Xmas, do you like it?

[Slick]

I like this time of year.....in fact I like every time of the year. I’m going to have a couple glasses of gin (absinthe is a step too far) and a few pies and remember dear friends.

I like the idea of the gin but mixing it with memories of absent friends is tough.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Really enjoy it here - just the two of us doing stuff we both enjoy. Great time to chill and relax even more than we usually do.

Don't bother too much with pressies as we both don't really want for anything - we just do a few small pressies to open over a fizz breakfast etc.

 

[pawl]

First Christmas without my sister.who passed away in Feb aged 95. I will miss he not being with us on Christmas day

 

[Slick]

Really enjoy it here - just the two of us doing stuff we both enjoy. Great time to chill and relax even more than we usually do.

Don't bother too much with pressies as we both don't really want for anything - we just do a few small pressies to open over a fizz breakfast etc.

Sounds excellent, been a few years since we have done that but I reckon that will be our plan next year.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Not a fan here either
NHS too, for past 23 years, I think I've worked about 16-17 of them over the years

Doubtless, when I go in tomorrow, I'll have all that 'false niceness'..... Doctors & Nursing staff, who can't talk to me (especially) 'off the shop-floor' for the other 364 days of the year will be 'round you like a rash' (pardon the NHS pun)
Some senior managers will presumably show their faces too, with 'smiles & handshakes'
That said, I have a lot of time for the present Chief Executive & Director Of Nursing, both are good guys

Conversely I do like some of the music/films
- The Phil Spector Christmas Album is a masterpiece of production
- Brian Setzer Orchestra has a new CD almost every year
- Steve Earle wrote (for the Copperhead Road LP) a wonderful modern carol; 'Nothing But A Child' (YouTube it)
- And, Mike Hardings tear-jerking 'Christmas 1914' (again, if you've never heard it - have a listen to it in full)

- Patrick Stewart as Ebeneezer, in a version of Christmas Carol
Such a great performance,
- The Grinch (Jim Careys finest?), but basically Christmas Carol, with added Martha May

 

[delb0y]

Not a fan here, although a few days off work is nice. The biggest plus - the tip was deserted today. Two trips and I could park right next to to the skips I wanted both times. More than happy with Xmas if that's the result!

 

[Mrs M]

Don’t particularly look forward to it but now always enjoy the day (not the months of build up)
As a kid Christmas was always something I looked forward to, hopeful it would be a good day but it never was. Just the usual verbal abuse and misery.
Then grown up had to endure the day with hubby’s relatives, cheap presents and his overbearing, spiteful mother.
Since we had our first Christmas just the two of us 10 years ago we both enjoy spending the day relaxing and doing as we please. Hubby’s brother now joins us too.
Best time was 3 years ago when we went to Tenerife, sun, champagne and relaxation
and no cooking

 

[Mrs M]

PS hearing all the Christmas songs used to bring back sad memories but now I have made better ones and enjoy listening to them, just for a few days though.

 

[jongooligan]

Think I'd mebbe enjoy it if it was in the middle of summer. Perhaps I should move to the southern hemisphere.

I get quite gloomy at this time of year with short daylight hours and bad weather so the pressure to enjoy Christmas just makes me worse. I hate enforced jollity and the notion that, unless everything is perfect, then Christmas is ruined just adds to the pressure.

Roll on Jan 1st.

 

[Globalti]

I was also a chorister and grew up in a very musical and religious family so I love all kinds of classical music, sacred or not and can still recite or even sing the mass in Latin. There are all kinds of conflicts surrounding the whole Christmas thing, on the one hand it's good that Christians do stop to rest and take stock but on the other hand I have a slowly growing suspicion that the whole thing was invented by the Victorians and all the crap about a Victorian Christmas is bogus because most ordinary Victorians lived in freezing damp poverty and died young from cholera or typhoid or accidents. I love the Latin rite and all the mystery and music but I think it's just mumbo-jumbo but at the same time I believe modernisers like Graham Kendrick wrecked church music with all their fuzzy-wuzzy happy-clappy nonsense. So mixed feelings.

 

[Julia9054]

I quite like Christmas. Son is in panto again in Sevenoaks so we are on our way to a holiday home to bring Christmas to him. His brass quintet are accompanying the ITV Carol service at 11.50pm and he has invented a drinking game to go with it (accidentally looking at the camera, offensive descants, sweeping camera zoom on Jesus, congregation members hamming it up to get on the telly etc)
Tomorrow will not be an early start!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Can certainly do without Xmas. I like seeing my daughters but all the extra work and dashing around seems totally pointless and wearing. Mrs 26 likes it. Currently sitting here stressed about the whole thing. I'm looking forward to the longer days, snowdrops and wild daffs.

 

[gavroche]

Christmas is the biggest lie thrust upon religious people and , today, just an excuse for over the top commercialism and added stress on low income families. Having said that, I enjoy the family get together but am also very pleased when it is all over and life gets back to normal.

 

[Slick]

Don’t particularly look forward to it but now always enjoy the day (not the months of build up)
As a kid Christmas was always something I looked forward to, hopeful it would be a good day but it never was. Just the usual verbal abuse and misery.
Then grown up had to endure the day with hubby’s relatives, cheap presents and his overbearing, spiteful mother.
Since we had our first Christmas just the two of us 10 years ago we both enjoy spending the day relaxing and doing as we please. Hubby’s brother now joins us too.
Best time was 3 years ago when we went to Tenerife, sun, champagne and relaxation
and no cooking

Did Christmas in Tenerife a few times now and always loved it. New year over there was pretty good as well. Lots of golf for Mr M?

 

[Dave7]

At least you don’t have to put up with all the shite that’s on the telly.

I strongly disagree with the sh*te on telly comment. Looking at the tv mag for just today there is a choice of.......
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Kung Fu Panda
Home Alone
Morcambe and Wise 1968
Even got Coronation Steet if you want a real tv feast
On the other hand you may have a point.