Countdown To Christmas!!

[m0nk]

I saw houses fully decorated for Halloween...in September. I started seeing houses fully decorated for Christmas...last week. A local FM station, very popular with businesses for their phones and PA systems, started playing solely Christmas music last week. It starting to look like every holiday has become a 'season' and the commercialism...can't comment on that or I'll start frothing at the mouth.

Christmas is my favourite holiday/celebration but frankly I truly dislike the 'hullabaloo'.

I agree... plus, if my drinking for Christmas now has to overlap with drinking for Thanksgiving AND drinking for Halloween, I'll be drinking WAY too much. I'm starting to think that AA needs a holiday "division", perhaps calling it HAA......

 

[rue]

^ :rofl:

Love the Christmas season! My favorite holiday,too! Plan to be with family for good eats..gift giving...with smiles and hugs all around..! So thankful for what I have been given and happily able to share.
HD

Now THAT is Christmas spirit

Naw...not sick at all. I was having a bad day at work yesterday, so I decided to listen to the soundtrack from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (with Burl Ives). You cannot be in a bad mood and listen to that cheerful music. Perked me right up!

I'm glad I'm not alone

Already annoyed by it all.

Bah Humbug

 

[Miss Golightly]

Naw...not sick at all. I was having a bad day at work yesterday, so I decided to listen to the soundtrack from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (with Burl Ives). You cannot be in a bad mood and listen to that cheerful music. Perked me right up!

Glad to hear I'm not the only one! I've been playing a Disney video of "Here Comes Santa Claus" for my daughter (really for me!) for the last few days - cannot wait to put on my Christmas CDs and decorate the apartment!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I saw houses fully decorated for Halloween...in September. I started seeing houses fully decorated for Christmas...last week. A local FM station, very popular with businesses for their phones and PA systems, started playing solely Christmas music last week. It starting to look like every holiday has become a 'season' and the commercialism...can't comment on that or I'll start frothing at the mouth.

Christmas is my favourite holiday/celebration but frankly I truly dislike the 'hullabaloo'. I may have to avoid this thread for another few weeks!

Then the day after Christmas you'll see all the Valentines stuff out.

 

[sheeplady]

There is a station here that plays all holiday music, all the time, from Nov. 1st. I've been listening to that constantly since the start.

I don't start decorating until sometime in December. This year is going to be scaled back- probably only one tree, as our kitchen is still being renovated and all the cabinets and kitchen contents are stored where the trees go. Normally I host, but because the house is a mess we'll probably go to my parents. Which sounds like it would be easier, but it's actually tougher because I still have to do all the cooking! lol Like today I was scrambling around getting the ingredients ready to make a pie at my mothers for Thanksgiving, and had to pack up all the pie making equipment, bring the turkey, etc.

I really wouldn't care if they put out the decorations in the stores in July. Actually, I love places that have christmas in July celebrations, and try to hit the National Christmas Center every couple of summers!

 

[Retro_GI_Jane]

When I rule the world it shall become a criminal offence to put up Christmas decorations or use such imagery in advertising prior to 1 December and after 6 January.

Now, now, let's remember what Santa said in "Miracle on 34th Street": Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind.

But yes, I do get the point you're trying to make...while I don't despise Christmas (and have been listening to my favorite carols already), it's the consumerism's take on Christmas I despise.

 

[Steven180]

My wife and I have our 25 wedding anniversary the 26th of December, and we have booked a trip to Rome to celebrate. So Christmas is cancelled this year. Totally cancelled!!!! No hectic shopping, no slaving in the kitchen, no race for gifts, no over expensive christmas tree, that gets thrown out after three days....just my son, my wife and I in Pantheon. Where we will exchange rings and drink champagne - we did not exchange rings when we got married, so I thought it was about time. That's our "christmas".

Congrats Spitfire on your anniversary, your marriage, and on your family. That's a heck of an achievement! Best to you all!

The decorations and lights will go up this weekend, which is what most Americans do right after Thanksgiving. Although, I have seen people with lights already up in October, which is very disturbing. But I have already been listening to Christmas music every so often...... I'm kinda sick that way

Not sick...exactly as the doctor ordered! I'm right there with you and was guilty of listening to the classic Christmas songs last week...

Glad to hear I'm not the only one! I've been playing a Disney video of "Here Comes Santa Claus" for my daughter (really for me!) for the last few days - cannot wait to put on my Christmas CDs and decorate the apartment!

In the end it's either about the kids, or about being a kid.

We plan to kick the decorating as soon as Turkey Day is over as well, but the spirit and the holidays are already in full swing. We're watching "Miracle on 34th Street" as soon as the bird's down! Not planning to go anywhere fortunately, everyone seems to be coming to us. Look forward to reading more on the season here in the FL.

M.

 

[Sam Diamond]

The day after Thanksgiving it is my job to drag the decorations down from the attic, put up the tree (we use an artificial one now that our son is older and no longer cares, really helps cut down on allergies), and put up the lights outside and in the front window. The wife decorates the house and tree. Then I have lug all the empty bins back to the attic until time to take everything down. Christmas is my wife's favorite time so there's no getting out of it. We also have a station that plays Christmas music 24-7 so we will have that on the radio, or play some Christmas CD's.

My wife will buy Christmas gifts throughout the year, stashing them here and there, so that by Christmas most of our shopping is done (I don't know how she keeps track of them).

As for family, like Thanksgiving, we have to deal with three different dinners so once again my flask is fully charged!

 

[Connery]

Put the tree up today, bare, to be decorated after Thanksgiving . Been listening to music for a while now and enjoying this holiday season.

 

[flat-top]

We will start putting up the tree and decorations the day after Thanksgiving. I work retail, so I'll be awake for 24 hrs straight before passing out that night!
A new tradition for us is the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. We took our little girl last year for the first time and, as cute as it was, once was enough for me. I told her that we could go back every year if she wanted hoping she wouldn't want to. Then as a project in Kindergarten a few months later, she made a "memory box". The memory she put in the box was "Going to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Daddy promised we could go every year."
So guess what we're doing every year now?
Taking a night to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life" is something I look forward to every year. It clears my head during the most hectic time of year for me.
Christmas Eve is usually a huge family get together, with all the Italian overwhelming-ness that you could imagine.
After all of that I walk to church alone every year for midnight mass. Once again, something that makes me feel good and helps me collect my thoughts after what usually is one heck of a Holiday Season.
Christmas Day is all about the little girl, and is usually MUCH more of a sedate, wind down day.

 

[Wally_Hood]

My only plans for Christmas are to ignore it as much as possible until well into December. Plenty to be getting on with without that distraction for now. Otherwise, same old same old. Boycott the stores whose ads I hate (Marksies, I'm looking at you this year: not a penny of my money willyou see until you stop running that hateful rubbish with those kids off.... Pop Factor or whatever), shop, work, family tour of duty from 20th, home to London to recover on 31st.


When I rule the world it shall become a criminal offence to put up Christmas decorations or use such imagery in advertising prior to 1 December and after 6 January.

You have my vote when you run for despot.

 

[Wally_Hood]

This is the first year that I let my wife start stock-piling gifts before Thanksgiving has even hit. I'm not a fan of how early things get going, especially since it seems to get earlier and earlier every year. I think the season needs to start when Thanksgiving is over...

Hear, hear!

 

[BigFitz]

Planning on staying home. I'm not much for Christmas anymore because I'm a "heathen" and the whole advertising blitz and constant referral to the holiday just makes me ill. I have two boys, one 10 one 7, and a 2 year old daughter and the holiday is all about them. We used to try going to my Mom's and then my Dad's then my wife's parents, but not this year. Doing all this running around just to took any fun left in the holiday for me completely out.

Oh, and Happy Yuletide!

 

[kamikat]

Planning on staying home. I'm not much for Christmas anymore because I'm a "heathen" and the whole advertising blitz and constant referral to the holiday just makes me ill. I have two boys, one 10 one 7, and a 2 year old daughter and the holiday is all about them. We used to try going to my Mom's and then my Dad's then my wife's parents, but not this year. Doing all this running around just to took any fun left in the holiday for me completely out.
Oh, and Happy Yuletide!

Being a "heathen" doesn't mean you can't enjoy Christmas. I don't know anyone who actually goes to church and they enjoy Christmas. I even know some Jews and Wiccans who enjoy Christmas. As for the staying home, how did you actually accomplish that?!?!? I recently asked my kids what their favorite holiday was and the answer was July 4, because they get to eat all day long and play video games with their friends (we host an all-day BBQ every year). When I asked about Christmas, they both said they hated it because they had to spend all day long in the car. Both sets of grandparents are divorced and remarried, so the holiday gets split between the 4 sets of grandparents and our own home. I don't want my kids growing, hating Christmas.

 

[Warden]

Last night, the children & I took part in the traditional Christmas lanten parade in my local town.

The children made the lantens, the theme this year was cartoon characters.

My daughter created 'Melman' the giraffe (madagascar), next time we will make a lanteen which won't hit the Christmas lights as we parade down the high street. Daddy has spoken

I am still suffering from all the electical shocks caused by holding Melman while being connected to the national grid.

[video=youtube_share;dSfFD_9BXHE]http://youtu.be/dSfFD_9BXHE[/video]

 

[BigFitz]

Being a "heathen" doesn't mean you can't enjoy Christmas. I don't know anyone who actually goes to church and they enjoy Christmas. I even know some Jews and Wiccans who enjoy Christmas. As for the staying home, how did you actually accomplish that?!?!? I recently asked my kids what their favorite holiday was and the answer was July 4, because they get to eat all day long and play video games with their friends (we host an all-day BBQ every year). When I asked about Christmas, they both said they hated it because they had to spend all day long in the car. Both sets of grandparents are divorced and remarried, so the holiday gets split between the 4 sets of grandparents and our own home. I don't want my kids growing, hating Christmas.

Well, as you said, the kids hate being in the car all day long so we decided we would stay home and everyone can come to our house for Christmas. As far as being a heathen, I should have been more specific and said I don't believe the Christmas story. The holiday to me is for chidren and I certainly don't want my children hating it, I want them to enjoy it so staying home would seem to help give them good memories of the Yuletide season.

 

[WH1]

This is the first Christmas since 2007 I haven't been deployed to OEF/OIF so we are going to make up for it. I hate the Christmas 24/7, 365 mentality but love the traditional style. In our family it doesn't officially start until after Thanksgiving Day. Yesterday I bought a 10' tree and it is being decorated this afternoon. Our oldest is visiting from Army flight school so we will have the chance to decorate with him for the first time in many years.

For music our number one is Vince Guiraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, I can listen to that year round a great album.

 

[Cricket]

I usually wait until after December 1 to begin putting out the decorations, but we started this weekend because our three year old son was so excited to get started.

We spent Sat. morning decorating the inside of the house with stockings, snowmen, Santas, nativity scenes, candles, etc.

Then we piled in the car as a family and picked out a fresh tree at our local tree farm. Came home with traditional christmas music in the background and decorated our tree as a family.

Then settled in that evening for a charlie brown special followed by the Mickey version of A Christmas Carol.

I know it might seem early but seeing the smile and excitement of our boy made it all so worth it. He still lights up every morning when he sees the tree.

 

[LocktownDog]

Getting crankier on a daily basis. Walking to my local cigar bar Saturday night past the outdoor ice skating rink the city installed (60f and all of two people skating ... tax dollars well spent), they were playing "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" loud enough for all the central town to hear.

*grumble*

 

[Swing Motorman]

I think I've found the spirit of Christmas in the midst of studying. The times when I take a break, wander the Internet, and try to get back to work... well, they do no good.

But, when I draw pine trees and stars on my dorm door white board with a message "Among all the stress... never forget that old-fashioned joy!"... or I ring my one window in lights so all the campus quad can see... then I go back to work happy and feeling productive! Plus, only allowing myself to add one ornament to my tree per assignment completed (or essay paragraph written,) it keeps the motivation flowing.


-Steven