Christmas is coming!
 

Tra-la-la, tra-la-la, tra-la-la-la-laa

Yes, today is the first of December, and as well as being the last month of the decade (!), the festive season is almost upon us!
http://www.fosters-home.com/screengr...claus-0006.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

I was planning to buy an advent calender, but I could not find one anywhere:sadbendy:

What does Christmas mean to you? Is it an overblown celebration of materialism? A time of stress?
Or is it a time of happiness and excitement?

I was reading up on Wikipedia the other day when I stumbled across this- how they celebrate in Catalonia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ti%C3%B3_de_Nadal :wiltshock::o

I challenge you to find something odder!

Christmas holds a whole smorgasbord of feelings and meanings for me. Growing up, the best part of the holiday was a combination of the good food, some of which we only ate this time of year, the movies and TV specials that we saw only this time of year, and of course the presents. It was full of excitement, and seeing the very first decorations and hearing the very first Christmas song would be exciting because we knew Christmas was coming! We'd get to eat a lot of yummy food that we haven't eaten for a whole year, watch specials we haven't seen for a whole year, and we'll be getting new toys! As I got older, I also learned to appreciate spending time with family and also shopping for my loved ones. And other things started reminding me that Christmas was coming and I'd be filled with that nostalgic excitement. Like when daylight savings time ends. For many years, that first night of the sun setting "sooooo early!" would just fill me with the Christmas spirit. I loved it! :D

But then I grew up, and although I still love Christmas, I can't seem to catch the spirit of it anymore. It's become too commercialized. The decorations are appearing sooner and sooner every year it seems. And so is the Christmas music. It gets old really fast. So it's just lost a lot of its magic to me. :sadbendy: Doesn't help that I've worked in retail the last 10 years, and it's the busiest and most stressful time of year for us. I dread that part. It also doesn't help when I get gifts for people, honestly thinking they're going to love them, and excited about getting it. And then they either hate them or just never use them, and I feel like I not only wasted my money buying them the gift, but they don't appreciate me for just trying to be thoughtful. I know it's to be expected sometimes, but after so many times I have a tendency to let it affect me. So I don't even enjoy shopping for my loved ones as much anymore. So basically, over the last decade or so, though I still love the holiday, and the music, and the decorations, and the TV specials, and the presents, and finding that one perfect gift that the receiver actually loves, the holiday has become somewhat ho-hum to me. I wish it hadn't. But I just can't find a way around it. :P

I recognise so much of what you say there Lynnie.

Nobody planned it but the retail economy of our nations are now pretty much dependent on Christmas and that's why the hyped-up plastic Christmas is so ruthlessly imposed on us. It may also be necessary on a psychological level to have a festival of warmth and bright colours in the dark season. Not that that's a lot of good to those in the southern hemisphere.

Usually on Christmas eve there's a stronger link between boring old cynical me and the little human who really felt that magic. It was such a rare event then too! Even our youngest members must have noticed the way time speeds up. These days it's more oh no not again! Then there's the fact I'm always broke in winter anyhow.

All the same it's a good festival with the little baby and all the animals and stuff. I like the thing the Catalans do with the wood there even if it is a bit odd. I used to feel sorry for the trees that were cut down just to be covered in stuff and slowly dry out in heated living-rooms but it turns out they're pretty much ok with it. Makes room for more trees and the Spruces do grow very fast.

I hear you there Lynnie...it's pretty much the same for me. Christmas as a kid was a fun, magical time, I remember always getting butterflies when Christmas Eve came along, and it always seemed to take forever to arrive. And yep, I'd go crazy when any Christmas adverts came on. The music helped too. Best of all was the whole occasion of being around friends and family and just having a good time.:D

Nowadays, I just want it all to disappear as fast as it came, to be honest...pretty much the only thing I enjoy about it still is the family getting together. Like you said, it's just become commercialised beyond belief. Despite my dislike of this time of year though, I still can't help listening to festive songs, and I always make some seasonal artworks to celebrate it. I guess that's just the inner kid in me, lol.

You wanna know what Christmas means to me?

"The greatest gift came in a small package." - a billboard I saw.

Oh, and this (and relatives and friends to share it with):

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...Fireplace2.jpg :frankiesmile:

For anybody who is disillusioned with the over-blown hype of Christmas, I sugest heading to your nearest libeary and getting A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. We all know the story, and proberbly seen the Muppets adaptaion (I have almost every year!)/Jim Carey version, but I thoroughly recommend reading the original

Once again Hallmark has come through with the coolest ornament this X-Mas season.

The Galaga Arcade machine ornament with authentic sound from the video game.

http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/s...|P1R4SO|stores

I thought they weren't able to top last years Pac-Man machine ornament but I was gladly proven wrong.

Here's a little thing I did at a con last month on Thanksgiving weekend:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pyHolidays.jpg

Yikes, Jessie's piled on the pounds!

The big day tomorrow- is it snowy where you live? It is very much in Europe (where I am). Anyone visiting church today?

Merry Christmas everyone!!! :snowman: :cmastree: :present:

No church for me on Christmas day. I'm going on Saturday though. And I'll be singing. My dad's suppose to be playing the guitar to accompany me, and I hope to sing "Lo, How a Rose 'Ere Blooming". We'll see how it goes. ;)

I worked all day today, but thankfully it wasn't a horrible day. I just wish I got home earlier. We had a very late Christmas Eve dinner thanks to my stupid schedule. But now I'm home and full and relaxed and comfy and watching "White Christmas" as is our tradition for Christmas Eve. Later we'll stuff the stockings and try to hide them from eachother until we all go to bed. :smed:

I went out for Christmas Eve dinner with my brother, sister-in-law, and her mother. Excellent restaurant, a place called Dakota's, which is primarily a steakhouse but has other dishes as well. I had the "Dakota's Grill", as I did last year, which includes a steak, chicken breast, four grilled shrimp, and a baked potato. Quite good. Got a good pic of my brother's dog, too, which will be visible on my DA account shortly. :bloogrin:

As for Christmas Day, I'll be online and/or with my Sims and generally ignoring the holiday.

Edit - Pic is up:

http://vejur.deviantart.com/art/His-...Loop-147941777

Enjoy. ;)

Christmas Day has already been here down under! I did go to church for the Christmas Day service, but afterwards, I went down to my sister's place for Christmas lunch! As far as presents go, I got a new watch, Lego Rock Band for the Wii, a $50 Gift Card for Borders and an LP of Spaceballs: the Soundtrack. Long story on the Spaceballs one! 8D

Here's hoping that on Boxing Day I get to go see Sherlock Holmes!

Merry Christmas, all. :)

I attended the Christmas Eve church service last night, it was nice. Had Christmas dinner with my grandma, just the two of us (we had a big laugh about a present she got...one of those "Snuggies", blankets-cum-jumpers), and hopefully tomorrow the whole family will be having one big together, which is the best bit. :)
As far as presents go, I got new clothes, cards, and the latest Biffy Clyro CD. It's been good. :D

All I got was gift certificates this year. They're nice, but I missed tearing paper. :P Oh well, lol.

I started the day being woken up by my favorite little alarm clock- my furry niece Jing Ling. :berry: She wanted her breakfast. Then the tearing into the stockings began, as is our tradition. After which we served ourselves some breakfast buffet style. And while eating around the tree, my dad handed us wrapped presents one by one. In no time the living room was a mass of wrapping paper, plastic bags, ribbons, boxes and other packaging material. My dad got started on the big dinner right away, since my mother needed to leave for work at 2 (she's a nurse). Kind of a bummer eating so early, especially after eating so late last night because I was the one who was late getting home due to my job. :P But it was very good.

I didn't even help prepare it this year. I would have liked to, but I was out right exhausted. They're working me to death at my work place. I really, really could have used a third day off last week which I could have gotten since I'm a full time employee. I'm really feeling the effects of last week now. I swear, I have no energy left. :sleep:

A Christmas story that made me laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afreOsPe83M

So, apparently this guy came back from vacation to find everything in his apartment had been wrapped for him.

His reaction (minor language warning): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvoYm3psHgs

That was a really unique idea for a Christmas present.:P

I had a nice Christmas day- I got the MJ This Is It CD (which I've not listened to yet), some Wii points, and Wii Sports Resort- the tandem Bike race is brilliant!

I also saw the Queens Traditional Speech on TV