Topic: It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

[Lindsay]

Spending Christmas at home this year - alternate years are spent at the in-laws in Edinburgh. Would love to get out of the routine and do something really different - like Ace, going to Prague for example.  Still, we have to do our bit and keep everyone else happy, presents, tree, decorations etc!   ;D

OH not very Christmas-minded (probably part of the bah humbug club!) - I belong to that club when it comes to New Year - like Rhubarb Thrasher, can't see the point of sitting up until midnight, trying to stay awake, just to go to bed two minutes after it!   ::)

Just read the above - don't I sound a miserable b******?!  I'm not really!

[Deb P]

I've just got my Christmas off-duty, and I'm working a 12 hour shift all Christmas day......... ::) delivering all those Christmas babies...... ;D

Ho hum, Christmas will have to wait until Boxing Day for me this year....

I still love all the preparation and decorations, even if it is a pain sorting out the tree...it looks so bare when you take it all down again in January!

It's the Wizard song that does me in, and Roy Wood only lives up the road from us, goes to one of our local pubs too.....I think he hides all December, then picks up his royalty cheques.. ;D ;D ;D

[Paulines7]

We are having one lot of Christmas celebrations on 15th December as my eldest son, wife and two children always go up to her family in Durham For Christmas.  They will be spending New Year up there too whereas they normally come to us.   :-X   How I wish I had conceived a daughter for it always seems that precedence is given to a woman's family at this time of year.    :(

It's not all doom and gloom though for we will have another Christmas meal on 25th.   ;D   Our other son lives at home so he will be with us.   

Weather permitting, OH, dog and I will be off in the caravan to Wareham in Dorset on 27th for a few days but we will probably return to spend New Year's day at home to celebrate with our son who lives here with us.  I daresay if he ever got married or found a partner, we wouldn't see him either!

I quite enjoy Christmas though and can't wait to hear this song again:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/merrychristmaseverybody.shtml

I'll get my coat.    :-[  ;D

[debster]

I used to love christmas but believe it or not the children spoilt it for me one always asks how much did that cost another counts the number of presents can quote how many they had last year and rips through them at a million miles an hour never looking at what it is or who its from them kind of goes on a downer til the next lot arrive. i would prefer christmas to be one small well thought out gift and family together.
well 99% of mine is done and wrapped i actually have xmas eve and xmas day off on 12hr boxing day and new years day which is good shifts for me worked the last two years of xmas and new year on nights.
we end up with about 3 meals one with my family one with hubbies family and one for him and i which was gonna be xmas day this year however hubbys uncle is very ill and theyre not sure he will make next xmas his wife would like everyone to get together with him for xmas dinner.
i always think that the anticipation and build up often far out weigh the day but then i have normally only had 2 hours sleep after a night shift and there are still very sick patients on my ward which is very humbling
but hey im not on a downer by having done nearly all the work i am gonna really enjoy the build up, will only have a small tree cos otherwise parroty boy will only spend the time picking the deccies off and chocolate can kill him some of the deccies terrify him and its his home too dont want to put him through too much trauma

May i now wish you all a very merry christmas LOL  ;D

[Emagggie]

One of the best decorations I saw was last year in a top floor flat window of a very swish apartment block. It was a garland of very sparkly, very large letters saying BAH HUMBUG. It looked very funny amongst all the more traditional deccies other people had up. ;D ;D
Usually meet friends in the pub next door on Christmas Eve and then back to ours for food, but this year we've been invited out and I'm sooooo glad.  ;D Just couldn't get up enthusiasm for all that cooking. ::)
Christmas day here for family and always there seem to be a few waifs and strays that haven't got family nearby or something. I can't bear to think of anyone being on their own on Christmas day.
Boxing day in Upstreet were we might go and watch the Mumming at the pub then to family.
New Year is at yet another pub but in the restaurant which we book for our gang only. Always a brilliant evening. ;D ;D

[RosieMcPosie]

OOOOH i'm getting so excited now!
i've booked up a weekend in Frankfurt with my mummy on 14-16th december!
christmas eve will be down the church then a few people back to ours for nibbles and drinks, christmas day will be up early early (probably earlier than my 2 younger brothers- 13, 18) to annoy mummy and daddy, open presents and then watch telle. have 2 of my best friends coming over for lunch with their beautiful baby daughter. after lunch i will of course have a power nap... mmm christmas nap! it's the best! and probably onto my sister's parents' house for games in the evening.
have done my middle brother william already- comedy dvd and a drinking game -yes i'm on the cheap this year! not going to write what i'm getting mum as she will probably read it! it's georges birthday b4 christmas so i'm getting him indoor skydiving experience thing, and either clothes or music. no idea about dad yet :s
going into town tonight- (late night shopping in slough) to get a few more ideas. soooooo excited!!!!

[Trixiebelle]

yeay pagans!

 ;D I celebrate Yule as well, but on Christmas Day! And why not!

[Tin Shed]

Definately belong to the Christmas club , rather that the New Year one when you have to spend all evening waiting for midnight and then have to stay for a while as it looks rude to leave immediately afterwards!
 The best New Years Eve was when BBC4 showed the whole of Bleak House again so we just stayed in watching and eating and drinking.
I spend most of the run up to Christmas trying to calm my mother down as she tends to go into overdrive with all the festivities/food etc. At the moment we are wondering whether we will get a local turkey - the bird flu exclusion zone has reached as far as Chelmsford and our butcher is very worried as his turkeys come from Wickford.

[mc55]

well today I passed my first outdoor Christmas tree - it is just waiting for the lights to be put on.  Then as I continued my journey home, I passed the crane factory on the M1 and they have their cranes lit up now (although that could just be because it is dark enough now) BUT on the opposite side of the motorway I saw my first outdoor Christmas santa and other decorations adorning the front of a house.

Scandalous !

[star]

SSSAAAADDDD!! Its way too early ::)

[ACE]

I reckon we should decorate this forum for xmas. What do you reckon Dan? will it take up too much room if we all had a few decs in our postings. I don't know where to find them on the web, but somebody must know.

As it is only half past november we should wait until  about the 12th of Dec. and all take them down on 12th night. If some of you ladies need any help putting them up, I will stand at the bottom of the ladder. ;)

Also I will not be here for all of the crimble period so we shall need a volunteer to run this years Advent calender, which was a bit of fun last year.

A prize of a virtual Tobelerone for the best decorated post. Not last years as it melted in his pocket ;D

[Sparkly]

I love Xmas for the following things:

*getting the family all together
*great food and wine
*playing christmas concerts and carolling with the brass band I play in
*time off work!
*preparing all the goodies - hand made cards, mincemeat, xmas cake etc
*general entertaining - mulled wine and parties!

[nippie]

I luuuurrrrrve Christmas, can't wait.
And this year will be even more special as plans are under way for me to meet my brother that I didn't even know I had til two weeks ago! ;D

[theothermarg]

And the really good bit about Christmas is that we will have passed the Winter Solstice and it will start getting light for longer (eventually), but we can all start planning what we are going to grow next year ;D

valmarg

a very fully paid up member of the Bah Humbug club here! I play the game as I have grandchildrenbut am glad when it,s over and I can look forward to spring
marg

[manicscousers]

nippie, what a lovely christmas pressie, a new brother , very exciting  ;D

[SamLouise]

I love Christmas, it's my favourite time of the year!  It's the time when I realise I haven't quite grown up yet  ;D  I enjoy every aspect of it although it's all a bit up in the air this year because every other year the whole family have celebrated at my parents home but this year they moved 120 miles away!  I think my son will be going to his girlfriends, my brother will probably be trekking across the Himalayas for charity and my sister is working a 12hr shift!  :'(  We're scattered to the four corners ....

I suppose I've been lucky that at 40, I've spent EVERY Christmas with my family - it was bound to come to a stop at some point, LOL.

My mum (Rosebud) and dad are travelling down and I'm cooking lunch (hahahahahahahahahahaha <insert manic hysterical laughter>) They don't know what they're letting themselves in for ......  ;D ;D

[lorna]

Sam, Have made a note to send Mary and Ron a couple of packets of indigestion tablets ;D (Only kidding)

[rosebud]

Lorna, i have to say my Samantha makes a mean roast with all the trimmings, i have already been "warned" keep out of the kitchen & do not tell me what to do & what not to do so i am looking forward to sitting back and have my first ever cook free Christmas dinner in 46 yrs. :) :) :) :) :D ;D.
How nice is that i might give it up altogether after this year.

[lorna]

Mary. Will be the same next door on Christmas day. Lorna forbids Joshua's other Nan to enter her kitchen. (she does let me creep in to her kitchen to help prepare.... before Marlene arrives :))
 As for your last sentence..... bet you £1 you don't !! Will collect my £1 Christmas 2008 ;D

[Amazin]

Love 'em both (Christmas & New Year) for different reasons.

After years of getting all dressed up at the crack of dawn and trudging to relatives (in-laws), thereby postponing my own Christmas till Boxing Day, I finally decided enough was enough (a divorce helped), and that from now on I'd spend it in my own home. Have done so ever since. Now, it's FAB!

I purposely don't get dressed! (I wear my special Christmas pyjamas - no pics - you're not ready) The coffee table is heaving with a selection of confectionery (and the TV remote) and the sofa is mine,  MINE, I TELL YOU, MYYEEEEENN! The kitchen is visited twice - the first to put the dinner on, the second to dish it up. All visitors are welcome, provided my few simple house rules are observed: NO dressing up - shoes must be removed, feet put up, crackers pulled, jokes told, hats worn... and plates licked clean (yes, including the sprouts - they're home grown, after all).

Don't get me wrong - I love all the sparkle of Christmas. I'm a tinsel junkie (I was a magpie in a previous life) and ... yes, there is a tree under all those decorations... but I want to enjoy the day, under no obligation, no pressure, and not ending up just feeling relieved it's all over.

Boxing Day I'm back in action, but don't call round and don't invite me out - I'll be working in the garden. Bliss!

New Year is actually the more important of the two dates for me. A time for reflection on the year past, preparation for the year to come, the promise of new beginnings - and HOPE for better things to come!

(like a greater germination rate of parsnip seeds, for instance)

 ;D