Christmas is nearly upon us. How did this happen?!? Just a moment ago it was early November and there weren't very many signs of the festive season out there yet and all of a sudden it's all in full swing. This happens every year, too. I never seem to learn.
I'm going away this Christmas, in fact I'm going away in about a week's time so I'll be missing a lot of the lead up to Christmas. Hooray for the holiday but... as much as I'm looking forward to lazing in the sun for two weeks, I'm also a little bit sad for missing out on Christmas at home in London. Christmas under palm trees won't quite be the same as Christmas in ...um... wet and cold London, will it?
What I won't miss though is the manic hunt for Christmas presents that seems to have lost all proportion. A few years ago I was dangerously close to stop celebrating Christmas all together because I was finding it very stressful to try to come up with ideas of presents for my loved ones (mainly my family). The problem was, and still is, that I live quite far away from them so don't see them much and have very little idea of the material things in their lives, what they have, what they don't have, what they might like, what my nieces currently find cool... Buying something for them was a total guessing game. I don't object to spending money but I do object to wasting money on something that's totally irrelevant or unwanted. In addition to that everything needed to be relatively small and preferably light-weight, otherwise postage was going to cost a fortune.
Turns out I can get myself into quite a state by expecting myself to be the giver of perfect presents. It just couldn't go on, I'd started hating the lead up to Christmas and that was a real shame because I actually prefer it to Christmas itself. Christmas Day seems to be just a fleeting moment, over before you know it, and, dare I even say it, often almost an anti-climax. But the weeks before it - you can enjoy the anticipation, the build up of the momentum leading to the grand finale while munching on mince pies and sipping mulled wine. What's not to like??
So I cut down the number of Christmas presents that I give. What a relief! And yet I still feel ashamed for not doing better. I'm just not very good at it. There are people who always come up with the most amazing ideas for presents, my sister being one of them. She really enjoys it. I wish I did too. Maybe it's a skill that you can learn? Making notes throughout the year about items that my loved ones would really appreciate getting? Starting earlier so that you wouldn't need to stress about running out of time? Maybe one day I'll learn.
But all that was good in a way because it forced me to think about what I really like about Christmas and do more of that instead of what I disliked. And I really like Christmas lights and decorations out and about in town, and at home, too. I love Christmas trees, they're my favourite thing about Christmas. And despite the number of shoppers in Central London at this time of year I really enjoy going there because of all the lights and decorations.
Does Christmas make you want to say bah, humbug? Instead of bah humbugging about the things about the festive period that you don't like, why not make the most of the things that you do like? Christmas is going to be there however you feel about it so might as well enjoy at least some of it, whatever it is for you. Have a glass of mulled wine and forget about the bad stuff (not too many glasses though, I wouldn't want to be seen to be encouraging anyone to get too merry...). Or go to the cinema and watch the latest Hobbit, they always come out just before Christmas. Hmm, I've just realised that there's not going to be another Hobbit film coming out anymore... Eek! They really make the festive season for me.
So let's be merry. Let's do the fun stuff and be creative about the less fun stuff. I'll just be gazing at Christmas lights and Christmas trees, soon under palm trees. Yes, that's one way of doing it. Escape!
What I won't miss though is the manic hunt for Christmas presents that seems to have lost all proportion. A few years ago I was dangerously close to stop celebrating Christmas all together because I was finding it very stressful to try to come up with ideas of presents for my loved ones (mainly my family). The problem was, and still is, that I live quite far away from them so don't see them much and have very little idea of the material things in their lives, what they have, what they don't have, what they might like, what my nieces currently find cool... Buying something for them was a total guessing game. I don't object to spending money but I do object to wasting money on something that's totally irrelevant or unwanted. In addition to that everything needed to be relatively small and preferably light-weight, otherwise postage was going to cost a fortune.
Turns out I can get myself into quite a state by expecting myself to be the giver of perfect presents. It just couldn't go on, I'd started hating the lead up to Christmas and that was a real shame because I actually prefer it to Christmas itself. Christmas Day seems to be just a fleeting moment, over before you know it, and, dare I even say it, often almost an anti-climax. But the weeks before it - you can enjoy the anticipation, the build up of the momentum leading to the grand finale while munching on mince pies and sipping mulled wine. What's not to like??
So I cut down the number of Christmas presents that I give. What a relief! And yet I still feel ashamed for not doing better. I'm just not very good at it. There are people who always come up with the most amazing ideas for presents, my sister being one of them. She really enjoys it. I wish I did too. Maybe it's a skill that you can learn? Making notes throughout the year about items that my loved ones would really appreciate getting? Starting earlier so that you wouldn't need to stress about running out of time? Maybe one day I'll learn.
But all that was good in a way because it forced me to think about what I really like about Christmas and do more of that instead of what I disliked. And I really like Christmas lights and decorations out and about in town, and at home, too. I love Christmas trees, they're my favourite thing about Christmas. And despite the number of shoppers in Central London at this time of year I really enjoy going there because of all the lights and decorations.
Does Christmas make you want to say bah, humbug? Instead of bah humbugging about the things about the festive period that you don't like, why not make the most of the things that you do like? Christmas is going to be there however you feel about it so might as well enjoy at least some of it, whatever it is for you. Have a glass of mulled wine and forget about the bad stuff (not too many glasses though, I wouldn't want to be seen to be encouraging anyone to get too merry...). Or go to the cinema and watch the latest Hobbit, they always come out just before Christmas. Hmm, I've just realised that there's not going to be another Hobbit film coming out anymore... Eek! They really make the festive season for me.
So let's be merry. Let's do the fun stuff and be creative about the less fun stuff. I'll just be gazing at Christmas lights and Christmas trees, soon under palm trees. Yes, that's one way of doing it. Escape!
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