If you liked this story, you might like ...

The story of Higbee's at Christmas, from Bruce the Spruce

Cleveland Remembers wants your stories of holiday traditions around Northeast Ohio. We'll get lots of stories about coming downtown, we're sure, but we're also interested in lesser known highlights. Where did you buy your tree? What was your New Year's Eve ritual? Did your whole family get together to spin the dreidl?

Please tell us. Especially if you have a longer story, use our online submission form. You can also upload photos (family photos, please, rather than those taken from other publications or websites).

My favorite TV memory is watching Mr. Jingeling during the Christmas season.

I would sit and sing along to the theme song as he appeared with his secret key. (I can still sing the words to that song today!)

Once, my grandmother took us downtown on the Green Road rapid transit and we visited Halle's seventh floor and got to see Mr. Jingeling (Earl Keyes) in person! That was a real treat!

Sometime about ten years ago I took my own children to visit a display at the Kirtland Penitentiary Glen which had old Halle's memorabilia and a Mr. Jingeling display. As an adult, it was still magical to bring back those old childhood memories.

-- Donna Lucas, Chagrin Falls

Mr. Jingeling

How you tingeling

Keeper of the keys

On Halle's 7th floor,

We'll be waiting for

You to turn the key.

-- Vickie Dittmer, Clinton

When my children were young, one of our family traditions was to go to downtown Cleveland at Christmas time to see Santa and of course to Halle's to see Mr. Jingeling.

Halle's was having a contest to win a visit by Mr. Jingeling. My son, who was 4 years old at the time, was one of the winners.

Mr. Jingeling came to our house and brought presents for my son. He pulled up in front of our house in the big green Halle's truck and spent about 30 minutes with my son. He brought him a big yellow Tonka truck and we were allowed to take pictures with him and the children.

This was a pretty exciting day for my son (our neighbors were probably wondering what was going on when they saw Mr. Jingeling jump out of the truck and come into our house.) It is a memory that I love to share.

-- Nancy Kelleher, Parma Heights

Editor's note: Mr. Jingeling first appeared on the scene in 1956, as a spokes-elf for the toy department at Halle's. His first mention in The Plain Dealer seems to have been in a Halle's ad on Dec. 9.