It's that time of year again. The weather turns ice cold, the shops get packed, and G.O.L.D repeats festive editions of Only Fools and Horses on an almost hourly basis. Actually, that last one applies to the rest of the year as well.
Anyway, Christmas is coming and, at time of writing, is only 12 days away. I wrote a blog a while back about how certain people begin preparing for Christmas a little early (some stores began interviewing people for Christmas jobs in August; I know because I was one of them), and without doubt there is something nice about seeing the Xmas items gradually build up, from decorations to music to the sale of cards, but once it gets to December, that's when you know Christmas is coming, and every day that goes by is one giant step closer to Christmas Day.
Sometimes, I write a blog without necessarily knowing what direction it is going in. This piece falls under that label, as I am using this write-up to discuss why I personally enjoy Christmas, and why growing up doesn't change the feeling I get around this time of year. So, don't expect to see a template of how to write the perfect blog here, but hopefully my thoughts on Christmas may bring back some positive ones for you.
Something I always like to point out is why Xmas is celebrated at all. People do seem to lose sight of this, so I should remind people that Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, in a stable in Bethlehem, on December 25 over 2,000 years ago. It's easy to forget due to the way in which Christmas has become a basis for presents, staff parties and TV specials, but the fact is that Christmas is, more than anything, about celebrating the birth of Jesus.
I remember years ago, back when I went to Junior School, once it got to December you began counting down the weeks to the birth of Christ with the Advent Wreath. Three red (or white) candles, one lit each week, followed by the purple one right before you broke up. Each week, with each passing candle, you realised that Xmas was getting closer, and in a strange way, I anticipated the lighting of each candle. By the time you got to purple, it was only days away, so there was a sense of excitement when that final candle was lit. Well, to me, anyway. Hey, it's better than getting excited over the Xmas work-related drinking session that ends in chaos.
Although this isn't carried on in work environments, I try to always remember this by attending the Christmas Eve Mass. It's a good reminder of what Christmas is really about, and ensures that, despite the changes in your lifestyle, and indeed your life, you never forget the reason why we celebrate Xmas - and, really, why we're all here today.
Something else that gets me thinking about Christmas is when the music TV channels begin airing the Xmas tunes. This is a relatively new practice, but while I have heard Wizzard or Slade as early as October in some places, when it gets to mid-November and I start seeing music videos for Band Aid and Cliff Richard, that's when I think "Christmas is coming now". I enjoy most of the songs, and even the ones I don't, I still listen to. Something strange is how, literally overnight, I go from loving them to feeling like there's been a death; once it gets to Boxing Day, or at least the 27th or 28th of December, for some reason I can't listen to them then. But, from mid-October onwards, I try to listen to them as much as possible, because within a few weeks the CDs used by the TV channels will go back gathering dust in the drawer. Okay, I may overdo it at times, certain VH1 hosts don't have the strongest connection to Xmas, and by Christmas itself people are probably sick and tired of hearing them, but without them, a lot of the anticipation over Xmas would be lost.
That gets me onto the subject of people who complain about Christmas coming early. Whether it's decorations, songs or something else, there seems to be a common dislike of certain aspects of Christmas - at least, at a particular point in time. I worked in a Christmas store twice, and often heard comments in mid-October about "Christmas, this early?" and "It's a bit early to be playing Xmas songs, isn't it?" Many of these were said jokingly, but occasionally I did hear a few who seemed genuinely angry. I wouldn't like to be around them when something really terrible or frustrating happened. Actually, it was the end of November - in other words, on the countdown to Christmas - when someone moaned about the existence of the store because "It's not even December yet". Crikey, if the world lived by that phiosophy, Lent would only be three weeks long, the World Cup qualifiers would start ten days beforehand, and the X Factor would only last three months. For those who complain, especially when it is getting close to Xmas, I would suggest maybe trying to get a little more Festive, or at least a little more understanding, because there's a reason why Christmas is celebrated so far in advance: many people enjoy it.
Whether it's kids anticipating the presents, young people getting drunk, or adults meeting up with relatives, for most people Christmas is special for a reason. To me, I have found it interesting how my own, personal perspective of the big day has changed. When I was younger, I loved every present I received. As I got a little older, I wanted specific gifts, and rightly or wrongly, got a right cob-on if I never received them. Later on, I realised that money is actually a good present, and not just an excuse to not buy a present. Then, some time ago, I started realising that, at some point in life, you're meant to actually buy people presents, as opposed to just giving them (if you know what I mean). Now, at age 23, I actually get a sense of excitement about purchasing gifts, and often begin planning months in advance so that, when the time is right and the best price has been discovered, I begin stocking up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the second coming of Santa Claus (I do show some restraint), and I still receive gifts myself, but it's part of a natural evolution that at one point I wouldn't have considered, yet I now realise happens to everyone.
Speaking of Santa: regardless of whether you think of him as the guy off the cartoon similar in vein to The Snowman (I still enjoy watching them, by the way), the man at the Grotto in Lewis's (well, before it shut), or the uncle who dresses up as him on Xmas to be funny but ends up falling over and making a wally of himself, his existence adds a lot to Christmas. Okay, I know the truth (I wasn't prepared to hear it in a middle of an English lesson at age 8; I told people that I didn't believe in him, when really I did, and was left looking like I'd just bet £1,000 on Man Utd to win the Champion's League), but without Santa, Christmas would mean a lot less. As you grow up, maybe it doesn't matter, but when you're younger, Santa adds a lot of appeal to the event. When I think of Santa, I think, like everyone else, of the character drawn up by someone one day at Coca-Cola.
Oh, yes, Coca-Cola. It doesn''t matter whether you're three, 23 or 73: if you're watching TV and you see an advert that starts with "Holidays are coming, holidays are coming", you can't help but get excited. It was better years ago when it lasted longer and had a better ending (Santa whispering to the kid, rather than a white Coke bottle on a plain red background), but for some reason that one advert can make a lot of people excited. Seriously: it was on the other week, and within minutes my Facebook page was filled with comments about it. It was great, then, to see the truck itself in Liverpool not long ago. Okay, it wasn't snowing, Santa wasn't there, and THAT song wasn't playing, but it still felt good to see it.
On the subject of adverts: Christmas adverts are an interesting thing. In August or September, you may get a hamper advert (why do they never advertise for THIS year; by next December, you'll have forgotten about them). By October, possibly the odd couple of adverts for new products (such as CDs, or Comedy DVDs: I swear the entire Top 20 Chart in ASDA the other week was full of stand-up shows. Not that I'm complaining). But now, in December, virtually every ad is Christmas-related. Whether it's creating a feeling of excitement (Coca-Cola), using humour (the Irn-Bru one where the Snowman drops the person he's flying with to get a can of Irn-Bru made me laugh), or just something simple that captures the feeling of Christmas (most of them), although the adverts are, erm, advertising their products, to me they are succeeding more in promoting Christmas.
As for what else I enjoy: of course, there's TV and films. Most programmes have had Christmas specials or an Xmas theme (The Simpsons' first ever episode was a Christmas special), but the really good ones manage to not just base the story around Xmas, but make the specials themselves a staple of the Winter. Only Fools and Horses was great at it: I mentioned earlier that G.O.L.D has them on permanently, but during December, they are very enjoyable to watch on a nightly basis. Ironically, the best ones may have been shows that weren't related to Christmas. The one I prefer is The Jolly Boys Outing, which probably had more funny moments than three or four of the specials combined that will be on BBC1 this year. Other specials I enjoyed, or continue to enjoy, include The Royal Family (the 2008 and 2009 shows were hilarious) and Father Ted (which is on Channel 4 every year, mainly because it is really funny). To be honest, though, most shows seem funnier at Xmas, whether it's because of the Christmas theme, the normally longer episodes, or the general jolly feeling that you get when watching them on the day.
As for films: in recent years, I haven't had as much time as I would like to watch Christmas movies, but when I do, my own personal favourites are, unsurprisingly, the likes of Home Alone, erm, Home Alone 2, and Jingle All The Way. Sometimes, I wish I could write a Christmas film, because when you watch them, they capture the feeling of Christmas in a really magical way. Back in Senior School, an old teacher of mine did a film quiz, based on movies being screened over Xmas, wherein you had to guess the film from the drawing, and whoever got the most won something like £20. I never got all of them, and I never found out who won each year (actually, I never found out if anyone won), but it was something else that created an air of excitement around Christmas.
Strangely, I also get a bit of joy seeing the pre-programme channel Idents. You know, when it has a scene of a Christmas pudding or a tree and the BBC logo comes in; things like that are pleasing to see. The best ones were in the mid-1990s, but there are still some good ones today (like the Sky Sports snowmen). There's a website called TV Ark (http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/): if you have the time, and see some of the old ones, it really does bring back memories. Well, to me, anyway.
And, finally, there's the gifts. To youngsters, this is what Christmas is all about. The advent calendars, the music and the parties are all great; but the presents are what make Christmas Day itself a success or a failure. For me, personally, years ago I always had a "main" gift, usually a computer game or something, which was the thing I wanted most. When I was younger, I would get a lot of things in bulk; but, due to age and prices, this unsurprisingly would decrease over time. My favourite gifts were ones that I truly never expected; either I wanted them but assumed I wouldn't have them, or something I simply didn't expect. These were mainly big presents, like the Super Nintendo and a PC, but also more modest items like a Liverpool Away shirt. I also had a tradition wherein there were some "night" presents, so as to prevent boredom and tears once everything was opened by 11 am.
Of course, over time, you realise that some gifts aren't possible, and that no matter what you get, the main thing is that the person giving the present has made the effort. (Which reminds me of Bottom's Xmas show when the line "It's the thought that counts" is humourously responded to with "No, it's not, it's the size that counts!") And, when it's your turn, well to me anyway, the effort that is put into finding the right gift for the right person makes you realise how relatives must have felt giving to you years ago, and how disappointed they'd be if you told them the gifts were awful. Similarly, if I were to receive a similar response after buying a present, I would feel bad. So, over time, I have learned to appreciate gifts more. When you're young, it's hard to understand, but as you get older, you go around the life cycle, and once you're in that position, you realise why, whether it's a PS3 or a novelty tie, every present should be appreciated, as should the person giving it.
And so should Christmas. Some say they're glad when it's over, but there's no other time of the year like it. Not everyone will have an interest in the Premier League, or Coronation Street, or Britain's Got Talent, but everyone will have some sort of reason to anticipate and enjoy Christmas. And, as you can see, there's plenty of reasons why I enjoy Christmas - and I could have written a lot more (I didn't mention Advent Calendars much, or Selection Packs, or Carols, or Xmas dinner, or New Year celebrations, or . . . ). I may not be at the age now where I write my Lists in July (which I once did, by the way, many years ago), but I don't think you ever outgrow a feeling that Christmas is special.
So, the shops began selling the Xmas range in August. Christmas Temps began working in September. The tunes came on in October. The lights came on in November. Now, in December, as Christmas shopping reaches its annual peak, the TV Specials have started, and the annual parties are in full flow, there is only 12 days before someone can finally quote Slade and shout:
"It's Christmassssssssssssss!"
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from someone for whom Christmas will always be cause to celebrate.
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