Grinch Corner

Perhaps the 'throwaway' element gained ground in the 70s, but as a kid in the 60s we had a real Christmas tree decorated with deccies handed down to my Mum from her mother and grandmother. Made of glass, they were very fragile but I've still got about a dozen that take pride of place on the tree. Anyone else remember making yards and yards of paper chains at school? The ultimate eco-friendly decorations, just not very attractive Must admit to getting sucked into the 'let's have a different colour scheme for the tree this year' syndrome. Mostly out of sheer boredom after 25 years of doing the same thing.....I don't throw away the previous ones, though! Got quite a collection of boxes in the attic now I'm fast approaching the stage where I'll need to write down which combination I used the previous year

 

When I used to do a big tree, I was quite fussy that the main colours were red and green. I’m not a fan of white trees or pink and purple decorations. I do like the idea of greenery and lights in the home over Winter - not as a C’mas thing but more a celebration of the seasons, a ‘Winter-val’.

 

I think if you are going to have lights the multicoloured ones are best, I'm not keen on all these white ones you see these days.

I remember making those paper chains as a kid, usually made them far too early and they spent a few weeks draped over a chair before my Dad drawing pinned them to the walls, holes everywhere in the walls in the ceiling, all the architraves.

Only had indoor lights in those days and they never worked when you got them back out the box from last year, loads of spare bulbs needed.

 

Every time I dig in my garden I bring up little strands of red tinsel. And I've lived here over 30 years and never had any tinsel.

 

You have to have matching Christmas Eve pyjamas now too, and give everyone a "Christmas Eve Box" which contains the pyjamas and various luxuries to use during the evening. All the big retailers now sell the boxes... try googling Christmas Eve Box, it's an eye-opener.

 

Never really understood the fuss about Christmas. Even as a kid it seemed to be an excuse for adults to argue about different things to usual, but that was it. All I wanted to do was to be left with my books or meccano.
Since living in my own property I've never had any decorations or anything. Christmas cards are kept to a bare minimum.
If the weathers good it's another few days in the garden or at least ordering seeds, bulbs and planning for the next garden year.
I think celebrating the solstice makes more sense, it marks a change in the year when the days start to lengthen.
There is no real reason to have Christmas on the 25th so why not celebrate Christmas on the same day as the solstice and as it is a clear changing point in the year stick New Year on the same day.

 

I remember many years ago watching an old Jack Hargreaves programme about christmas and why its on the 25th and not the 21st.
The explanation was that it took a few days of watching the sunrise via places like Stone Henge before they were sure the sun was on its way back up.
They then had a feast to celebrate, which later became Christmas day.

How true any of that is I dont know, it just stuck in my mind.

 

Quite! Not being religious, apart from sun worship, I do tend to think of it all as the festival to celebrate the passing of the shortest day, a distraction from the grimness of midwinter. But without mixed peel.

 

The main thing nowadays is that there should be a maximum of shopping opportunities and plenty of people gullible enough to be brainwashed into spending a small fortune Doesn't really matter what you call it....
New Year, though....That's a man-made, calendrial thing. Coincides with the start of the French tax year and all the utilities sending out their bills Perhaps a good excuse to hope (optimism v experience) that this year, things will be better

 

Unless you are Michel Barnier.

 

Actually the start of the tax year makes a bit of sense on Jan 1st, how we ended up with April the 5th is a real mystery.
Now April the 1st I could understand.

 

I remember when my late father used to pin up long decorations, in a cross shape, from corner to corner across the ceiling and they had bits that dangled down. Foily type ones I think. Also remember having just a pillow laid over end of bed for when Santa came. Happy memories.
I like the twinkling lights during the darkness of winter, particularly when you get days like today, where it’s never got really light and was pitch black before four o clock.

 

In the time when the Romans were in Judea and Herod was governor. The "Brits" were trotting around these islands not using the Julian Calendar, but rather a calendar based on the the Equinoxes and the Solstice, these later became the Quarter Days, of the farming calendar when tenancies, contracts, hiring and firing went on.
The Julian calendar didn't really arrive until the Early Christian Church took root amongst the "Brits". At this point the early Christians seized, occupied, confiscated, been gifted or whatever the sacred groves and springs as sites for their churches and monasteries.
When we switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar and renumbered the days when traditional festivals took place the "Brits" rioted demanding to be given their ten days back.