Drink Snowballs

At this time of year I traditionally say, 'thank fook it will all soon be over and the new year will soon be here'.

I relish struggling to get served in my local as the once a yearers crowd the bar with their phoney false bonhomie b0llocks.

As a child my grandparents always put their Xmas tree up on Xmas Eve...i hated the waiting but as an adult I realised that this was part of the significance and ritual of Xmas. As a result I've tried to avoid putting the tree up until Xmas eve. My kids have always moaned about this. This year I think my kids have got it...my eldest, who is 22 and is back from uni having spent the last two Xmas's away said tonight something about "but we never put the tree up till xmas eve...it's too early!" So this year they (not me...I hate the bloody thing!) will be dressing the tree for Xmas on Xmas eve.
As an aside cos i like em and just did it as I'm in charge of catering on the big day we have also started our own tradition of having blinis, cream cheese and smoked salmon as an apperitif to our Xmas dinner...only for last 2 or 3 years, but they now think of it as traditional! I'm tickled to think my kids and their kids will be telling somebody in 50 years " but we always do that cos it's Xmas!"

Tree always goes up on December 1st, something I think my whole family has always done, new pack of baubles for the tree every year and then there's the Poinsettia that lasts like 2 days

You should become a presbyterian or a Muslim then you can ban music, dancing, alcohol, christmas carols etc kite flying and all sorts of stuff.

I absolutely hate the New Year never ever liked it

Back in the day, when I was rich, before HM Government took it all away, and when the girls were small I started my tradition of buying them each a small Steiff bear.

These days the bank account would just laugh at me if I tried to buy even one let alone one each, so I haunt eBay for months to snap up handmade teddy bears for them, one each, traditionally made and stuffed, individual unique pieces, they are 24 and 20 now and have had a bear from me every year since they were born, not their mother, just from me, they just look at me every christmas day with a "I know whats in this parcel" but one day when I'm pushing up daises those bears will all be in their lofts and forgotten about - LOL

Isn't that nice, do you feel all nice and warm iside now ?

I don't mind some tunes and the booze, but yes, the rest can happily go.

Don't even bother with [iMad Friday[/i nowadays after being detained in some cells by my local constabulary a couple of years ago, but I digress.

I dont but i am a hard bitten cynic but i reckon your girls do and that is far more important.

which one of these 52 Fridays are the mad ones or are you so old you can only manage one a year

I go on holiday, fly to New Zealand tomorrow.

I find it the strangest time of year, more so in Australia were it seems pointless to me.

Yeah. I got a bit of sunburn yesterday, whilst Christmas shopping. Not right.

Anyway, I phone my daughter and my mates kids pretending to be santa and asking them what they want etc. It's so lovely to hear their excitement. I still can't believe she hasn't sussed out it's her dad putting on a deep silly voice. But then again, my older sister used to do it to me and I didn't suss that.

Try it. It's lovely.

I read "The Night Before Christmas" every Christmas Eve. My Grandparents sent me the book for my first Christmas in England in 1974 when I was 2 years old and its been read every Christmas Eve since. I don't have any kids to read it to, so it gets read aloud to the dogs

Oh dear, oh dear.

Most Presbyterians celebrate Christmas – Christmas services have featured in the church's liturgy for quite some years.

And not all Muslims ban music etc.

Decorations – which seem to increase year on year – although no tree because of cats and a lack of space.

Christmas music – there's be plenty of it.

My birthday cards stay in place until 12th Night.

The [iRadio Times[/i is only purchased at this time of the year, and I still pick through it to spot films I want to watch.

Household traditions we've created include having a boiled ham with sour brown shallot sauce on Boxing Day.

The centrepiece of the Christmas Day dinner, though, never involves a roast bird (a leg of turkey will be roasted the day before to allow me to eat brown meat turkey sandwiches on Christmas night though).

I have two traditions.

The first is that we always put up our Christmas decorations on the Sunday after our youngest son's birthday (8th December).

The second is never to use the term "Xmas". Except when pointing out that I never use the term "Xmas", of course. I use it then in order to state that I never use it.

We don't open our presents until after we've eaten our dinner. We are proper mental.

Muppet Christmas Carol is always watched on Christmas Eve at our house

Once you've spent Christmas and New Year in the Barents Sea aboard a salvage support vessel surrounded by nothing but ex Navy guy's. Tradition just goes out of the window. Your just glad to be home for the Holiday's each year after.

Bah bloody humbug, hate christmas with a vengence, the season of goodwill, bollox, the season of rip off and exploitation more like

Only if you let it be.

Do you lack self control?

How about Christmas traditions you miss? As a wee lad I used to love taking the dog for a walk with my dad late on Christmas Eve. My mind's eye tells me they were all cold, crisp, crystal clear nights and I could hear distant sleigh bells in the stars.

Mum sneaking in a few hours after lights out to fill the stocking at the end of my bed with silly, cheap trinkets. The moment you went downstairs in the morning in your dressing gown and first saw the presents by the tree. Always one 'big' present and a small pile of smaller ones. Never too much, never too little.

After opening the presents, making toast and a brew for breakfast and all sitting round in our pyjamas and dressing gowns chatting and watching Christmas morning telly while someone put all the wrapping paper in a bin bag, and glancing outside desperately hoping for snow.

Grandma insisting we all be quiet for the Queen's Speech. "Merry Christmas, ma'am."

Waiting for the big afternoon Christmas film - ET, Wizard of Oz, etc.

Good times. Very, very lucky to have a great family and once my little one arrives it'll be time to make some traditions of my own.

Whatever happened to Lesley Crowther visiting sick children in hospital on christmas morning ?

He died?

Was he not replaced by Jimmy Saville

Ah yes, that would do it then.