Anyone else excited?

The tree in Covent Garden is gorgeous Monica. And Carnaby Street is great too. We went at the weekend and saw School of Rock. Lots of very clever children doing their thing. Lovely.

DH and I have had a really bad cold for a week. Tomorrow we will venture out to get some last minute bits. Everything is ready as we have a house full from Sunday. Just hope we will begin to feel better soon. Really looking forward to all the family coming and the Army catering that goes with it

I’ve just made the sponge cake to go in the trifle. The chocolate log is already in the freezer. The grownups’ pudding was made 2 or possibly 3 years ago ?
Tomorrow it’s dinner & a disco with good friends from our tennis club & Sunday DCs and GDCs arrive. ??

something disappeared on the last line should be.... West End and look at all the Christmas decorations and I will give a little hop, skip and jump because everything.........

Lets lighten up a bit. I am sticky with fudge and fudge sauce as I have been making DD's alternative to Christmas pudding - a very luxurious banana split, including the essential fudge ice cream. In a minute I will go out to make the Yule log/Bouche de Noel. Chocolate icing, whipped cram and lots of cake bowls to scrape. What not to like!

Tomorrow we are off to see Hansel and Gretel at the Royal Opera house, a lovely Christmassy opera with lots of lovely tunes. We will walk through Covent Garden and the West End look at all the of excitement because everything is so Christmassy.

Enjoying yourself Tooglam?

Bump

Anyone else?

oldbatty are you on the wrong thread?

Oh well never mind. I'm off t'ut coal ole now wi me bucket. Pigeons are back in't coop and even Arthur the whippet has dozed off.

Mother has put an extra swede in't pot so we shall dine like royalty tonight.

m0nica you are right, it is that buzz of excitement.
Happy Christmas to you too, winterwhite!
bluebelle I didn’t call anybody bitter and miserable, I merely asked if I should be bitter and miserable, rather than enjoy Christmas.

I should have said midwinter celebrations are a response to the effects of low light levels, rather than a way of overcoming them.

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.

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.

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

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?

so what's the difference?

oldbatty April isn’t Christmas.

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?

*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.

Sounds really good winterwhite.

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

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.

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.

I like tinsel.