It's two days for heaven's sake,in fact possibly one now everything seems to almost go back to normal on Boxing day. I can't stand what seems to be a 4 month build up and can quite see why if you are alone it would depress you. Similarly if you are from a different culture I would understand how Christmas could be viewed as completely over the top. Having said that we have a neighbour across the road from us who is Hindu so celebrates Divali with lights outside his house and is really happy that we have Christmas so he can do the same all over again, his lights are really nice, they make me suffer from "outside light envy" cos we've never got round to getting any. My husband really moans about it, I think it stems from his working life when he said it was almost impossible to get anything done from mid December to early January as most of the companies he dealt with would be on a permanent boozing and party merry go round and then close their offices from Christmas Eve right through to New Year. I think I would prefer the low key approach that I understand continental Europe has, and I wish the religious significance would resonate a bit more here, although I appreciate that not everyone would share that point of view. Retailers of course have to make the most of the frenzied buying fest that seems to get a bit worse every year, but the pressure is so full on I feel sorry for those who feel they have to give into buying their children things they simply cannot afford. Like most who would have been young in the late 1950s early 60s I remember getting things like roller skates, books, board games and perhaps a selection box or two and yes we were all really happy with that. I find the card writing bit a chore but it is sometimes nice to write a letter or two, and receive them from old friends. We used to get a couple of round Robin letters when our kids were young that came over as really smug, I even remember one where the writer actually said "our children continue to make us proud as parents", I didn't know whether to laugh or be sick, or just feel inadequate when I read it. I do like carols nearer the day, Christmas lights and in particular going up to London in December I have found it really pretty particularly walking over Waterloo Bridge and seeing the London skyline lit up. We don't put our Christmas tree up too early we usually do it a week or so before Christmas, which my older son used to moan about because he's the type that would bankrupt himself at Christmas,although he says he wont do that anymore so I live in hopes. I know he will be popping in from time to time from the beginning of December and saying "why isn't the tree up" my younger son couldn't care less whether the tree was there or not. We have succumbed to buying our granddaughter quite a big present as this is the first year she has become aware of Christmas. I don't feel I have to spend as much on our children as we used to. My husband's older granddaughters are all teenagers now so they just want money Personally I'm happy with a good book or two. We do have the usual turkey which I quite like, but I know it's not to everyone's taste as is Christmas pudding which my kids continue to hate so I have to do another type of pudding for them. I'm kind of glad when it's over and we can start planning for things that matter like holidays!
but will still have the family for dinner .
)