The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: sabrina on November 07, 2013, 09:43:51 am
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I am sick of all the TV programs telling me I have so many weeks to slim into my little black dress. I don't own one. Not everyone will be going to a Christmas party or even have family to be around at Christmas. How sad must they feel, for them its just another day to get through. For the next few weeks Christmas will be shoved down our throats, the food to buy, latest must have toys, what to wear. What about no money to buy these things. No one to share the day with. Rather than keep brain washing us would it not be a far better message to say, visit someone who has no one to make them feel special even if its just to say hello. have a get together in your local church hall to give them a little part of what Christmas should be about. Giving some a little bit of your time cost nothing and would mean so much that's should be the Christmas message.
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You are so right. No wonder suicide rates are highest around Christmas; the media definitely doesn't help! I'll be spending Christmas on my own, too; not that I mind, in fact, I prefer it to watching "happy families" at friends' places...
(I've been watching the lights being put up on the huge Christmas tree in Dundee all this week... Argh! For my liking, at least a month too early.)
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Not being a Religious person, I don't celebrate the meaning of Christmas ,
but sadly , the pressure on some people at this time of year must be immense ,
i would hate to have young children around this time of year,
if you gave a child an orange in a sock these days, they would more than likely throw a benny ..
i looked at a pile of toys in my grandsons room, everything from cuddly toys to cars, there was a massive screen in his room too, i think it was for a playstation thing….. the curtains and bed sheet all matching the latest film craze,
do we give presents now, or expectations …
not so long a go , I asked my son, what was the best thing i ever gave him when he was growing up, apart from the obvious, (Love) he said it was a weekend where just me and him went rough camping on Dartmoor,
I do hope i can give my grandson some special memories when we get the smallholding, maybe that Oh so wrong ride on a tractor , breaking every health and safety law, or collecting a few eggs then teaching him how to cook them
great memories are the real presents in life..they last a lifetime :thumbsup:
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Consumer hype like other holidays. I do love a bit of sparkle though :innocent:
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I try to fight it but I can't. I love Christmas - although we're not religious, I love the festive season. It's the turn of the year, looking back and looking forward.
I'm not big on "stuff" but I do enjoy the opportunity to get together with friends and family. And I count my blessings that I have both :)
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Isn't it really a Pagan festival anyway?
I'm an atheist but I still enjoy giving and receiving gifts with my family. However, the far too early financial hype is way beyond acceptable in my view.
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Christianicised winter solstice with the wrong date
I spend it trying to avoid family, I hate buying gifts for gifts sake, stuff that people don't want, I hate getting things I don't want or need and end up waiting a month or so then giving them to the charity shops, such a waste of money
Humbug
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The sad thing is some people get into lots of debut just to buy tons of stuff, so much extra food is bought and even if you do entertain, I bet most of us have stuff left over that we bough because we though we had to. I try to visit my daughters or visa versa but this year I will only visit my daughter in England with the dogs, All we both want is their company and a walk with the dogs and hopefully no rain (snow is actually nice for one day) Last year we had a lovely romantic Christmas, we packed a picnic of home made soup and bread and went for a lovely walk with the dogs, we met a few people and had a chat, when we returned home, we had a posh ready meal ( sorry all you ready meal haters) that we had bought a few weeks before and was around 10p, all I added were some fresh veg, we lit a fire, I went for a hot soak and we sat around with the dogs and a bottle of nice whisky watching the TV.........it was my idea of heaven....although it would have been even nicer if the girls were around!! My brother is alone but is used to it, he detests the hype but loves the food and the TV.....I do love Christmas though and even though I am not religious, its one time of year when I sometimes do want to nip into the church!
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: .... well said Sabrina.
Whether religious or not, Christian or Pagan, a chance to think of others rather than materialistically.
My children have already commented on the "BUY, BUY, BUY" adverts.
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I love Christmas.
However I do dislike the early start it gets (and has done for many years). For me it is a time for being together with Herself. This year will be different as I no longer work away. Before it was always a time to make sure I got home for a few weeks and got jobs done around the house/B&B/croft. This year will be muuuuch more relaxed.
I don't celebrate in a religious way but there is always ways, around here, of helping out with The Old Folks Christmas events, stuff for the local hospital etc. Herself and I have a quiet time together and, on the 25th, eat whatever meal we fancy then, weather permiting, don wellies for a walk on the beach.
Tend not to watch much TV at all so, thankfully, am spared the Christmas hype. Only place I suffer that is when i pop to the CoOp:-).
Gifts, well, the Wifw and I don't do pressies apart from a couple of books each and, if I am feeling flush, a CD or two for myself.
Whatever your festive season involves, I hope it is a pleasant, peaceful and relaxed one.
Rgds
Sskye
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My Mother grew up in the early 1930s - she said being 5 kids in the family, money was tight. They got a stocking, with nuts, chocolate, maybe a little doll, or car for the boys, and an orange tucked in the bottom. Dinner was usually Pork, having a farm, they kept a pig to kill at Christmas. Her older brother was in the Army, and he would send chocolate for his younger siblings. My Mum said they loved getting their stockings and chocolate - no telly to watch in those days. Obviously none of the hype we now get with Christmas.
we withdrew from the dreaded Christmas Day with the family scenario many years ago. To us, its pretty much a normal day, in that the animals need to be fed - then we may ride the horses out - back to do the evening farm chores. As to the meal, we will eat pretty much what we usually do ....after all, just because its Chrtistmas Day, does not mean my appetite will suddenly double, and I want to stuff my face on three times what I usually would. ;D
There are a lot of people with nothing, and perhaps those people who stretch their cards to the limit, and fill their trolleys to overflowing, ought to stop and ask themselves why they do it year after year
I saw an ad on the telly the other night offering £200 on a card to spend in the high street on xmas presents .....great. But this has got to be paid back somehow!!! I am sure people will be tempted to take up this offer, and worry about payments in the New Year.
Yes, I do like the traditional idea of Christmas, a tree, holly, etc. But this can be done without spending a fortune on presents, and food, surely?.
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I love seeing my family around Christmas. We do not have a lot of money so we just give the grandchildren. I try to give them gifts that I know they will like but does not cost a lot. Emma loves horse riding so I bought her a pair of jodphurs weeks ago in a sale. Tyler is into ice skating so she is getting a outfit for that again bought at sale time. just about everything is bought from July onwards A gift for my mother is a picture frame made up of photo's of her great grandchildren something she cannot buy but I know she will love. For my OH I think I will buy a heap of red ribbon and wrap myself in it :innocent:
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The best thing about Christmas is the weeks leading up to it. Pantomime, school parties, Christmas Eve carols, the Sally army band on the High Street. DD is crafty like me and we make decorations like paper chains and little ornaments for the tree, we bake, she ices biscuits and the cake. I like dressing the house up, Country Living it's not but I like to think it has a degree of rustic charm. If nothing else it amuses the cats.
We don't do a lot of big gifts on The Day, it's mostly daft things, home made items and Wierdest Thing form Charity Shop kind of gifts. The kids are at the age they mostly want money and money goes further in the sales, why buy it beforehand if it costs 50% less on December 27th? We don't do a big lunch either, we have brunch and then a ham in the evening. WE go out for a walk on the beach if weather permits and watch as much bad TV as possible. It's very stress free!
Big social day here is either Christmas Eve or Boxing Day, we take it in turns with one set of neighbours to either have the mince pie and mulled wine do around the carols,. or the Boxing Day buffet afternoon. The whole cul-de sac come to these, plus any waifs, strays, relatives that happen to be around and anyone else we happen to invite. There's only two houses in the street big enough to be able to hold everyone and that's us and the house at the other end so we take turns as to which day we host. Everyone brings food/Christmas leftovers, there is a bit of impromptu present trading, the kids all end up in the park opposite and the neighbours who barely nod to you the rest of the year turn up with odd bottles of this and that and eat you out of house and home. It's all very jolly and much better than having to do the enforced family thing, I think.
My Christmas tree is coming from Ikea btw, costs £25 for a 6' Norway thingamie and you get a £20 voucher to spend in the New Year. All my paper and cards got bought last January and I make most of the rest plus I do a fair bit of canny shopping in advance and stuff it all in the spare freezer. I like Christmas but I have no intention of going into debt for it, there's plenty of ways to enjoy yourself without spending a fortune.
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I'm over Christmas already >:( Been making seasonal soaps etc since August (such is the nature of cold process soap that it has to 'cure) I've been smelling of frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon and orange for far too long now.
I will of course enjoy watching my children taking in all the magic around the big day (includign the lovely build up with nativities, carol singing etc) but I'm too involved in the other side of it all now, as in making lots of potential christmas presents to keep my wholesale customers stocked up and I don't like the way its becoming . I feel almost as irritating as the M&S advert :)
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I detest the modern commercial , insane thing christmas has become , but i don't go into town , don't have tv signal , so don't get all the hype and brainwashing .
I am not religious , i head toward atheism i suppose , but i seem to be a bit pagan by all accounts .
I have always prefered
to celebrate mid winter and to look forward to new life and growth of the comming spring .
All my family do the modern christmas spend , spend , spend and run about like headless chickens , but i just hide and keep quiet till it's all over .
I think i shall celebrate devilmass instead , it would hit the fan then eh ? lol .
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you don't have to get sucked in. I've always loved Christmas-unashamedly as I count myself an atheist! My dad went into a coma christmas day in 98 and died on the 28th. I spent 3/4 years not 'doing' christmas but then go together with my current partner who had young kids, so had to start really. I decided I was going to throw myself into a christmas that meant something to us.
So we don't spend huge amounts of money, but do spend xmas eve and xmas day just us two and the animals, doing what we want-no pressure to go careering around the countryside visiting people and spending money. we don't get alot of time to ourselves during the year. we get the kids on Boxing Day and catch up with family then and after. we got married on the 29th Dec three years ago and the last 10 xmas days have been fab-good food, nice walks, big fires, doing what we want and watching what we want etc. I also get two weeks off work-whats not to like?! ;D
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I am a Christian and so is my OH and we both hate all the commercialism that come with it these days. We have our carol service by candle light the Sunday before Christmas and do some carol singing in the shopping centre also in December.
Christmas morning starts with seeing to the animals, then church after which we usually drive to Liverpool to spend the day with our eldest daughter and her family and one or both of our sons, if they are around.
I don't start Christmas shopping before December, usually about half way through. Most of it is done online as we can confer with both daughters as to what their children want and then it's ordered and delivered straight to them. It saves postage charges.
I don't buy extra food although I have made a cake this year (because I was making our son's wedding cake and had some cake mix over).
Boxing Day will be just an ordinary day.
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There are so many reasons to hate christmas- most tied up in the sheer greedy nonsense it is. Shops playing slade in September, endless tv adverts, the way it magnifies loneliness, people who call it crimbo and the fact that there isnt anything tbat happens 'because its Christmas' that you couldn't do any time if was that great BUT I love it I'm afraid.
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We doubt now that we will be moving out before Christmas and I said to my husband that I would not get all the decorations out, he said not to bother with any, at that I got quite upset as it means so much to me, so love a bit of glitz and it makes me feel all nice to see the house all festive.
After watching some TV adverts last night I felt I was being tempted to go and stock up with cheap drink, mince pies and chocolates......now if I did, who thinks they would last until Christmas?
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Sandy, if you want them for Christmas is definitely too soon to stock up yet. Well, if you are anything like me it is too soon anyway. Mine wouldn't last until the weekend :roflanim:
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After a disasterous "happy families" Christmas last year, Mrs Womble and I have told everybody we're going to New Zealand this year....... then we're going to stay at home.
Bliss! ;D ;)
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:roflanim: :roflanim: , that's funny Womble, so many people want it all perfect and its so un natural for all of us to be stuck in a house for hours with each other......I remember a classic row one Christmas with my now X and we had friends coming over on Boxing day, we were both still fuming with each other and when are friends arrived, they looked grim too, it was not long before we both said how we had rowed and that was that, we had such a fun day in the end. My x was a bit of a workaholic and could not sit and just be with his children and me, I made up all the toys and played the games and did all the cooking so that was the tension. One very funny Christmas, when my 3 daughters were young teenagers, we had 2 sitting rooms, I was in one with my daughters with the PlayStation blasting and festive CD's on while my X was in the other with his elderly relatives watching some mind numbingly boring film, in fact they were all nodding off with a sherry in their hands :innocent: , I popped out with the empty milk bottles and saw 2 of my daughters friends passing with a young couple, I shouted for them all to come in, they did, we ate tons of chocolates, the girls played on the PlayStation and I made a few cups of tea before they left, my X had no idea that other people were in the house, when they left I said, are they the girls aunty and uncle, and they were not in any way related or actually knew the 2 girls that were passing, they were total strangers...I kept giggling all day about that!! :roflanim:
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My husband and children are bellringers so will be in great demand! Many regular ringers are away at Christmas so they'll probably be doing 45 minutes' ringing at two towers rather than the usual one. Recommended for meeting a friendly bunch of people and getting some exercise. The oldest ringer is Horace, who's 93 - he didn't start until he was 80! I stay at home and cook. We'll all have attended the carol service the evening before, and baked some of the mince pies to be scoffed after the service. All the stock will be checked as usual, although the pigs might miss a day's mucking out. We try to spend some time together in the afternoon - playing a board game. Main problem is fitting a roast lunch into the slot that's normally occupied by sandwiches. We're too tired to have a full dinner in the evening. Roast Southdown lamb this year. My grandmother always made the cake and pudding on November 5th - I've failed already!
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I do like the Christmas service but I to will be sorting stock and feeding the animals. will be glad when its all over.A green Christmas would be good the wether will be very cold the last couple of weeks in November if the northern blocking builds it will be a white Christmas 50/50 at the mo.Christmas for me is the light days back .I do think getting out and enjoying the day is the best bet.
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My worst Christmas was the year we didn't go to our daughter's and didn't have friends to spend the day with either. After Church, we came home and had something for lunch then I asked my OH what he wanted to do for the afternoon. He said he wasn't bothered what we did so, after walking the dogs, he went to listen to something on the radio and I went up to my study to catch up on a load of marking of students' assignments.
I love to see as many of the family as possible. I would love to spend Christmas with our younger daughter one year but they live too far to go for the day and no one wants to look after the animals on Christmas Day. The daughter we do go to is mad about board games, same as me, so we play games as a family. Perfect.
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After last year's debacle of having hubby hospitalised Christmas Eve until the middle of January, any type of celebration will be lovely. Last year we didn't have any decorations up as Allen was too ill to put any up, so this year the tree will go up on the 1st December, well actually 3 trees!!! I don't want a present this year, Ill be getting mine (a grandchild) in January!! I just want a healthy happy day at home!
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What a precious gift, a grandchild. sure he or she will bring years of joy.