What I Love About Christmas

   I'm not at all religious, so Christmas doesn't have much religious value to me. But it seems that, when you really look at it, Christmas has been commercialised to death. But that's the kind of Christmas I celebrate, and I'm sure most of you do, too, whether you'd care to admit that or not. We don't pray at dinner, we don't go to church - or even really think of it for a second - and we don't put any religion-based decorations in our house except perhaps a star on top of a tree. It's mostly tinsel, little snowy houses, snowmen candleholders, glittery deer and polar bears and so on. But see, I love that. You don't have to be religious to enjoy Christmas.

   While I was a child, I would have told you that it was presents I loved the most about Christmas. Mostly getting them. But then over the years, I've become even more excited about giving gifts than receiving them. I put a lot of thought into what to give people - it doesn't always seem it, I know. Post-it notes, no matter how cute I think they are, or baseball hats, no matter how well I paint them, are not shockingly amazing. But it's not always easy to buy for people, especially when some people are disabled and can't do much with their time, or if you don't want other people to feel pressured into getting something for you because you know full-well what they do at Christmas, but still want to give them a little something, something so little they won't feel compelled to return the favour, you know? (By the way, I apologise if this post isn't as "eloquent" as my others - hah! - but I have Christmas songs blaring right now, and I am singing at the top of my lungs and trying to contain my excitement)

   But I just love giving presents. I love seeing their faces if I've gotten it right, and I also like to see how well they can fake it if I get it wrong - not that I ever try to get it wrong, of course. In fact, this year, I think we've outdone ourselves. Barring my mum, of course. She's hard to buy for, afterall. But my dad is getting a camera lens cup, and then we're surprising him at the end of the day with a brand new 250gb xbox and racing games; my sister, who we usually get crappy shower stuff for lack of a better idea, has got a rather nice pair of shoes instead; my nephew is getting a monster I made, but only because he expressed his like for them; Seeg - well, he reads this blog, so I can't say anything yet, but thought went into it, and it's more evident in some pieces than others. But I think we did damn well this year! I am so excited to see what everyone thinks!!

   Decorations are another thing I love. After a week in The Netherlands with nothing but snow around us, I seriously got into the festive mood, and really hoped that when we got back on the 8th of December that there would be Christmas decorations up. There weren't, and I was so diSO HERE IT IIIIS, MERRY CHRISTMAAAS, EVERYBOOOODYYY'S HAVING FUUUUN, LOOOK TO THE--SHH!! And I was so disappointed. Ahem. But on the 15th dad went up in the loft and got them all out. I was so excited it was all I could do to stay at the bottom of the ladder and not climb up into the loft to help. I had waited to put our tree and decorations up in our room until he was doing the rest of the house, because I wanted to step out from one Christmassy room and into another. I'm quite pleased with what I've done. It's small, but I'm happy.

   But as soon as the decorations come out in the shops - usually September - I get quite excited. I usually end up buying some lovely bits and pieces because I get entranced by the glitter. I'm sure Seeg is pleased, though, because usually we go to this amazing garden centre (yes, those words CAN go together) called Cadbury Garden and Leisure, and they have the BEST Christmas displays, and the biggest range I've ever seen. We didn't go this year, though. I'm a little gutted, but after obsessing over Black Friday and Cyber Monday and then immediately going off on "holiday" for a week, and then getting back 2 weeks before Christmas and having to catch up on the mass of orders that have taken place across my shops, I haven't had time to even think about it. Of course that didn't stop me from buying online.

   Food. Who doesn't love food? I work out so that I can keep eating. I'm not losing any weight, but I'm not gaining any either. So it balances out! I'm not keen on turkey, but the gravy, stuffing, veggies, roast potatoes - oh god I love it. We're having duck on boxing day, so I'm REALLY looking forward to that one! But the chocolate that pops up everywhere, the biscuits, the party foods - Christmas is a wonderful time for my stomach, but hell for my waistline. Advent calendars are also the bee's knees. I bought myself a Mars one this year (it was great - I missed 7 days because we had gone away! That was nice to come back to :D) and am greatly enjoying the questions that come behind each door. Though some of them I have to cheat on. I can't believe that I didn't know the answer to "What is the name of the famous snowman that lives in the North Pole?"

   Also the amount you can get away with eating - at Christmas it is so much more socially acceptable to stuff yourself silly on chocolate, just the same as it is more socially acceptable to stuff yourself with cake on your birthday. In fact, if you don't do it, you're strange. So I'm looking forward to that!

    The music. I'm just boogying away right now. I love Christmas songs. Though, I suppose, in truth, I'm very picky about them. Most of them I hate. I just have 4 playing on a loop right now: Slade, Jona Lewie, Shakin' Stevens and Paul McCartney. I do like In Dulci Jublio, but there are no words. I tend to jump around through that song. Seriously, I can't sit still, but I can't dance either, so I just jump. It's an extra Christmas workout :D But if any kind of Christmas song comes on the radio I will sing along badly every time. Whether I know the words or not. I'm sure everyone around me hates it but I enjoy it so much.

 

   Family. We don't got for big family gatherings. I don't like people to come round on Christmas Day. The only people I can handle coming round is my sister and her son. Anyone else, or, god forbid, surprise visits, are too much for me to handle. I just see them as intruding on my special, favourite day, the day I wait all year for. And I don't like it. So I love that we keep it quiet, just immediate family - and Seeg, of course, we don't shut him in a cupboard for the day. In fact he gets just as many presents as I do. He's properly part of the family, even if he doesn't feel it.

   Presents. Obviously I love presents. Who doesn't? Presents are awesome, especially if they're good. I love unwrapping them. But at the same time, I LOVE the sight of a pile of presents all wrapped up and untouched. I just want to look at it all day and see how long I can last before ripping them open. This year's warpping was great fun!

   I am terrible with keeping presents, though. Last year Seeg and I set a limit to the number of gifts we get each, and I ended up buying him extra, and then giving him some early because I got excited. This year, we set a limit and a budget. Of course, we ended up giving eachother 2 gifts early again. He gave me How I Met Your Mother Season 7, and Michael McIntyre's Showtime DVD. I gave him a copy of the movie Zatoichi, and a Japanese music CD. I promise you all I didn't just buy him Japanese stuff :P Hand on heart. But this year, I've not felt the need to give him gifts early. This year it was him that got them out early, not me. In fact, I just this second realised that it is only SIX days until Christmas, and nine until his birthday. I think I can last. I think.

   Seriously, I love Christmas. We don't need kids, I get excited enough. If we had kids I'd only end up stealing their toys, and throwing a strop when Father Christmas brings more presents for them than me. I already got a bit moody when I saw that most gifts my grandparents brought round were for Riley than me xD I'm just awful, I know, but at this time of year, my age means nothing, and I regress to an 8 year old. I recently found out that I used to shake when opening my presents because I got so excited. I have the shaking under control now, but my good friend at Vivid HQ has suggested that I bring it back xD

   I'll cut this ramble of a post off here. I'm honestly having trouble keeping the lump of excitement in my throat from bursting out. I genuinely want to scream I'm so excited. Oh gawd I hope I actually sleep on Christmas Eve...

   What are you looking forward to the most? You can be honest ;P if it's presents, just go ahead and say it. Safe space.