to your room with the phone! Oh, the torture... See how good you really have it?

We usually tied tootsie rolls to our ribbons. One year we had Brach's creme filled candies in the shiny foiled wrappers. Oh boy, those were good. Vanilla was my favorite. I would savor my candy just nibbling on it for as long as I could. We usually couldn't have sweets before bed time, so this was a memorable treat for sure. After we had eaten our dinner and gotten our pajamas on, we would go to the ribbon and untie our candy. 

And then I would count the days.

I knew when we had reached the top, where that little bell was, it would be Christmas. This was one of the best gifts I ever received. Such a simple design made of felt and yarn with a cute little poem at the top:

December 1 to Christmas is the longest time of year.

Sees as though ol' Santa never will appear.

How many days to Christmas is mighty hard to count;

So, this little candy ribbon will tell the exact amount.

Untie one candy each night when the sandman casts his spell,

And Christmas eve will be here by the time you reach the bell.

My mom held on to our candy ribbons over the years, and then gave them to her grand kids for Christmas. She had to do a few repairs first. The yarn was worn in some spots, and the poem at the top had to be retyped. She saved my grandma's handwritten note to me and glued that to the back. My son has my candy ribbon, and I made another one for my daughter. They prefer caramel kisses in shiny foiled wrappers for their ribbons. And after they've had a good dinner and gotten their pajamas on, they may go to their ribbon and untie their candy.

And count the days until Christmas.