Hello: Most of you know that have read the Blog for any length of time know that I am a native of The Canton/Stark County area..My own Christmas Memories include the toys, food, family gatherings,Church Pageants and Christmas on TV/radio in the 60's and 70's..WVIZ produced a TV special a few years ago called "The Way We Shopped" that revolved around the Classic Department Stores in Cleveland and Akron, with a large segment dedicated to Christmas Shopping..Here is a book that would make a great companion to that WVIZ Special..
Gail Ghetia Bellamy crystallizes the memories of Christmas In Cleveland in her new book, CLEVELAND CHRISTMAS MEMORIES, and she does an amazing job..The pictures alone are worth the price ($17.95 officially, cheaper at Amazon.com, etc)..The stories, culled from interviews with notable Clevelanders..Some that had charge of making memories, others just sharing their own holiday memories, mostly fun,some happy, some sad..The narrative is weaved around certain topics..Toys, food, ethnic traditions,Nativity scenes, Santa, lights, and even a whole chapter on Mr. Jingeling.. Being that I am not originally from Cleveland, you tend to forget/not realize how Ethnically rich and diverse The Cleveland area is..That is amazing in itself..Also, on the side margins of most pages are Christmas facts and trivia..If you are from Cleveland, this book will be an exciting trip down Memory Lane..I highly, highly recommend it..
Gray and Company link to the book:
http://www.grayco.com/cleveland/books/44108/index.shtml
I'd like to dedicate this blog post to Mrs. Nadine Keyes..Wife of the late Earl Keyes..She was "Mrs. Jingeling" to generations of Northeast Ohio kids..Mrs. Keyes passed away recently..