Nostalgia was in full flow when we asked readers what was the best thing they remembered about Christmas when they were children.

Opening their stockings, putting up the decorations, Babycham and watching Christmas TV specials all got a mention, along with family gatherings and helping Nan make the cake.

For a lot of people it was about being with their loved ones, some now gone.

Here's what they said on Facebook:

Catherine Hitchman: " I loved finding a satsuma in my stocking at the bottom of the bed - my brother, sister and I were allowed to open these quietly whatever time we woke up, but then go back to bed/sleep until breakfast time."

Lorraine Nolan: "Christmas all sitting round the fire waiting for the chestnuts to pop and being all together, happy days."

Gill McLoughlin: "Log fires, Babycham and my sister drinking snowballs."

David King: "Watching the Only Fools & Horses Christmas Specials. Christmas complete imo watching the greatest comedy of all time!"

Tracey Webb: "Everything, I was very blessed to have the best childhood and my parents always made Christmas so special."

Michelle Cook: "Waking up to a pillowcase full at the end of the bed, with a new dressing gown, slippers and chocolate. And a present. Then venturing downstairs to the magical grotto that mum had created over night. Balloons in every corner of the sitting room, the silver tree with home made decs. Then family coming in later in the morning. Funnily I can't remember a thing about Christmas dinner."

Karen Cole: "Was six, my dad picked me up out of bed and showed me the snow miss him and Mum at Christmas."

Denise Walters: "It was magical and all our family got together. Remembering is a warm fuzzy feeling."

Adrian Thrush: "Twelve people, seven adults and five kids all crammed into a small dining room eating Christmas dinner in the most wonderful house ever.

Julie Tinkler: "All of us being together, the smell of mum cooking the dinner, all of us being excited running down stairs. We weren’t spent a loud of money on us. I was little in the late 50s, but we always were pleased with what we had. Dad worked hard to keep all of us and him and Mum loved us and that was enough for us."

Linda Harries: "Opening Father Christmas' presents before breakfast, then pressies from family and friends after lunch. My parents stretched the day out as the rest of our family lived too far away to visit. Plus having some food and treats that we didn't get during the year. The sixties were different from these days, satsumas were a luxury for us!"

Sharon Pickett: "Getting an orange with my other presents from my mum and dad. The smell of oranges takes me back."

Sean Griffin: "The decorations my dad used to hang on the ceiling. I wouldn't have them now, but for me, those tacky foil garlands, chandeliers and brightly coloured tinsel were one of the best things I remember as a kid at christmas in the 1980s. And those multicoloured fairy lights where you could change the bulbs when they stopped working."

Vanessa Plaistow: "My grandparents at my house all day."

Margaret Stenner: "My dad cooking Christmas dinner, Mum not doing anything, that was day her day of rest, and then going in to every neighbour's house for a Christmas drink and mince pie."

Mick Prout: "Just being all together as a family. As a child you never think that one day your mum and dad will not be there for you."

Christos Flouris: "Going to the church in the morning and then going to the local football club for raffle and presents!"

Carrie Louise: "My mum would always be home cooking mince pies and sausage rolls, there was lots of proper buffets, the left over Christmas meats,ham with cloves.

"It always felt so magical. It wasn't really just one day,it was many days of Christmas.

"When I look back,it was my mum that did all that. She made the Christmas magic. Not the same anymore."