Living

Christmas bah humbug it’s a new year.

Christmas bah humbug. It’s another new year.

2014, snuck up so fast I must have been sleeping or running on the never-ending treadmill I call life.

The treadmill of life
It’s a never ending treadmill, called LIFE

Another round of christmas and new year celebrations, each year seems to roll into the next and and then we will be stressed out planning for next christmas.

I am one of the leave everything until the last minute.com brigade.

My planning for christmas began in September as you can see I’m not a christmas bah humbug.

Oh yes, I had it all mapped out.

The cards would be written and stamped ready to be posted in the week of the 9th December, christmas presents would be bought and wrapped by the end of October, christmas puddings were made in October so I was ahead there.

The 13th December came and I just about managed to get my christmas cards written and posted out then it was the usual what do I buy for family and relatives?

Scratch head, seek here and there for ideas ask people, do a ‘what to buy for your husband/partner for christmas look up on google’.

What do you buy for someone who has everything?

Where did my christmas mojo go?
Where did my christmas mojo go?

We are now at the age where we buy what we want when we want it within reason of course.

I’m not talking about a holiday in Barbados or a new BMW no, not that level of christmas present expense reserved for a lottery win, no I’m talking about the everyday family member who with the exception of birthday buys what they want as and when they need it.

Leaving very little left for the imagination when it comes to buying christmas presents.

No more socks, jumpers, gadgets, although I am a self-confessed gadget freak who must have at least one gadget at christmas and this must not include anything for the house or kitchen, otherwise it gets thrown back at the buyer.

But seriously what is it about christmas that makes us so stressed and me go bonkers?

Every year it’s the same old crap although I was pleased to report that christmas consumerism didn’t kick in until the second week of November. Usually Christmas starts in August so someone somewhere has had the sense to decree that christmas will start early to mid November.

Radio 2 (yes I do listen) DJ’s declared they weren’t allowed to play any christmas music until the first week of December.

Hallelujah I shouted when the great Simon Mayo on his drive-time show decreed this statute.

Now I can really start to get into christmas at the right time and not be bored by the whole thing mid December.

But guess what it didn’t happen. Does that make me a christmas bah humbug?

In spite of a wonderful pre-christmas trip to see family in Hamburg, christmas markets, gluhwein and german donuts I had to admit I’d somehow misplaced my Christmas mojo.

Where had it gone? I looked everywhere. I went shopping in Selfridges, their christmas market left me faltering, that didn’t help.

I went to my children’s christmas carol service and shed a tear when I tried to sing ‘O come all ye faithful” still no christmas mojo.

I hunted for it here there and everywhere and even down there alas it was gone!

What was I going to do now?

Monday 22nd crept up on me and there I was in the kitchen cooking my heart out bless ‘Nigella’.

Finally when I flopped into the armchair, glass of red wine in tow, feet up and watching a re-run of “The Professionals” feeling smug that I had prepared a great meal for Monday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day taken care of and Boxing day all sorted, my planning was indeed going to plan. I still wasn’t in the least bit christmassy.

What is going on I asked myself, why am I feeling this way and why oh why can’t I switch into christmas mode?

I think it’s called anti-christmas syndrome. Somewhere deep inside over the years I managed to talk myself out of enjoying christmas just in case it turned out to be a big disappointment.

To be perfectly honest, now that the credit card bills have arrived, christmas has become more of a consumer driven event and its meaning has almost disappeared.

The real reason I lost my christmas mojo is psychological. You look forward to this big event and before you know it, it’s done, one day with all the hype and expectations, the joy of seeing your children open up gifts irrespective of age, secretly believing in the magic of christmas that when it’s over it’s such a big anti-climax.

A bit like taking that first bite into a cream cake that looks delicious only to be disappointed.

All cream and no jam! You get the picture. 

You want the moment to last forever and then it’s over and by bed time the kids are sad they want the day again, you want the day again and even taking photos just isn’t the same.

Can I have re-run please?

Sorry, kid it’s done, it’s finished!

P-l-e-a-s-e can I have it over again?

NO.

Only another 364 days left to the next one.

Bugger, bugger, bugger.

Still, we will be there before you know it!

Happy new year it's 2014

Happy New Year to you all.

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