Bah Humbug!
So here it is, Merry Christmas everybody's having fun. Except they're not. They're running around like headless chickens (or turkeys) buying crap they neither want or need, getting into debt that they'll be paying off for forever and a day. Oh yea, great laugh.
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. Eating and drinking and getting nice pressies are on my list of favourite things. But it's not a "Let's get the tree up in November" kind of love. When my family were younger we used to start gathering Santa things from September onwards. And I've queued up for their latest must haves on many an occasion. But seriously people, is it necessary to be hysterically obsessed by one feast day of the year?
When I was younger Christmas was a big deal in our house. Any time we were 'bold' we were told 'Santa is watching'. Something that freaked me out completely. I mean, He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows if you're awake. No wonder I have problems sleeping. The thought of a fat man in a red suit and white beard standing over me when I'm sleeping? Who wouldn't be traumatised?
And if he can see you all the time, what about when you're in the bath? and going to the toilet? Major issues alert!
We were always asked what we would like. Then we would write out our list and send it off. I used to live in hope that I would actually get something off my list. Then when Christmas morning came and I got 'I can't believe it's not Barbie' instead of actual Barbie my heart would sink. After a few years of this disappointing feeling I learned to ask for a surprise. It was better that way. I was just peeved that I didn't get what I asked for, and thought Santa was a con artist. I never knew my parents couldn't afford it.
One of my funniest memories was when my brother got a wind up Evil Kinevel from Santa. He couldn't get it to work. I was watching him from afar, and he was talking to it. I strained to listen. He was saying "If you don't work this time I f**ckin kill you". I was too busy laughing to realise my mam heard it too. The punishment was swift for him, and I got in trouble for laughing!
So as we got older, we played 'hunt the Santa presents'. We waited until we had a parent free house and then hunted in all the usual hiding places for whatever they had bought for us that week. The best one was when I opened a tin of Quality Street with all the stealth of a safe breaker, ate a load of sweets, and then folded the wrappers to make it look like they still had sweets in them. My parents were convinced they were ripped off, when the sweets were opened officially. They couldn't figure out why we were laughing so much. I suppose we were ruining the surprises in a way, but no-one ever let on that they knew what we were at and it added so much fun to the occasion.
There really was too much fuss made about Christmas in our house though. And when I had my own family I thought that was the way to do it. One day I realised that all the fussing and the fighting and the spending etc is all for nothing. Christmas comes, and Christmas goes and we always have more than our fair share. We have sad moments now because my mam is not here, but we have happy, fun moments too. This year will be different because my eldest is coming home from Spain for it. I haven't got any presents bought, and all I have is two turkeys. But you know what? I'll cope. I'll get there. Without the rush, and the stress. It'll be fine. And Doctor Who is on. Hooray!
SharonAnn
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. Eating and drinking and getting nice pressies are on my list of favourite things. But it's not a "Let's get the tree up in November" kind of love. When my family were younger we used to start gathering Santa things from September onwards. And I've queued up for their latest must haves on many an occasion. But seriously people, is it necessary to be hysterically obsessed by one feast day of the year?
When I was younger Christmas was a big deal in our house. Any time we were 'bold' we were told 'Santa is watching'. Something that freaked me out completely. I mean, He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows if you're awake. No wonder I have problems sleeping. The thought of a fat man in a red suit and white beard standing over me when I'm sleeping? Who wouldn't be traumatised?
And if he can see you all the time, what about when you're in the bath? and going to the toilet? Major issues alert!
We were always asked what we would like. Then we would write out our list and send it off. I used to live in hope that I would actually get something off my list. Then when Christmas morning came and I got 'I can't believe it's not Barbie' instead of actual Barbie my heart would sink. After a few years of this disappointing feeling I learned to ask for a surprise. It was better that way. I was just peeved that I didn't get what I asked for, and thought Santa was a con artist. I never knew my parents couldn't afford it.
One of my funniest memories was when my brother got a wind up Evil Kinevel from Santa. He couldn't get it to work. I was watching him from afar, and he was talking to it. I strained to listen. He was saying "If you don't work this time I f**ckin kill you". I was too busy laughing to realise my mam heard it too. The punishment was swift for him, and I got in trouble for laughing!
So as we got older, we played 'hunt the Santa presents'. We waited until we had a parent free house and then hunted in all the usual hiding places for whatever they had bought for us that week. The best one was when I opened a tin of Quality Street with all the stealth of a safe breaker, ate a load of sweets, and then folded the wrappers to make it look like they still had sweets in them. My parents were convinced they were ripped off, when the sweets were opened officially. They couldn't figure out why we were laughing so much. I suppose we were ruining the surprises in a way, but no-one ever let on that they knew what we were at and it added so much fun to the occasion.
There really was too much fuss made about Christmas in our house though. And when I had my own family I thought that was the way to do it. One day I realised that all the fussing and the fighting and the spending etc is all for nothing. Christmas comes, and Christmas goes and we always have more than our fair share. We have sad moments now because my mam is not here, but we have happy, fun moments too. This year will be different because my eldest is coming home from Spain for it. I haven't got any presents bought, and all I have is two turkeys. But you know what? I'll cope. I'll get there. Without the rush, and the stress. It'll be fine. And Doctor Who is on. Hooray!
SharonAnn
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