Christmastime is here...

[McNulty]

What do you and your family do during the time leading up to Christmas Day? My wife and I were sharing celebrations we observe during this time of the year with some friends in our dinner group and were happy to hear what others do. We decorate the house and the outside during the first week of December and then come inside to warm up and watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. It has been a tradition since moving to Colorado 10 years ago to enjoy the songs of the Mountain Madrigal Singers. MMS puts on a show at a local church and sings a capella. We have gone to The Nutcracker for years and have seen the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's version for the past six years or so. A viewing of A Christmas Story both at home and at school on the last day before winter break (Can't say Christmas Break to the kiddos otherwise I might get into trouble..Public School and all). There are get- togethers with friends and other holiday treats from plays to music to parades.
What do you do to celebrate the season?
McNulty

[Pleater]

Just as contrast, we don't do anything.

I try to give the house a going over, make the Christmas cake, and buy a few things which are going to be in short supply if I wait too long, but a lot of things go right up to the wire before being done.

Once the solstice is past I cut holy and ivy to make a wreath for the front of the house, and tie it up about midday on Christmas Eve on the fancy wrought iron work on the porch. The tree is brought in as it gets dark and decorated after supper.

I like to relax with a drink, the Christmas tree lights on and 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' in the late evening, and spend some time in quiet contemplation around midnight.

We then keep the twelve days of Christmas.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[fingertrouble]

Used to go away every Christmas - did so for 10 or so years with John, long story and don't want to go all It's A Wonderful Life but Xmas was always fraught for me historically, I just wanted to be away from all family. Ghosts of Xmas Past...still sometimes go abroad - last year was Venice, but it's rarer. The stress of finding somewhere to eat on Xmas Eve in a foreign place where everything shuts down...well I don't miss that ;-)

Recently though we've kept it fairly low key and local, will go down on Xmas Eve, my partner will cook (Goose I think this year) and we'll have a walk and a gentle pub crawl as pubs near his tend to be open in the afternoon for a bit. Then eat in the afternoon/evening usually. We don't do presents or cards...do still do that with family and friends though, just send out the mass card drop and even made a special CD compilation for a few of odd Xmas music!

As regards watching things, I usually have to watch Box of Delights every year or two...and listen to really bad/strange/anti-xmas songs as a sort of antidote to the ever-present 'I Wish It Could Be Xmas Every Day' - not sure about the sentiment but I wish this song wouldn't play every year ;-) I love Muppet Christmas Carol, only first saw that a year or two back! Strange as it was always seemed to be on...certainly don't watch TV anymore, the radio will be on but no TV this Christmas but will be iPlayer-ing the odd thing.