Christmas time is almost here!

I love Christmas and Halloween. Chistmas is better now that I do all my Christmas shopping online. What a stress reducer.
 
Been talking about Christmas today. But then I always am. LOL. I prepare around about September (all my great many DVDs, books, CDs at the ready). Check my exterior lights out, bake mince pies with added cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg - and brandy. September I am also readying the itinerary for October, November and December. I fill the diary with places to go, things to do. Christmas lantern walks, Christmas concerts, fairs, Christmas markets, etc etc. Last year was the best. Flew up to Edinburgh for the Christmas market. COOL!
Today, weirdly enough, the neighbour at the top of my road (Walter's house if you will) came over and said as he's emigrating to New Zealand, he's passing me his Christmas lights!!!!!! He has one really immense and cool one that I will gladly add to my collection. I also started a Christmas lights Ebay fund in January and have been pouring money into that.

I think I'd better stop now as I feel raised eyebrows. Agh I care not.
 
Nah, why care? Christmas is fun. It just seems to fly by too fast. Starting in September makes it last longer. I just have to do Halloween, though, and somehow the mixture of Hallween and Christmas doesn't work. Just ask Jack Skellington.
 
You're right it does go way too fast. And faster each year!
I love Hallowe'en. Before we had our daughter, each and every year, my wife and I would go over to my brother's village, wear our masks (mine was Michael Myers, my wife's was the Scream mask), and basically pub-crawl round each pub in the village having a drink and wishing happy Hallowe'en to the folks...before grabbing a nice takeaway and then going back to his cottage to watch back-to-back Hallowe'en 1,2,3,4.
Man Hallowe'en is a cool night.
What we do now we have our daughter, is to meet up with her cousins and dress up gothic, witch etc...carrying a pumpkin basket, and go trick or treating around the neighbourhood. And what a generous bunch of neighbours they are! The candies and chocolate lasts ages LOL
But they love it. Like me they carve a huge pumpkin and leave it in the front garden with a candle...that way we know the houses to visit.
Year before last we got to this amazing house. All in darkness. This woman had set up an elaborate system of speakers in her yard. Whenever anyone walked by it triggered a sensor and all you could hear was chainsaws, screaming and maniac laughter - it was incredible. Then, having traumatised the kids, she'd come to the door and give the loads of sweets LOL
 
Art, you ought to post some pictures of all your lights when you get them up. I dig Christmas time also. I alert the wife towards the end of each month only so and so more months until we put the tree up. She gets me though so no flack, same with The 'Burbs she gets it and plays along. Gotta love it. My favorite Christmas chore is to put up our Thomas Kincade Christmas painting.
 
Dr Klopek

I think Thomas Kinkade really captures that Christmas spirit.

My wife always has to keep me in check regarding my 'plans' as, given free-reign, I would go mental. In fact, I do. But one year I remember I presented her with a December itinerary and it basically had us doing something every day in December except for maybe 3 days? She said I could...well....I had to re-schedule...

I love the rituals though, like your painting being put up officially...I have many Xmas rituals. One is, since she was born, I read The Night Before Christmas to my daughter on Christmas Eve. I note the exact time and place I am reading it in a plain leaf in the book. And I've got it on film as I record that magical night. When she was 3 months old she was on the settee in my wife's arms. At 15 months she was in her baby bedroom. Same next year. Last year she was in her big bedroom. I keep all the "Letters From Santa" I've bought her and - this is superb - I have on video all the magic Xmas moments: seeing the lights switched on, when on Xmas Eve she puts out the carrotts and wine on the hearth, and then sprinkles the reindeer food (hundreds and thousands with glitter) on the lawn. And I've got on film her reactions to her presents when "He's been!" on every Xmas Day morning. It's incredible. Man I'd love to see footage of me on Xmas Day morning when I was that age...ahh well.

But my very favourite Xmas Eve moment is this: all the presents are wrapped and under the tree. We've just gotten back from our annual Xmas Eve party. The food is all prepared for the big day. My daughter is asleep. Her presents have all been carefully put in place in the living room (by Santa obviously). My wife is chilling on the settee with a glass of wine (usually exhausted and dozing). And when it gets to 5 minutes to midnight......

I go outside with a whisky.....oh yeah...this is the moment of the year for me...

I look out across the valley. The odd upstairs light on because some kid is waaaay too excited. Or has woken up too early LOL. I smile.

Then. The church at the top of our street has midnight mass. At 12, the church bells play Once In Royal David's City, In The Bleak Midwinter and While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks By Night. The chimes of the bells ring out in the still, cold, silent air of Christmas Eve. I look at our cul de sac. See all the outdoor lights shimmering and glimmering - and smile.

Then I go inside and watch the 1950s Scrooge with Alastair Sim, having already watched National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

One last look out of the bedroom window before bed. Remembering all those late night Xmas Eve watches across the years I've made looking for a sleigh...at that exact time every year. Then Xmas Eve is over. I sadly smile.

Then I look forawrd to the coming days. Christmas is cool.
 
Art, That was an outstanding post! You made me feel like I was there.
"Christmas Vacation" now that always kills me. We have a nice collection of Christmas DVD's we try and get to during the Christmas season. Which for us begins on November 1st.
I even enjoy the commercialization (spelling?) of it all, like when the stores start breaking out the decorations in September. I hear people in the store complaining about it but I love when I see the first signs of Christmas.
 
Hahahaha yeah when the stores start playing the Christmas tunes in October and everyone's moaning...I love it...hahahaha I'm out-voted on it being cool though LOL

I'll definitely post some pics of my house this year!

Dr Klopek, a secret confession from me: QVC (I never watch it but bear me out) have a Christmas In July thing. For a week in July they dress up Christmassy, have that fake composite snow and sell stuff like Thomas Kinkade. I always watch that too.

Once, a few years back, I worked in a small office with 4 women. All early 20s. Two of them were Christmas fanatics just like me. Anyway, we decided to have a Christmas In July thing in the office. I swear it looked like Santa's grotto. I bought the CDs and blaster in, Lucy made minced pies and we all decorated the tree, even putting chocolate under it. We stayed late one night to do it all. Our manager poked his head round the door next day ....took one look of disbelief, shook his head then walked off without a word LOL It was cool. Lucy even sent an email to Crown Court giving them the information they wanted and at the bottom of the Email she wrote "Merry Christmas"....this was July LOL
 
That is a riot!

I believe it was after 9-11 that the radio stations here started playing Christmas music in early November 24-7. I guess people were really down and they figured that would help folks bounce back. Last year they started the first weekend in Novemebr with Christmas music and only played it on weekends. Then on Thanksgiving day they went to 24-7.
 
Yeah, it does seem to get earlier each year...but I ain't complaining! :)
 
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