When should Christmas start?

[Kenmo1]

The point is they don't buy hundreds of presents - just a token gift for special friends so it is perfectly feasible to buy that and food for 2 days on the 24th.

It is just us that insist on spending equivalent to the national debt on presents for the family and getting in the contents of a small supermarket "just in case anyone calls round"

We give money to our son and daughter in law and we have no grandchildren to buy for and we don't buy presents for each other so that covers Christmas presents. Now food is a different matter. I have decided that it is not a good idea to buy things in too early as we have already scoffed 2 boxes of Milk Tray, 2 boxes of chocolate biscuits and there is just one box left (the M&S thick chocolate ones) and they keep waving at me from the cupboard.

The words TOTAL LACK OF SELF CONTROL spring to mind as far as we are concerned.

Maureen

[qbman1]

Sounds like a little willpower is required - or an embargo on buying choccy !

[Kenmo1]

Sounds like a little willpower is required - or an embargo on buying choccy !

I buy them when they are on special offer but these 'bargains' tend to cost me more in the end because I end up replacing them at full cost.

Maureen

[qbman1]

Hmm, I fear the supermarkets are to blame for much of our Christmas excesses

[suespud]

The point is they don't buy hundreds of presents - just a token gift for special friends so it is perfectly feasible to buy that and food for 2 days on the 24th.

It is just us that insist on spending equivalent to the national debt on presents for the family and getting in the contents of a small supermarket "just in case anyone calls round"

We buy for a few more...children, grandchildren, family and close friends.
Some of those might just be a bottle of wine or a box of chocs..but stiil dont wai till Christmas Eve !!!
We spend a bit, I admit, but no debt. We are luckyt o be able to do so I know that, it hasnt always been like that, we had some very lean years when the children were small.
We do have lots of people dropping in, and have a few lunches, teas and Dinners for guests inbetween Christmas and New year. The last thing I want to do is go to the shops!!!
I want to enjoy our family/friends time together.

[qbman1]

That's all fine, Spuddy, whatever you enjoy is good. I just love to get away from all the hassle on the high seas and let someone else do all the worrying !

[oldbluefox]

Shopping on Christmas Eve would be a shopping nightmare for me with everybody clamouring for presents, shops crowded, pushing and shoving. I'm not keen on shopping at the best of times, especially if it is busy so leaving it that late would not be my idea of fun.
I'd much rather spend my Christmas Eve sat with a glass of whisky and a box or a few of something tasty relaxing at home.
However this Christmas Eve will be spent on the road doing our 'meals on wheels geriatric Christmas' at my 91 year old mother's. (She doesn't like Christmas but would play bl***y hell if we didn't go and would spend the rest of the year telling anyone who cared to listen how she spent Christmas all alone!!) In the New Year we go away to somewhere nice where we have our own belated Christmas type celebration.

[qbman1]

I wasn't advocating that we should all rush out on Christmas Eve, Foxy, we are too far gone in the UK for than now! I was just saying that in countries where they haven't gone completely bananas and Christmas doesn't last for 3 months, it is nice to make a social event out of shopping on Christmas Eve. It is all so much more leisurely and enjoyable than the mad dash around Tescos that we have to endure

[Stephen]

Christmas will be a meagre affair in bleak house.

Just Mrs S and me, so not exchanging presents with each other. I'm not even bothered about putting any decorations or a tree up. Christmas morning we may well have a glass of bubbly. Christmas dinner will be a starter of some oak flaked salmon which I've recently discovered and like, a normal chicken roast, Christmas pudding and brandy cream for desert, then feet up in front of the open fire unless it's spring conditions like it is now, with a brandy watching the telly which will no doubt consist of the usual repeats.

bah-humbug-smiley-wearing-hat-3655374.jpg

[qbman1]

I can feel a tear starting to well up in the corner of my eye.

I'll spare a thought for the unloved whilst I am living the high life !

[oldbluefox]

you can go anywhere in Europe and people are out and about doing their shopping and enjoying the spirit of Christmas on Christmas Eve - and not before !

I must have misread. All I was saying was that this would be a shopping nightmare for me. I know some people who plan their shopping for a few days before Christmas Eve, but that's not for me.
I do agree that Christmas starts too soon in the shops.

[qbman1]

When I was growing up, my parents used to decorate the tree after I had gone to bed on Christmas Eve so I awoke to find that Santa had been in and done it all. Now it's all in your face from September and all the magic has gone. Suppose that's "progress" !

[Stephen]

When I was growing up, my parents used to decorate the tree after I had gone to bed on Christmas Eve so I awoke to find that Santa had been in and done it all. Now it's all in your face from September and all the magic has gone. Suppose that's "progress" !

You had a TREE

I felt lucky if I got a sprig of holly and lump of coal

[Meg 50]

On our last cruise we found a little shop that sold handmade glass and we bought 3 small, ( about 4" high) glass angels. Being hand made each is slightly different; one for us, one for our daughter's first Christmas in her new home and another for our other daughter who, fingers crossed, will move into her new home by then.

We also have, and this will take some imagination, an angel around 1 foot tall and conical in shape which was made from a steel drum; bought it in the Caribbean many years back. Oh, it does have metal wings as well.

tried to post this at about 8.30 this morning, but my piccie kept getting spat out!

here's about half of the angels:

003.JPG

[qbman1]

Nice crop of angels there, Meg

[Happydays]

For us this year it will be around the 21st. I'LL put the tree up in time for our son arriving on the 23rd and be taken down for the New Year! I know bah humbug ))))

[qbman1]

Good for you Happy D. I'll have to check with P&O to see when our tree is going up !!

[Mervyn and Trish]

Don't rub it in Cubie. Not jealous or anything. Just saying......

[qbman1]

Mind you, with the check-in time of 3pm we are allocated, it may be Boxing Day before we are on board !

[Mervyn and Trish]

Hardly worth going

[qbman1]

Nah - I think I'll come round to yours again. Chuck another chair leg on the fire!

[Mervyn and Trish]

Or another peasant

[qbman1]

They don't burn so well - a bit green.

[Silver_Shiney]

They don't burn so well - a bit green.

You've got it all wrong - you top 'em this Christmas so they'll be nicely dessicated for the following Christmas. They'll burn a treat then

[qbman1]

Is it strictly pc to be talking of burning peasants ?