Anyone else excited?

Maybe we need one entitled " Not bothered that much"

I am not "begrudging" anyone their excitement but just wish they might rein it in a little. Neither am I "dreading" Christmas. My GCs are excited but at 8 and 9 that's to be expected. Meantime I 'll just get on with what's necessary and avoid the metaphorical squealing!

mcem I will not reign it in. Don’t be a grinch!

I simply suggested that relentless hyped-up excitement from adults is a bit ott. Nothing to do with being a grinch. By the way I suggested you might rein it in, not cancel Christmas!

I think some of us find such relentless enthusiasm just a bit gung-ho.
mcem; For goodness sake: speak for yourself and lighten up; If I didn't know you from old, I'd say you were tongue- in- cheek, but....!
Have a Very Merry Christmas!

mcem should I just be miserable and bitter then?

mcem should I just be miserable and bitter then?

mcem - well said.

But how do you know when an adult is feeling relentless hyped-up excitement? It doesn't necessarily mean dancing in the streets in a Santa hat or breaking out into carols in the supermarket.

It could just be that buzz of internal excitement that helps one through the day, or the feeling of triumphal contentment seeing the living room decorated and sitting down with the scent of pine in one's nose.

Yes! Monica , you've caught it spot on! (And it's what I'm doing at the moment ?)

Mcem you aren’t a grinch and there is nothing in your post to suggest you are bitter or miserable
enthusiasm is lovely but overdone it can become waring No ones said you can’t be doing the light fandango Tooglam but don’t expect all people to be standing on their heads with you
There are many people facing a bleak Christmas through illness, death, homelessness, statelessness, being alone or being away from family surely Christmas is a time when we should be thinking of them a bit more and not quite so much about the tinsel and materialism of this time of year

I like these few days before Christmas.

I like tinsel.

I have just read the original post again. I think it's very nice. Let's be happy. (As far as individual circumstances allow). I'm looking forward to my son coming home on Saturday, and going to DD's house for an all ready-prepared-strictly-no-cooking-involved, lunch on Sunday.

Yes, I'm excited this year! First Christmas in new house for DH and me, and we will be On Our Own 24th to 26th, also for the first time. To my great surprise and pleasure DH is entering into (most of) the fun of deciding where the tree and decorations will go and has agreed to my suggestion that we both save interesting books to read and make shortlists of our favourite music. Can't wait for teatime on Christmas eve.
Happy Christmas Tooglam, and thanks for this cheerful thread.

And then a quick trip to M and S for some last minute materialism.

Sounds really good winterwhite.

*Bluebelle, I usually agree with you, but we have thread after thread discussing the problems of life and the problems people have as individuals and groups.

Now and again someone tries to have a light thread and sure as night follows day someone will remind us of all the lonely, alone, poor, ill etc for whom this event, whatever it may be, not necessarily Christmas, will be an event of deepest misery and existential despair.

We know all that, this is a fun thread, for the light of heart.

There is a strong thread of Puritanism running through many of the best GNners. I am surprised no-one has yet suggested that Christmas be banned because it makes so many people happy.

If I said oh I don't particularly enjoy the month of April, would I be called a spoil sport, a person who begrudges other people their happiness or some sort of failure?

No,so what's the difference if I express a lack of enthusiasm for Christmas?

oldbatty April isn’t Christmas.

so what's the difference?

Well the short answer hasn’t worked, so here’s the long answer.
Christmas is the Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It coincides with much older festivals marking the shortest day of the year and the coming of spring. Some would argue that marking such a time of the year has some biological significance and that the associated rituals have some psychological benefit.
In modern times these rituals have evolved into decorating the house, giving gifts, making an effort to see friends and family, renewing friendships, as well as religious ceremony.
April contains Easter. For Christians, this means the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although in recent years this is increasingly ‘celebrated’ with Easter Eggs, Easter Bunnies and so on, for non-religious people Easter holds far less significance than Christmas does.

Will that do?
Can we return to the spirit of this thread now?

No I m not being puritanical or a killjoy I didn’t like Mcem being called bitter and miserable

If you are a Christian, it is entirely different and I have every respect for you faith.

I don't quite follow a biological significance but I comprehend the desire for ritual.

I think you don’t have to be a Christian to value and try to practise the Christmas message of Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All Men, oldbatty.

As far as biology is concerned, many people suffer from SAD (seasonal affective depression) because of the low light levels. The age-old celebrations are a way of overcoming that.