I have to say It......

[fredkins]

Only 28 days and It will be here,no boos,hisses or bah humbugs.Do you like Christmas? I love It.Is It just a headache or are you looking forward to It? No swear words please lol.x

[excelsior-1]

Good morning fredkins.

I love christmas ... A few days off work - some decent telly - a free gigantic meal at my sisters' house - the happiness of my nephew and my god-daughters over their gifts.

[Maydup]

Honestly, I haven't given it a thought yet, been far too busy at work. It'll come and it'll go and then I'll feel much happier and less stressed. Am I allowed to say that or is that bah humbug?

[robert551069]

Christmas is just another day to me, fredkins. OK, we eat turkey, home madeChristmas pudding, cakes and mince pies and have a small,artificial, illuminated, Christmas tree. My wife likes to listen to Christmas carols on TV and receive Christmas cards. She sends out about 60 every year. The adults in the family have a pact not to exchange gifts. We donate money to charity instead.
Christmas is an exciting time for the children though.
Merry Christmas!

[fredkins]

Good morning excel,just refreshed my cup of tea.I agree I do not see my family that often all year round but at Christmas we all come together and I have a big family.I am one of five so that means 10 plus mam and nephews, nieces etc It Is great.

[Arksided]

I'm looking forward to Christmas more so than other years, always a great time. It's the only time of year that a collection of Muppets are all at the same place (family). no expense spared, i'll have to be generous and buy Mum (busy bee) a card this year.

[fredkins]

No maidup everyone to their own you are not bah humbug.Well that sounds like Christmas to me robert551069.

[Mosaic]

Love it - depth of winter, turning of the year, there's always a channel showing Goonies or The Poseidon Adventure, family round, fire on, curtains drawn, big light on.

[fredkins]

Sounds brilliant mosiac,my kind of Christmas.

[chaptazbru]

Love it, but not done much yet - must get a move on !

[rowanwitch]

29 until it is over...

[MarkRae]

I totally understand that some families use it as an opportunity to get together, which is absolutely fine, but not everyone has that sort of family - for some people, that would an unmitigated horror!

I totally understand that Christmas is brilliant for children because they get presents and children love presents, but not everyone has children nor is a child.

And I can understand the fact that Christians use it a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, although none but the most fundamental Christian actually believes that Jesus really was born on 25th December in the year, er, zero... That's not important, though - Jesus' birthdate cannot be accurately determined, so Christmas Day is as good as any other. But not everyone is a Christian.

What I resent, though, is the social pressure of 'compulsory' happiness, i.e. the pathetic attitude that if you're in a state of bliss just because it's Christmas then there must be something seriously wrong with you...

When neighbours cross the road deliberately to ask me why I don't have any Christmas lights up in my living room window, I now simply tell them that I'm a Buddhist...

[Canary42]

Headache.

[lcg]

i hate it. i am skint and work all hours just to pay day by day stuff. it's an expense i don't need....and we only do a special dinner on the day. i have been paid today and haven't got any money left for anything. i can't talk to anyone about it and i'm sat here in tears. i hate it, i hate it.....I HATE IT! (sorry - rant over....blub) x

[rowanwitch]

Its always been about making sure everyone has a good time....

This year we are doing what we want... it will involve nice wine, chocolate and cheese... It won't involve getting exhausted and spending boxingday dosed up with pain killers in a bad mood feeling unappreciated

[MarkRae]

I totally sympathise, lcg. It is precisely this social pressure which despise most about it...

[Traci66]

This year will be different for us, we have our four year old grandson living with us, it is 21 years since we had a kid that age on Christmas Day, looking forward to seeing his lovely face light up at what Santa brings for him, just hope it's a bit later than 3.30 am.

[mikey4444]

Christmas Day can be fun, and there is also Boxing Day Tea to look forward to. Nice food and a glass or two of something naughty.

But its the run-up to the 25th of December that annoys me. I had my haircut this morning and had to wait for about 20 mins for a chair to become free.

I had to endure bloody Noddy Holder screaming out his Xmas hit from about 40 years ago, not once but twice. As I was leaving old Bing was just clearing his throat.

It wasn't just Noddy that was screaming by the time I left, all a bit drafty around the collar I can tell you !

[lcg]

thanks, mark. luckily, i have bought only my son and hubby pressies already....but everyone else is going to have to whistle. i am so skint as i have been off work for 3 weeks as i did my back a serious mischief. i am going back on monday as i need the money, but my back is still painful....but that's just tough luck on my part. still blubbing every now and then due to my (lack of) funds....i can't believe i have no money in my bank account. i'm screwed, methinks x

[mikey4444]

icg76

You have my complete sympathy my friend. I have been very short of money in the past, and I'm not so bloody well-off these days.

Xmas can put huge pressures on people, to spend more money than they really can afford.

I was in the St Davids Shopping center, in Cardiff last week. We are supposed to be in the middle of one of the worse recessions that we have had for 30 years, at least. But it would have been hard to square that with all the people spending vast sums that I saw in the Mall.

How much of it is on credit cards though ? I have a close relative that gets herself into debt every year, mostly by buying junk that I am sure her children don't really appreciate.

One of these is my niece. At Xmas two years ago, she gave back the present I gave her immediately, because "it wasn't as nice as the one another Uncle gave her "

I was nearly in tears, as I struggled to be able to afford anything that year..


To their shame, her parents just shrugged and said "that was the way kids are these days "

My parents must have been turning in there graves.

[MarkRae]

That is a truly despicable way to "bring" children up. If any child did that to me, the present they rejected would be the last they'd get...