I love Christmas!

had a great day at our recorder society Christmas party playing carols and other lovely music, eating hot soup and crusty bread for lunch, more music then tea and mince pies and finished with a rousing rendition of Sweet Chiming Christmas Bells. Next week singing in a stately home and a Carol Service the following week. I love the Christmas music.

I love Christmas, and in my family this love of Christmas goes back generations. My father and grandfather were both in the army so were, with their families, constantly on the move in the UK and abroad so we never knew from one Christmas to the next where we would be, not even the country.

My grandfather instituted a fixed set of traditions for how Christmas would be celebrated that remained unchanged for year to year, regardless of location or temperature. It was the one fixed unchanging part of our lives. When my sister and I spent a couple of Christmases with our GP when our parents were overseas and we, with A and O levels looming, stayed in the UK at boarding school, the Christmas we had with then was almost identical to the one we would have had at home and it was a great consolation to know that our parents and youngest sister in Malaysia were doing everything we were doing and it helped to bring us together when we were apart.

Anyway I love Christmas and always will and will always make the effort, even if I am ever on my own. Somebody asked DGD recently what was her definition of 'cosy' and she said; 'Sitting in front of the hot stove at GrandmaC's at Christmas'.

I love it too.

Yes it is over commercialised I agree but it does create a happy atmosphere.

I have just recieved tickets to my GD Nativity Play and I find that a joy to watch. The kids are so amusing, especially the ones who pick their nose, shout or sing loudly or pull funny faces. So funny.

What price do you put on friends and family sharing a common act of showing love and kindness to each other. It is a time to send warm messages to those you don't have the opportunity to visit but keeps you in touch. Likewise as the cards come in it puts a smile on your face to take a moment to reflect on those who wish to be remembered by you.

It doesn't have to cost the earth, my family don't spend money like they used to but we give each other the space to have fun and spread ourselves around with friends and other family members. I certainly would not want my DD to have to conform to being with me for christmas dinner but if she does then that would be lovely.

So happy shopping, enjoy your xmas and don't let the bah humbugs get you down.

I have always loved Christmas and though I will be on my own this year intend to make the best of it.

What is annoying me slightly is you can't open a magazine or newspaper without someone telling you how to have the perfect Christmas and cook the perfect Turkey - does anyone actually take their advice or, as I suspect, do things the way their parents did!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas

I love Christmas too. I didn't read any thread about hating it as I don't!

I love spending time finding interesting things to buy for each member of the family and try to fill their stockings with lots of small fun things. Choosing presents for other people is so fulfilling.

We have been to Christmas Fairs and Christmas Markets and looking forward to a charity carol concert on Thursday.

I have just finished writing my cards and got a lot of pleasure thinking about the people I haven't seen recently and finding just the right thing to say in each card. As my name suggests, we have lived in several places so have old friends we like to keep in touch with. There is of course a touch of sadness that one person on my list is no longer with us. He was part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Mince pies are in the freezer, pudding made and cakes made and decorated. Lots of presents ordered online and those already bought are in piles for each person in a spare room. I am looking forward to wrapping them all in a week or so.

I may even enjoy all the dusting and polishing just before they all come!

It is a wonderful time of year to be shared with those near and dear. I am loving it already.

Tonight on BBC4 is the repeat of A Childs Christmas in Wales. Making a point of watching it as I've always missed it in previous years. I'm wondering if it was the programme that sparked off the Gavin and Stacey series, but I could be getting it mixed up with something else. I think it starts at 7 so, pour moi, Christmas starts here. * [those are meant to look like stars by the way; they're not a deleted proverbial ....]

I too love Christmas - the carols melt my heart every year.

Love every single thing about Christmas , when it is over and family preparing to leave think to myself "wish we could have it all over again"

[festive smile]

I've always been a complete sucker for Christmas, in spite of living with a man who hates it. I just carry on regardless! My father used to start Christmas with an LP of Carols from Kings. I carried on with this until CD's took over, when I changed to a recording of A Venetian Christmas which is beautifully atmospheric. Out comes the family heirloom holly embroidered tablecloth (made by whom? Where?) Why don't we ever ask these questions while people are still alive? Out comes my grandad's silver plated cutlery (the only time it ever gets used) and with luck lunch may be on the table by 3pm Every year I set up a nativity with old Italian figures - I have added some cats which seem to have been left out of the Bible story!!!

In a stable there were sure to have been cats around to keep down the vermin, so why not in a nativity scene?

I like the look of that Venetian Chistmas cd.

crumbs; another typo....I'm getting worse.

No, crimson, you're more likely getting tired. Good night

We took the children to their first pantomime on Saturday night. Only a local amateur group but they were brilliant. The children's eyes were shining with excitement and throats were hoarse with shouting lol.

With everyone all the way on this, and with a son born on 24th December it is a double whammy for us. Lovely!

I am pretty contrary over Christmas,some aspects I love,some I don't love so much,but rather than ban Christmas ,perhaps we could ban the word perfect in relation to Christmas,I love the quiet cosy times,and the simple pleasure of hot warming soup,mince pies,mulled wine, in fact cosy is one of my favourite words,peace is another word,and is a gift I would love to give to all,I love the carols,and the idea of frosty walks,and a child's face in the wonder of it all the part I don't live so much is jingle tills,and shopping,but enjoy the rest in a quiet on looking sort of way.H ave just put up tree,son is snoring the excess of his firms party off and the pervading fumes of beer are abounding,santas list has been posted along with the cards ,gifts are halfway wrapped with pretty bows etc,and I am excited at seeing the faces on the day...nellie loves the love and warmth,and hopefully bridges being built in families that are troubled so in a quiet peaceful way it's nearly crimbo.
If I was on my own,I would love to work in a crisis shelter over Christmas ,that to me is a true meaning of givingxxxxxlove nellie

I cannot believe it will be Christmas day a fortnight today , how exciting !

It will be nice to see the sequel to the Snowman , The Snowman and the Snowdog on Christmas eve. I know 4 little boys and girls who will be watching along with their Grandma . It is their favourite , we are always watching it .

Tommorrow we are off to our pre - Christmas lunch with some friends . Looking forward to that as it will be laughter filled as they always are . We all enjoy a good laugh . There will be 6 , possibly 8 , a good time will be had by all I am sure .

Enjoy your U3A lunch , Jess !!

I sort of like the build up, all the anticipation, but often find the event itself can be a bit of an anticlimax. I went to choose a tree yesterday (we have an excellent Christmas Tree Farm not too far away) and will collect it and put it up this weekend. I did say I wasn't going to bother this year, but Mr P's little lip wobbled, so I gave in! His ex wife was German but never put up a tree

We have developed our own rituals over the 11 years that we have been together, one of which is that tree decorating must be accompanied by sherry!

Oh yes rituals are essential , all part and parcel .

Christmas Day for us is governed by rituals from the time we wake up until well after lunch when we collapse into a heap of reading/Music/ Playing games/talking, rarely TV. It follows the rituals of childhood

Since we retired even getting the Christmas tree has been ritualised. For a long time we have gone to the Christmas tree sales lot on a big country estate set among woods in the Chilterns. Before retirement it was a quick dash out and back at a weekend. Now we choose a week day, take the scenic route and after the trees are on the roof go to a little pub even deeper in the woods that specialises in game, mainly shot by the landlord and have a long leisurely lunch.

Nice Flicket .

Off to GD's school nativity, tomorrow, I thought that was a bit early but hey ho.

What will we do without listening to her repeat day after day for her role as narrator "And the animals watched too". Obviously my GD impressed her teacher to have such an important part.

First 'sleigh collection' around our village last night, so heart warming to share a drink with Santa himself in the pub afterwards.

Pogs , your last paragraph , LOL

smoluski I identify absolutely with what you've written. This year it's my job to cook the parsnips for our community Christmas Day lunch, so our family Christmas meal will be on Christmas eve after the Christingle service. On Christmas Day we'll all pitch in to make the community lunch go well, there are over forty people booked in.

My OH came bouncing back from the shops telling me that he had seen a weather station with lots of measurement features at Lidl and should he go back and buy one? This is actually what I bought in the UK and brought back without him seeing it.
I gave him a stony stare and said no he shouldn't.
Suspect my surprise is blown though.