Here are just a few of the many things I love about the build up to Christmas and the day itself:
I love: writing personalised Christmas cards, wintery walks, buying gifts for family and friends, the awkward moment when you get yourself attached to the sellotape while trying to finish the wrapping up, advent calendars, getting the decorations down from the loft and decorating the house/tree, the smell of tinsel, enjoying your very first mince pie and glass of mulled wine, listening to classic Christmas songs and proper Christmas carols by choirs - even if it's the millionth time you've heard them. Christmas lights - whether your own or someone else's, going shopping and seeing all the displays up as well as the visit Father Christmas signs (which make you remember your childhood) seeing the Coca-Cola lorry advert on the TV, watching 'The Snowman' and still feeling emotional when he melts at the end, the excited feeling you get on Christmas Eve just before it's time to go to bed - no matter how old you are. Christmas dinner, making and eating sage and onion stuffing, Christmas crackers - wearing the hats, reading the jokes and laughing (even though most of the time they're not even really funny), wearing very festive earrings, the slightly tipsy feeling at Christmas dinner after one two many wines, leftover Christmas food, Christmas pudding, the Christmassy feeling, watching panic buyers when you go shopping, Hearing 'Fairy-tale of New York' or 'White Christmas' on the radio.
BUT....
I think most of all... I love how Christmas unites people; it's something which brings us altogether, no matter where you live in the world. I love spending time with my family, just enjoying each other's company, reminscing about the days when the rest of my grandparents were still with us, and carrying out the same family traditions we've done ever since I was little... For me, Christmas is not about material things or how many presents you have under your tree. It's about spending time with the people you love and appreciating and being thankful for what you already have.
Im with you on this one Lou Lou.
ReplyDeleteCommercialism has taken over to a certain extent and people are under pressure to buy buy buy as Christmas is forced upon us earlier and earlier each year. I know that retailers are having a tough time at the moment but lets face it we have been getting ripped off in Britain for years and years. Clothes and training shoes that are manufactured dirt cheaply in far off lands being sold for ludicrous sums of money that would pay a workers wage for a year. The whole branding idea that means that children get picked on cos they don't have the right swoosh or stripes or whatever is the latest fad on their trainers. Its just not right and we are putting unneccessary pressure on them. I think we force adulthood on children too early through commercialism, it makes some tired of life before its really begun and unfortunately there is no magic wand.
I met a brilliant man on the train to London earlier this year. He hit the nail on the head when he said life is all about people. It doesn't matter who you are, what job you do or what you own. It is all about looking after each other and treating people with respect as you want to be treated yourself.
For me the Christmas break is all about family and friends. A time to slow down and reflect on what has happened in the past year and to be thankful for what we have. Sure , life can throw a few curveballs but in the greater scale of things life is pretty good.