[Marches Farmer]

Christmas 
When's that then?
I've not seen anything about Christmas anywhere.
They've kept it all very quiet 

You mean you've not noticed the wall-to-wall perfume ads on TV?

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thing is I DO like it. Not the adverts and the tat in the shops or the over priced and over cooked Christmas meal in an overbooked restaurant. I dont like the religious stuff or the depressing Dickensian period dramas.


But i DO love the whole pagan festival. The greenery and the berries and the everlasting ivy that reminds me how even when the days are dark and the ground is hard, nature is still bearing fruit. The dormant buds on the trees revealing the promise of spring. Crisp clear mornings lit by peachy, pink skies fill me with a sense of Christmas magic and fill me with child like wonder and optimism for the year ahead.


I love the solstice on the 21st which is the end of my smallholding year. The shortest day when the sun looses its battle with the moon only to be reborn again. Snuggled by the fire, wrapping gifts or writing cards while watching your favorite "get in the mood" movie. Or putting the tree up armed with a mince pie and a warming tipple.


I love the rituals of making wreaths, or baking Christmas cakes and mince pies. The house full of seasonal smells, candles, fruit, flowers, twinkly lights and colourful Christamas cards. Standing in the cold drinking mulled wine and eating warm mince pies. Singing rousting carols hoarsely and heartily to the sound of a brass band.


I love the idea of regeneration and renewal and the spirit of sharing and compassion for others. And the fact than no matter how businesses try to exploit it, commercialise it or capitalise on it, we all have the power to make our own Christmas just how we want it, so that it means something special to us.


Here is my favorite Christmas poem by A.A MILNE for those of you who still believe in the idea that magical things can happen. King Johns Christmas.


http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-2/king_johns%20christmas.htm




 

[Rosemary]

I think you've just rekindled my festive spirit Buffy 

[clydesdaleclopper]

Buffy you always manage to say just the right thing.


I think we need a campaign for Buffy for president

[fiestyredhead331]

trees up etc but not in the mood at all, trying not to get sucked into the whole commercialism of it, will do turkey etc on the day but OH gets out of hospital on 24th with knee bone grafts done ho ho ho :-(
on the plus side I have asked for new wellies for christmas so no more cold soggy feet 

but i am taking a whole 2 weeks off work over christmas/new year!! (worked both days with NHS last year) bring on the mulled wine, cider, sherry and anything else I find in the cupboard

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Aw Clydesdale,


  your post brought a lump to my throat. Christmas always makes me sentimental. 

[DavidandCollette]

I agree with fleecewife.I am adopting the pagan view. The feasting is all about the turning of the year on the 21st. We will have a bonfire that evening,  drink home made booze with friends andhhave some tasty treats. Oh and sacrifice a couple of virgins

[devonlady]

Good luck to OH and God's hugs to you all.

[Fleecewife]

Ah now, Yuletide and the Solstice - that's a whole different take on things - that is exciting.  Buffy, you expressed it beautifully, but for me that bit isn't anything to do with Jesus' birthday.   
I think a lot of us on here must be closer to the land and the seasons, so we appreciate festivity around those things rather than the version hijacked by the Church.

[Foobar]

Can't be arsed with the whole fakery of it, besides it peeing down and still really warm, so it hardly feels like winter!


baa    humbug!

[Rosemary]

So far, I have resisted the temptation to buy any Christmas magazines - the one's with the "perfect Christmas" photos that I can never live up to 

We're having some friends over on Sunday to celebrate the Solstice (I know it's a day or so early but Tuesday is awkward for most folk).

Weather permitting, we'll have a bonfire and naked dancing and mulled cider. Should get the festivities going 

[Marches Farmer]

Most local churches hold a service on Christmas morning and the vicar wants the bells rung in celebration.  Having three bellringers in the family and many of the regular band of ringers being away visting family elsewhere means they generally ring at two churches in rapid succession, so travelling time and two lots of 45 minutes' ringing plus ringing the bells down then up neatly takes care of half the day.  Stock tasks still have to be done, although we do as much as we can the day before.  Just time to shoehorn in a meal!

[sabrina]

I put my tree up on Sunday which has given me a wee boost. Parcels and cards went yesterday. My family are not coming until boxing day so OH and I have decided to have a jammy Christmas day. Eating drinking and watching TV once the animals are done. Steak for dinner and I fancy a syrup steam pudding with custard.

[bloomer]

Well I come from completely the opposite direction.

Christmas is about Jesus and church.and God's blessings over all of us.

We don't do materialistic, yes the kids get gifts and so do immediate family, but not extravagantly.

We do serve our community, this is what the Bible teaches us to do, this December we are running a community cafe from the church, this is open 3 days a week and all the food is donated and is feeding anyone who is hungry or lonely...

This culminates in Christmas dinner on the 25th for anyone in the community who would otherwise go with out, I'm currently planning on cooking for 30. My kids are being the waiters for the dinner...

So have I got the festive spirit, absolutely, but not in the way I think most people mean it...

[Lesley Silvester]

Well I come from completely the opposite direction.

Christmas is about Jesus and church.and God's blessings over all of us.

We don't do materialistic, yes the kids get gifts and so do immediate family, but not extravagantly.

I'm with you there, Bloomer, which is why we will go to church. Love the fact that you will be serving your community by feeding people. It's something that I have thought about but my health would not allow it these days. However, I am doing my bit (once the getting ready for visitors is done) and will be manning the phones for Samaritans. There will be a lot of unhappy, desperate and lonely people around on Christmas Day who may need someone to talk to.