Anyone want to join? I doubt it somehow. I think I'm alone and you're probably really grateful for that!
I'll be brutally honest. I detest Christmas and always have. Every year I am plunged into an ever decreasing spiral of gloom as December draws on. Even the well meaning efforts of kids' choirs, singing the usual cheesy stuff at 33rpm - all charmingly gap toothed and wincingly off key,does I'm afraid, well, set my teeth on edge.
I now take no part in 'it' beyond the absolute minimum of supporting elderly parents over the consumer-fuelled, kitschly-marketted, blow-out godawfull bad-taste synthetic excuse for a family-centred christian festival that overtakes this country from mid November onwards. ( First hints appear in August now.)
I have masses of friends all over but I freed myself last year from the tyranny of Christmas cards. Most, let's be honest, are scrawled under duress and sent with as little thought as it takes to wipe your arse.
What is the point of soemthing sent with so little real meaning? Those I need to keep in touch with - I keep in touch with - annually or more frequently!
Then the kids stuff-acres of coloured plastic and once used, forever forgotten, or gadgets updated because that's what you do if pestered frequently enough.
I used to force myself into the stip-lit, musack-infested soul-less claustrophobic vision of hell that is shopping at christmas to buy presents for people who had all they needed and more, who then felt they ahd to reciprocate with stuff I neither want nor need - that I'm afraid largely ended up in Oxfam. Now we have an amnesty. I make a donation instead and sugggest they do the same - much relief all round. I really hope I show my love for those dear to me in other more meaningful ways.
I have never had a christmas tree - I mean, trees are beautiful - but outside where they belong with their roots in the earth, where you can stand under the branches and look up at the sky - not stuck in the corner of an overly centrally heated sitting room.
Was I the only child who saw through the lie almost immediately? At 3 or 4, I noted Santa's beard, unlike of those beswhiskered male adults of more conventional dress - was hung from elastic round his ear. Then I saw there were many, many Santas - how did that work? How coukd he arrive own the chimney when there was no chimney or fireplace? What four footed creatures flew?
But you know you feel you have to go along with with it as a child, up to a certain point, then as an adult you kind of do - until I realised I really didn't!
So I just stopped. Immense relief. You can too.
Roll on the end of Christmas.