It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, not that many’d notice ;), but I haven’ t had much to chat about. Things are alright and I find that when I’ve nothing to be pissed at, writing doesn’t come all that easily.
SO, in celebration of the season, I’m going to list why I absolutely freaking love Christmas, even if I’m not allowed to celebrate it yet (although, the Mammoth doesn’t have those restrictions, hence his festive hat).
Firstly, I’m not religious. For those that don’t know, the fact that I don’t burn up when I walk into a church is nigh on a miracle. Having been to a convent (albeit for only a few years) and forced to lie in confession, I’m slightly against the whole religious thing, although I envy the religious few I know…comfort and all that.
Nope, Christmas for me is all about me! Well, just about everything. It’s the one time of year that everyone has to be happy. Yes, it can be sad and horrible for a few. The last two years were difficult for me, as I hadn’t my family with to celebrate, so I tried to ignore everything remotely festive, but this year, I’m going to ignore all that negativity and be one of those ridiculously cheery people that go around humming “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”
So, my favourite bit of Christmas is decorating the house, which family tradition dictates I can do on the 8th. I wait until around 8pm, turn the lights down low, put either Christmas songs or some slow, funky, hip wavering music on and then I pour myself a rather large glass of wine and get a mince pie. As it’s summer, I’m dressed in almost nothing (another reason I prefer this tradition to be alone, we wouldn’t want to blind anyone or leave them scarred) and I slowly decorate my house, with more than a modicum of OCD (symmetry has it’s place even in Christmas) and proceed to get tanked.
I do not clean up. I most often pass out on the couch and wake up to a god-awful mess and accompanying god-awful headache on my birthday…
This year I’m looking forward to dressing the Guns in tinsel and taking a ridiculous amount of pictures; Ballot, the Yellow Rat Snake, has already been given a Christmas house, as he crushed his last one a few days ago; and I will start wearing my Christmas earrings from the 9th.
So, my top ten things at Christmas:
- Christmas Songs! My favourites being Jingle Bell Rock, It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and All I Want for Christmas is you. Oh, wait, I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman … oh bugger it, I love ’em all!
- Mince pies. The nice ones, with loads of sugar on the top and the ones that don’t fall apart when you bite into them.
- Red wine…loads and loads and loads of red wine.
- Lights! My house lights up like a UFO.
- Memories. Mainly the ones that come from decorations. I have a pair of little porcelain boots that were given to me at my Christening.
- Biscuits – the crunchy ones and lots of them. I always buy a massive tin around the 9th.
- Strange smiling. It’s the one time of the year that I can smile at strangers, without them taking a step backwards or averting their eyes. They actually smile back. Granted, I do this throughout the year, but it’s nice to have it returned
- The Magic. There’s a buzz, a magic, in the air that just makes me smile non-stop. People go out of their way to help you. Share stories and chat with you more than they normally would. I know it should be like this year-round, but I can’t help but appreciate the small amount of time it does happen.
- Kids. I envy all the new mums and the mums and dads of toddlers, who get to partake in that age-old tradition of Christmas Tales. Whether he’s Santa, Father Christmas or St Nick, kids have this endless energy, optimism, excitement and their own special magic that makes watching them worth every second of preparation and every penny you’ve spent on Christmas.
- “But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door.”*
🙂
So what’re your favourite things about Christmas? The weirder, the better I say! Comment below!
*PS. For the sad and melancholy few, I’m really sorry. I do know the feeling, regardless of the above cheer. Here’s a virtual hug from me to you – [ you ].
Up a Mammoth's Nostril 
Comments on: "Top 10 Christmas List – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" (4)
All you have listed, especially the carols, but also :
Home made Irish cream – gallons of it, a special Yule party on the 21st, glazed ham, soft , rainy , misty evenings, the smell of pine – I only have real trees, the garlands of holly and ivy I drape over everything, fairy lights in the trees, candlelight, choosing presents for people, the smell of Christmas cake cooking, baking biscuits with my kids.
What I hate and try to avoid at all costs – crowded, hot, noisy malls and long queues!!!
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Irish Cream? Oh, I do think I’ll try that this year. The glazed ham is a definite! Sadly, we don’t have rainy/misty evenings here 😦 It’s just hot and sunny, which is usually lovely, but not during Christmas. I’d wish for a white christmas, but I’d have better luck falling pregnant.
Malls must be avoided at all costs, I agree! Your house sounds lovely at Christmas time 🙂 I used to do the real tress, until they had a major fire that took out all the suppliers in Joburg. From then on, I’ve had a fake one, but it’s pretty and symmetrical and doesn’t look all that fake. A real tree is always the best though.
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Trying totie a massive bow on my dog is fun. My favourite is stalking neighbours to see their christmas lights, the one time of the year people want you to stare at their garden.
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Oh yeah! The dog thing is a big one. I put Christmas hats on them and watch them try get it off (I promise it’s not cruel :))
My folks have a 7 month old Great Dane that reaches my waist. I have a little green Christmas hat with antlers that’s waiting for him 😀
Sadly, we don’t have too many Christmas lights here people’s gardens, but I used to love it in Joburg.
PS. The Guns don’t know it yet, but tinsel’s going to be around their neck any day now…
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