Happy Christmad or Just Another Day?

[mothhawk]

In L@keland the other day, I couldn't resist this...



Santa Bouncy Glitter Ball in for children at Lakeland

I love snowglobes, and to find one as a bouncy ball made me laugh out loud. The glitter is beautiful too, very fine and swirls gently round. The girl on the till said they were new in the day before, and going like hot cakes.

I bought two...

[Verinda]

I used to love Christmas with my family but without my parents and brother everything has changed and I miss all the fun we used to have. However this year I'm going to embrace the season, there will be six of us which is good and I will focus on all the good things in my life and light candles for those who are gone.

[Bill Door]

I am told that I put the hum in "Bah Humbug". I do not like christmas at all. We will be on the look out for some decent black and white films (on DVD) for christmas day if it is raining. I think it goes back to my childhood when christmas was never much anyway.

I always wish that christmas would start on Christmas eve and finish on boxing day. I do wish others a happy christmas day with family and /or friends

I do like New years and we will be away over that period.

Bill

[lottie dolly]

When i were a kid it was magical,having a clean washed pillow slip each,waking up to find gifts in it,then when we had our own,we give out the same magic,but when they left home,we are alone,whilst they carried on the tradition,i eventualy bend and bring out the tree and a few easy dec's,just before,i used to bake and decorate several Cakes for pressies,now i don't really bother about one,not because i am misserable,but most of the must have food stuff is not wanted or needed,so why waist money,i cook a nice dinner without having loads left over,youngest who now lives at home loves to help,so all good,the true meaning of the season has gone,comertialisation has killed it,in my young days we all visited one or the other aunties and grand parents for dinner,another for tea,and all had a great time,the magic is only around when in a group,not on your own,now new year i love,i used to put a large buffet on and people came invited,but as peeps get older a lot off them think why should we bother,but this bird is always looking for fun,but tis getting harder to find any,this is not a moan,just how things have evolved,the season is for the KIDS,

[1Bee]

For contrast, I don't think I've ever been awake at midnight on New Year's Eve.... that one passes me by completely.

I was going to say the same thing about advent calendars!

I'll confess I do like spreading the Christmas shopping across the year - we need to spread the cost!

[Bigmallly]

I find it quite frightening how some parents put themselves in debt just so little Johnny can have the latest gizmo or sportswear.

[cariann88]

I love Christmas. I couldn't care less about the presents, but spending time with your family and having a nice meal(I love my Christmas dinner) and helping mum out and making trifle for after dinner.
I've always liked Christmas since I was little. Just having your family together makes it special for me.

[Guest]

Yes it does, if you want nice ones. By the end of November the only ones left (and you really have to search the stores for them) will be rubbish ones with cheap chocolates in.

I buy a new advent calendar every year, (yes, for me), and used to leave it till November and be disappointed every time. I hate those awful ones with chocs in. I like just pictures behind the doors. So now I buy in October, and have lots to pick from. So mine's bought already and safely tucked away.

(Whether I will find it on Dec 01 is another question entirely )

Oh, did I not mention MiL has already in the past bought the girls advent calenders the ones with drawers that you put things in yourself (Yes, I know Grandparents like to spoil their Grandchildren I should stop being mean )

For contrast, I don't think I've ever been awake at midnight on New Year's Eve.... that one passes me by completely.

Yep, another one that loves christmas. I will stay up New Years but I don't tend to be awake at midnight and I have never been fussed about it.

[Tripmeup]

I love Christmas!! ..........but I don't want it starting too early. I usually get a real tree, so that's often bought about a week before the day itself. I have two trees, one for the living room, and one pot grown for the dining room . I don't have loads of decorations/trimmings but I love foliage, greenery, holly etc. love having a wreath on the front door and lots of candles. I have a few special decorations, a lovely old Santa that sits on the fireplace and I do love twinkly lights!

The day itself is relaxed, my neighbours pop round for drinks around 12, and we pass around presents - little things, no more than a fiver spent. This has been a yearly thing for 10 years or more, their kids used to bring their boyfriend now their OH's. I often make little bags up for peeps that pop in unexpectedly, chilli oils, vinegars, chutney, mini xmas puds. I really love making it all and giving it out. I drop off xmas wreaths or candle and flower arrangements for friends. I never spend much money, I pick up pots and containers cheaply through the year and pick all the foliage.I just love the whole build up.
The last few years my brothers and families turn up around 4, we all walk the dogs, then have a few drinks, we don't really "do" proper presents - it's all food and drink. We all eat around 7 with the kids, pulling crackers and telling jokes. We usually stay at the dinner table and play games that the kids get out until bed. Its a special day for me.

I would have liked this post 20 times if I could...Exactly what it should be like....

I love Christmas and I do have young kids who won't be spoiled by Santa, but whose faces are a joy to see on Christmas morning..We have loads of little traditions too including watching The Polar Express and The Snowman with the kids before they go to bed on Christmas Eve....Fire lit, tree up, candles and importantly some red for Christmas (wine that is )

We usually have 2 trees, herself like the white lights whilst myself and eldest (14) like the warm glow and twinkle of the colored fairy lights, so two of us usually head off and get a real tree and then the 3 kids decorate it... Christmas dinner is with family after some friends, neighbours and other family calls.....

I get exactly what you mean about it being commercialized and it feels that way because of how most of the shops behave putting Christmas things out months before they really need to. I mean, I doubt if many people need to start buying cards as early as August..



The shops really kind of spoil things by ramming Christmas down everyone's throats until they're sick of it. I get why so many people are becoming anti-Christmas.

This on the other hand is what ruins it for many people

[Nicos]

I adore Xmas too!

Fortunately it hasn't started here yet in the shops, but I think they wait till the wine festival season is over...not long now I suspect.

It's quite refreshing actually- it's strange going to the UK in October and seeing so much Crimble stuff already in the shops.

I too have 2 live trees...we don't have many pressies any more but I cover the house with homemade/recycled/natural decorations so you get some sort of feel of Xmas in every room.
I have a choccie advent calendar each year which I share with my OH.
Bless him- he plays along ( we try to guess what the shape is) ...he tends to get most of the choccie though

Lights outside the house too even though we aren't in the village.

Oh- and the heating gets turned up too!!!!


New Year?...nah- it doesn't do much for me- it gets embarrassing declining invites here as it's the big event- not Xmas.
I prefer an early night and a nice meal mid-afternoon on NY Day rather than stay up til stupid o'clock.fr and sleep through the actual day!!!!

[JanieB]

I just ignore the shops. I sort of listen to friends and family all through the year and try and buy something to do with their wants and interests. It doesn't always work because some people give no indication. I love giving proper presents that can be opened but my teenage grandchildren prefer money, so for now, I go along with this. My children (grown up) and grandchildren always get a goody bag from me. It's my version of their Christmas stocking. It has silly things, practical things, fruit, nuts, smellies, a miniature of their favourite tipple and always a chocolate orange. I have never been forgiven for the year I couldn't get chocolate oranges and bought Ferrero Rocher instead.

I ignore the shops for Easter just after Xmas, back to school before they've actually broken up for the summer and Halloween in September. Christmas is when I want to start it. It does annoy me when I need to buy birthday cards for my 2 sons, a cousin and a niece whose birthdays are very close to Xmas and it's virtually impossible to find appropriate cards.

[Bonsai Si]

IF all is going well, on the settee waiting for the Bond film or Great Escape while recovering from the hangover that started about 6am which is about an hour after I crawled in the door.

Though for the last 3 years I worked Xmas day (By choice)

As this will be my first Xmas alone and not in a job where I would be required to work, it'll be just a day off spent at home with Shadow chilling out, which suits me just fine.

[Greenleaves]

The magic did disapear when the children grew up but since the arrival of the grandchildren the magic is back. It is grossly over commercialised and that is really evident when cards start appearing in shops in September.

The meaning of Christmas is many different things to many different people but apart from spending it with family I also reflect on the less fortunate of the world. The gift my wife and I give each other is the making of food parcels which we donate to the needy within our community.

Nothing special, simple every day items to most but unobtainable luxuries to others.

[Dorothy rouse]

Oh no! I try to leave the country if possible. I think it or I have completely lost the meaning, it causes so much stress and upset,debt, bad feeling etc. I really would like to spend the day working in one of the 'homeless shelters or similar ', but that upsets family. I complained to a certain garden centre last year, when Xmas music started in October! It didn't encourage me to shop there, quite the opposite!

But looks like like I'll be in the uk this year, sorry don't mean to offend anyone. X

[Knight of Albion]

Christmas cards and mince pies on sale down here! Rather early ... But if it helps shops to stay in business then what's the harm? I guess Christmas sales are a significant factor in a shop's profit and sustainability.

Yes, the magic of Christmas that you felt as a child has gone, but it's nice to see that same joy in the faces of little children and even not so little ones ...