It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Less than a week to go then; less than  seven days until Christmas 2013, less than seven days until midnight mass, Christmas dinner, The Queen's Speech, Christmas Top of the Tops, visiting relatives, waiting to see if it's going to be a white Christmas, opening presents, pulling Christmas crackers, listening to cheesy Christmas songs, sleeping off (or walking off) Christmas dinner, too many Quality Street, mince pies, mulled wine, Christmas carols...and so on.

The more organised among you will have already bought and wrapped the Christmas presents, written and posted the cards, will have the Christmas lunch menu sorted, made arrangements to meet family and friends and will be looking forward to a stress free Christmas. Others among you may be rushing round in a blind panic in overcrowded shops trying to find that essential gift, realised there is only one more day until last posting day for Christmas, so those cards had better get written, and be wondering when the hell you will be able to do your food shopping while suddenly realising that having invited Auntie Mabel  over for Christmas dinner, someone has to go and collect her and where on earth is she going to sit because the dining table only seats six and you've invited ten.

Somewhere between the two extremes is me; most of the presents are bought, the cards have by and large been posted and the food shopping can wait till Monday in all probability. Having a small family no one is going to be exiled to the conservatory to eat their turkey and sprouts. Mind you that isn't to say there won't be a last minute crisis when I realise that I have forgotten to get something essential.

Yes it will probably be Monday when I will be wandering around a supermarket buying a turkey joint, potatoes, vegetables (including the inevitable sprouts) and trying not to overbuy. All around me there will doubtless be shoppers with trolleys laden with enough food and drink to feed the five thousand. I've mentioned this before (http://rulesfoolsandwisemen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/waste-not-want-not.html); the amount of food that is wasted in this country is scandalous and this is true at Christmas like no other time of the year. Unlike in the days when I was a child and the shops might be closed for three days, now they close their doors on Christmas Eve and open them again on Boxing Day. There really is no reason to buy as much as some people do. In this 24/7 world we live in there will even be some shops open on Christmas Day itself. No longer does the country shut down and sit in front of the television, stuffing its collective face with turkey and sprouts, nuts and chocolate...oh, wait a minute it does actually, just not for quite so long.

As enjoyable as Christmas is however, there are many people for whom Christmas is tinged with sadness. Anyone who has suffered a bereavement during the year will feel their loss most keenly at this time. I know from personal experience that the first Christmas after the death of a loved one is difficult; this Christmas there will be many people putting on a brave face while feeling sad and bereft inside. Then there are the lonely, those who live alone or who will not be seeing their families for whatever reason. I read an article last week about a man who has spent the last ten Christmases alone. This year, faced with only his own company yet again, he advertised for a companion to spent the day with him. Touchingly he has received a number of replies from people offering to spend time with him and he has received his first Christmas cards in years.  

Christmas dinner 2012 

Apart from the shops being open every day bar the big day itself, Christmas is different from when I was young in other ways too. Back in the days of my childhood it was always exciting to see what would be on the television on Christmas Day. The Morecambe and Wise Show, Christmas specials of all your favourite shows and of course the TV premiere of some blockbuster film. In those pre-DVD days it was always quite an event when the schedules were announced and as we had no way of recording anything, TV viewing had to be planned meticulously to make sure we didn't miss any of our favourites.  Not so these days; a quick glance at the festive schedules and there is nothing that falls into the "unmissable" category, at least not as far as I am concerned.

For those of you with young children, I have no doubt that Christmas is still as magical as ever. There is nothing quite like the anticipation of Christmas for a young child, even if it means that on Christmas Eve they become over excited. Most parents will remember (or be anticipating) the entry into their bedroom of a small child (or children) at some God foresaken hour and being asked if they can open their presents, to which the answer is usually, "No, it's only three o'clock! Go back to bed!" Cue exit of child or children, who will return and repeat their question continuously for the next three hours till their parents become too exhausted to refuse any longer.

"Has be been yet?"

Doubtless these days everyone is canny enough to check that any battery operated gifts contain the necessary batteries, or if they don't will have gone out and bought some, as most of us will remember from their youth one Christmas present that sat forlorn and unused until the shops opened and some batteries could be purchased. But never forget those dreaded presents that airily proclaim "some assembly required" on the box. I recall one year buying my elder daughter a Barbie camper van and having to spend most of Christmas morning on my hands and knees assembling it from its five hundred individual parts. Never again; a few years later a dolls house that was purchased was assembled a week in advance, thus avoiding any tantrums (mine or my daughter's).

The dreaded Barbie camper van!

One thing that doesn't change is that every year we wonder if we will have a white Christmas and every year we wake on Christmas morning, fling open the curtains and are greeted by grey skies and drizzle, or at best a sharp frost that at least provides the illusion of a white Christmas. I read somewhere once that it is more likely to snow at Easter than Christmas and I have to admit that I really can't recall snow on the day itself, not even in my childhood. Still, one year I suppose it might.

However you are spending Christmas, whoever you are spending it with, whether you will be at home, or visiting relatives and friends, or (as increasing numbers are doing these days) if you are spending Christmas at a hotel, in this country or abroad, I hope that your Christmas is a happy one. 

Happy Christmas Everyone!