Tucked up with my wife. Knowing there is not much chance of being called away.
I love the xmas lights/decorations/tree - the house becomes so boring after xmas. :color:
I hate the shopping and xmas tv. :sleeping:
The prospect of spending the whole of the festive season in Golders Green :idea:
Ooooo some of my Xmas likes are...
2 weeks off work with Mrs Kiss.
The sight and smell of a real Xmas tree in our living room (potted and re-planted outdoors at the end of the holidays).
The opportunity to make a difference to other people.
Visiting friends and family.
As many satsumas as you can eat.
Lots of pretty fairy lights.
Thick socks and woolly jumpers.
Long bracing walks on bright frosty mornings.
Open fires.
Watching he birds on the garden.
Breakfast in a bed, all cosy and warm.
Plenty of time to read and listen to music.
My dislikes are….
The thought of anyone being alone at Christmas.
People believing that the more expensive a gift it the better it is, sometimes it’s the small gestures that mean the most.
Days off work, thats about it.
Hmmm ... this could turn into a rant :shock:
I dislike the commercialisation so much, the greed that most normal people experience, and the lack of manners!
I detest the nativity .. I hate the way religion is pushed so much at school level and then have to unpick the lies told to my children! (and if I withdraw them from those lessons I get called mean and spiteful, denying my children of the magic of childhood!). If the teachrs taught about the Roman highjacking of other pagan festivals to suit their religious agendas then I would support it LOL.
We have relented over the last few years, we don't have a tree as such, but we so have an ornamental display that goes up on 24th and comes down on the 26th, we do exchange gifts, but we don't go mad or get into debt, we don't exchange cards (except to my parents) but we give to the Cancer Care Charity.
I enjoy the time spent with my family over the holiday period, relaxing, unwinding etc.
Cx
I Believe In Father Christmas Lyrics
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the Virgin's birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winters light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas Tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire
They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
'Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked at the sky with excited eyes
'Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise
I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on Earth
Hallelujah Noel be it Heaven or Hell
The Christmas you get you deserve
We're not even allowed to discuss Halloween in our school.
I do love my christmas carol cds too. But i do hate the fact that they bring out so many every year and i end up spending a fortune on them, evn though i probably have all the songs already.
Louise xx
Dislikes
Constant bombardment of hyper commercialisation from, as has already been said, far too early in the year.
The fact that so many young families have to put themselves into debt year after year to service their children’s expectations.
The fact that my father is no longer with us as he always managed to make Christmas so very special for the kids.
Likes.
We usually celebrate a continental style Christmas, now I don’t want to spark a “which is best†debate here, it’s each to their own. Here’s how it works for us:
Christmas eve AM, whatever takes our fancy, a walk, a drive out, perhaps a visit to the local, you know the kind of thing. Then a very light lunch.
PM we prepare the Christmas fare for Christmas eve, this is always a heavily laden table with everything from a variety of cold meats to smoked salmon, Russian eggs, herring salad, rolled mops, a variety of cheeses, freshly baked bread blah blah.
The above is consumed usually around 17:00 ish and is one of those nice long leisurely affairs where the whole family gets a chance to chat, catch up and generally pig out.
Next comes my favourite bit, at around 19:30 one or two of us adults decide its time to take the kids out to see if we can spot Santa, the living room (where the Christmas tree is) doors are ceremoniously closed, and those staying behind are warned to stay in the kitchen and not to go into said living room.
We all wrap up nice and cosy and out into the night we go, kids full of excitement and wonder, it’s even more special if it has snowed but the best we have been able to do in recent years is a hard frost :sad:
Whilst we are out in the woods on our expedition, our fellow conspirators are hastily digging the presents out of their hiding places and arranging them under the tree.
By the time we return, rosy cheeked and stamping the circulation back into our feet, the living room doors are once again closed and everyone is innocently sitting around the kitchen table in good natured conversation. The cry of “he’s been†and the look on the kids faces when they go into the living room is absolutely priceless.
Christmas day is your usual turkey and tinsel thing which is always great too. PM it’s the adults turn and much of the amber nectar is consumed :cheers:
Bloody hell Pete, can i come to your house for christmas?
Dislikes
The sheer commercialisation namely constant adverts and shops selling xmas stuff 3 months in advance.
The fact that different bits of the family want to do different things to make their Christmas the way they want it and it almost never coincides with what I want to do.
Likes
The childrens faces when they know "he's" been.
The beautiful memories it can make.
The tree.
The clean sharpe air you always get outside on Christmas day.
Snow (if it does)
Some of the music.
FIRE xx
:roll: :roll: 
:notes: 
Last year we took the kids to santa land at Earls Court. It was quite expensive but it was worth every penny. It was a magical fantasy land and the kids loved it (me too). The best thing is to see the kids faces on christmas day when they open their presents. The funny thing is nine times out of ten they will play more with the big boxes that they come in rather than the actual present itself.
.....but the Doctor Who Xmas special should make up for that!! 