Seniors who’ve lived many ‘Christmases past’ relate to the holidays differently. While children look for gifts under the tree, elder Bermudians who share their stories focus on the spirit of the season.

Eighty-seven year old, Azorean-born, Deolinda Pacheco has loved Christmas all her life.

“Everybody believes Jesus was born on this day,” she said, so the holiday always begins for her and her loved ones with Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

The warmth and togetherness of family is especially important to her, for she recalls the seven years she and her husband spent Christmas apart - he in Bermuda, she in the Azores.

“There were no telephones, no nothing, just letters that sometimes took more than a month to arrive,” she said.

Jane De Costa is of French Canadian heritage. She’s celebrating her 80th holiday season also focused on the Christ in Christmas.

“It humbles you—what Jesus went through for our benefit,” Mrs. De Costa said. “— [When] the minister’s talking about— the actual story of Christmas, it makes you feel just like a grain of sand on a beach.”

Her Christmas dinner is a special family affair at her daughter-in-law’s.

“While we were little, my mother always made a fuss over Christmas— But it was mostly the religious part of it because back in those days we didn’t have much.”

They always had a Christmas tree, however, a six-to-seven foot live cedar freshly-cut from neighbour (the late) Sir Howard Trott’s hilltop property. Everyone walked everywhere, so neighbours knew their neighbours.

“We always looked forward to Christmas,” she said. “We couldn’t wait. Now they seem to come up on us very quickly.”

Leroy Simons’ ancestors came from Antigua. The 68-year old, who welcomes family and friends by stringing holiday lights along the walkway to his apartment and bringing in a small tree, once played Santa Claus for his sister-in-law.

He’d initially said no, but changed his mind.

“I was the only one that looked like a Santa Claus— It was a real fun day. I was glad I did it,” he said.

Mr. Simons lived abroad for many years. He also worked numerous holidays in Bermuda’s hotels.