Someone asked me the other day if I'm ready for Christmas. It's three weeks away, I said.
So are you packed ready to go to Cuba? That's five weeks away, I said.
Even from here, I can detect a collective intake of breath. How can I be so casual? There will be no cards/balloons/tinsel left in the shops if I leave it one more day to buy them. What if I there are no mince pies left on Christmas Eve - and they speak as if the world will fall in for want of a mince pie. (I have no children sleeping in my house on Christmas Eve - I accept the possibility of the world ending in a home dependent on a mince pie for Santa.)
You must have lists, they tell me. Well, I have sort of lists - in my head. I know roughly what I need to think about when the time comes. Who needs presents, who needs to be fed and when, where I might be going and do I have a frock? (Yes, the same frock that has come out every Christmas for years. But you probably guessed I'm not into frocks.)
I'm not sure there's clear water between planners and last-minuters - between those who finish their shopping in September and others who do it all on Christmas Eve. Over the next three weeks I'll gather what I need, when I have time to think about it - for it does take thinking. I don't fall in with the panic-at-the-last-minute brigade. Neither do I spend four months preparing for what is, essentially, one day. I think there is a planning continuum, with the September shoppers at one end and last-minuters at the other and every range of planning pattern in between. And, while I sit towards the Christmas Eve end, I do leave myself time to think. For it is a day that needs thinking.
And Cuba - surely you're planning Cuba? Ah, Cuba. I'll talk about Cuba another time.
Meanwhile, I might make a list. And you - where do you sit on the planning continuum?
Done nothing. Bought prsents for family. End.OOh -- and some Aldi Xmas puds. Had other things ...not Cuba....There is far too much pressure put by retail etc to 'buy the right gifts' cook the ''perfect lunch' .
ReplyDeleteThe best Christmas we had was one year we rounded up some waifs and strays and had them back for lunch. They all mucked in, played with Hannah and we had the best time!
Christmas is a religious festival celebrating the birth of Christ (clue is in name). I often say it should be celebrated by those who believe in it ...the rest can have a Winterval and enjoy that! Go on.....argue with me! hahahahahahaha
I celebrate the turn of the year, Carol - and relish time with my lovely family. But all the bru-ha-ha - I've no time for that.
DeleteI look forward to reading about your experience in Cuba when you come back! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Thank you - I shall probably blog while I'm there, if I can find internet connections!
DeleteThere are internet cafes but the connection is raaaaaaaaaaaather slooooooooooow! :-)
DeleteI have gifts for the children and that's all that matters.I am officially fed up buying presents for adults at Christmas. I have ran out of ideas after buying for so many years so this year I'm giving them money and they can all going and fight the crowds and buy themselves something. I've been invited out for Christmas dinner so for the first time ion what seems like a lifetime I will NOT be cooking Christmas dinner. Now if I just had Cuba to look forward to in Jan that would be perfect.
ReplyDeleteWill try not to go on about Cuba - do know how envious everyone is! Well, maybe I'll go on a little bit ...
DeleteMy offspring need money - they have families to look after, new houses to furnish - so there's no fripperies for adults around here either, Anne.
Christmas in our world is a very modest affair, so no planning really needed. The kids (mine and his) don't see any point in it except to get together and have a family meal and spend time with each other, which we all enjoy. I do miss the real celebration sometimes though. I used to love midnight mass, the carols the uplifting feelings evoked by of a real Christmas service with the lights, singing and music, but I've always disliked the commercial side of it. We don't do anything much anymore. Twenty years of Christmas in a hot country put paid to that. I do have quite a strong Cuba wish myself Jo.
ReplyDeleteAt.some time over the holiday fortnight I have all the family visiting, most sleeping over for several nights at a time. I have started writing menus and booking Internet food shop slots and, yes, I am panicking but only because I would hate any of them to go home hungry.
ReplyDeleteMy place on the continuum.... well, most of the time I say, "Oh, there's loads of time" and then sometimes I say "Oh my God, there's absolutely NO time and I have to do it RIGHT NOW!!!" In a few cases, I keep on top of things all year round - for instance, I do keep a reasonable number of Christmas gifts in stock, or buy them as I see something specially suitable at any time of year. Which reminds me, I must now send off some foreign cards and packages otherwise THEY WON'T GET THERE and what a disaster that will be!
ReplyDelete