I'm just going to say it.

[MintyGlint]

I'm ready for Christmas now.

That glint of the winter sun early in a morning. You can see your breath but the sunshine makes everything sparkle.

The feeling in the air as shoppers wander home, it's already dark and everywhere glows with lights and candles.

The sound of schoolchildren singing carols at our local church.

The look on faces when they open gifts, cooking as a family. The drive between houses to see other family. Hot chocolate, warm slippers, tinsel.

My first Christmas as a mother. Waking up with my daughter every day.

Just me? It's probably just me.

[MollHackabout]

Absolutely agree with making Christmas all about the whole of advent, not just one day. Focusing on just one or two days is bound to make things stressful and fraught and make you feel like it's just not worth all the palaver. It doesn't have to cost anything, either - there's nothing lovelier than a walk (alone or with family) on a clear, crisp evening in December to look at all the lights in the houses, then home for hit chocolate. If it's your thing, there might be a church near you that's having a candlelight carol service, or you could go on a frosty country walk to look for fresh decs - fir cones, bits of greenery, etc. If the weather's crap a festive film or a family meal with a festive twist - we've been known to have crackers at dinnertime as soon as the first advent calendar door is opened! Just something simple like having Classic FM on for the carols rather than your usual radio station/TV channel in the mornings can make a massive difference to how you feel, without costing anything money or effort-wise.

I went through a period when I dreaded Christmas - my mum died close to it one year, and my DBro went missing bear Christmas many years ago - his birthday is in December, too. It was quite a painful time. I stripped it back then started doing the sorts of things mentioned above - basically making new traditions with my own family. It worked. Now it's my favourite time of the year.

It can be magical again MrJones

[MollHackabout]

HOT chocolate, obviously!

[blitheringbuzzards1234]

I've got a few presents hidden in the wardrobe BUT there's no way that I'm what you'd call 'ready' for Christmas yet. It's much too early to think about it seriously.

[itsonlysubterfuge]

DD has been spending the last few days watching Christmas movies, I'm very in the mood for Christmas now!

[SideOrderofChip]

i love christmas. this is evident by the fact that i live in here.

I also suffer from depression. my Christmas cheer is a way of coping. no one complains about it. and my kids are just as infected by my christmas spirit.

also why are christmas haters following this thread in here. if you don't like it odfod.

[Gyderlily]

I live in a Scottish costal city... Not too much twinkling sunlight here, more driving ice cold rain and bleak grey sky!