Looking forwards to Christmas

[stevieannie]

The LJ zeitgeist at the moment definitely seems to be towards a Christmas where "less is more".

How many of us really need more STUFF? How many of us actually look at our mound of gifts on Christmas Day and say, "Gosh, I really needed that novelty chicken bookmark and matching photo-frame set!".

Well, maybe you do, but I certainly don't. I've got too much stuff already. I have three garages and part of a storage unit full of excess stuff that I can't fit in my house. Why on EARTH would I require more stuff?

I don't intend to spend much this Christmas. I will (as a practising Christian) go to church quite a bit and think about my religion and what it means to me. I will eat well. Possibly the poultry of choice on Christmas Day will be one of the two fresh-shot ducks that my friend just gave me from a game shoot last Saturday (Tim needs to pluck and gut them first, obviously). I will give some gifts to my children, and the children of my immediate family. I will give something small to Tim. I will drink well (elderflower champagne and elderberry wine - maybe some mead if there's any left). I will enjoy the company of family and friends and share my food and drink with them.

I can't really see how novelty slippers or amusing books about cats could possibly improve on that...

Comments

[keristor.livejournal.com]

My family have always (in my memory at least) kept "present books" for birthdays and Christmas since we were old enough to write legibly in them. They listed the things we wanted and thought of during the year and then relatives could look to see what we wanted (and cross things off so they weren't bought twice). These days those of us with web access do it with Amazon wishlists. There is still the surprise of who gets you what, and the lists are long enough that we won't get everything, but without the 17 pairs of socks or other things that we don't really want. I don't expect anyone to be able to guess what I would like accurately, and even less for them to know what I already have, no matter how much they love me.