In the northern hemisphere December is the time of year when the darkness overrules the light. When days are short. And sunlight oft in short supply. So it is no wonder that people welcome the chance to celebrate, to fill their gloomy rooms with cheerful lights, open their doors to family and friends to share a drink or two or join together for a meal. Little children giddy with excitement, anticipate the arrival of the big man with the white beard and generous heart. People smile at strangers. Wearing daft hats and even sillier jumpers. Wishing everybody a Merry Christmas.
From October the pressure is on. We are bombarded everywhere you look by adverts always showing happy families together. Telling us that to be happy we should be spending our money on lavish gifts, which are still being paid for when it is time for the summer holidays. Fill our cupboards and freezers with enough food to feed an army for a fortnight or more, even though the supermarkets will be closed for only one day. Grey-faced with tiredness we pile into cars or trains or even planes to join the family. Somewhere. So we are not alone.
But what about those who have nothing to celebrate? Those living on the streets, for whatever reason. The hungry? The poor? Singletons who have no family to share a meal with. People who have recently suffered a bereavement or face Christmas without a certain family member for the first time. Old people forced into often childish behaviour, being treated as though they were infants again. Those who have no religious beliefs and find the whole idea of celebrating a birth that may never have happened a complete anathema. Those who really, truly, honestly, prefer to be on their own, but are made to feel that there must be something wrong with them.
What about them?
TRAVEL WORDS 
A very contemplative post, Jude. Thanks!
In a contemplative mood Pit. There is so much pressure for people to conform at this time.
I agree.
🙂
Well said, Jude….
Thank you Sue.
I once spent Christmas Day alone, after a night shift on the ambulances, and between marriages. Everyone thought I was mad not to accept their invitations to join them, but I relished the break from routine.
We have spent all day cleaning the house, punctuated by arguments about who should have done what, and why they didn’t or couldn’t do it. All this stress for two days.
I could really do without ever going through this again, to be honest. It makes me feel my age.
Best wishes, and Happy Christmas! Pete. x
Crazy isn’t it? Any other day of the year and no-one is bothered whether you are alone or not. I prefer spending time with my family when there isn’t all this pressure. Hope you survive the storm Pete, and wishing you both a very positive 2018 🙂
Great post Jude. I was thinking in a similar fashion when I was out this morning – so much pressure everywhere – every advert, every shop window, ….
On a brighter note, it’s great to see that a lot of people are out there trying to help, and Euston Station is opening up to feed and provide shelter to the homeless on Christmas day.
I dread Christmas these days…. A commercial jamboree, and the two days of the year when I really do NOT want to be on my own. Fortunately that hasn’t happened yet…..
Well said Jude. Each year I find it harder to muster up any enthusiasm for an institution which has been so comprehensively hijacked for commercial gain and which causes such friction within families.
One of my best Christmas memories is of a year when the Big T and I agreed to ignore it. We hung round home, read, watched videos and ate left-over pizza. It was not long after we moved to the UK so there was no family around to feel we had to visit. I could probably chart every year since then by the, in hindsight ridiculous, trigger for the massive row that we’ve inevitably had.
I thought we’d almost come full circle this year, but even our attempt at quiet minimalism have caused tension and arguments between us. And our “problems” are about social obligation, not trying to put food on the table. The City Mission here has been overwhelmed in the last few weeks, and despite the generosity of a great many Aucklanders, is struggling to meet a growing need.
Enough said. I hope you have a peaceful Christmas spent in ways of your choosing.
What makes me so mad is all these silly rich people spending money for the sake of it, when there are people with nothing. Surely in the 21st century society should be / could be more equal. Rant over.
I feel exactly the same way. And so much of what’s bought will end up in the landfill or on Ebay the next day anyway. Not to mention the excessive packaging. Grr. I think granita for breakfast might not be such a bad thing 🙂
I feel sorry for families who feel they have to shower their children with expensive gifts that they can’t afford so that they are the same as everyone else. People “in real life” find my minimalist attitude to Christmas odd, yet so many here seem to feel the same way. It’s all so out of hand. One of my happiest Christmas memories is the year we went to Florence for the whole week. Christmas seemed much less frantic there.
As a single parent with four children I understand that sort of pressure, fortunately I was very thrifty and saved throughout the year to provide the bike they wanted or the games console (shared). My grandchildren seem to want ever-increasing expensive presents, but I have a personal limit of £25 each. Stopped exchanging adult gifts a few years ago as that was more pressure on the parents. We have gone away on a few occasions, but now we have our own cottage in the country it is nice to stay at home 🙂
That sounds cosy! We’ll be at home too, with my mum – no presents, just enjoying each other’s company. Unless she forgets again that I’m 60, not 6, and starts telling me what to do 😉
Haha… that made me chuckle 🙂
I’m glad!
I refuse to have granita for breakfast for anyone! Ever! 🙂 🙂 But I do love your gentle reflections in the water. Yes, I know it’s a lot of hype, but there are lots of good initiatives out there. If you can’t offer someone a place at your table on Christmas Day you can buy them a meal. Unfortunately when you’re young and don’t have the money to spend on it is when you’re most vulnerable. Old bah humbugs like us know better.
Merry Christmas, Jude 🙂
I thought you might like the harbour lights (Mevagissey). I liked Christmas a lot better when it was less frenetic and obscenely expensive. But I guess we’re not going back to that any time soon.
You were much younger then and had the kids. They were different times xxx
Indeed.
A great post Jude, which has shone a light in dark places. Low key for us. No presents – oh, a large box of nutrigrain for grandson! – and lasagne and salad. A good surf would satisfy the 4 men, and all of us will enjoy a loaf around with the dogs and a beer or two. Then a Warsaw Skype and a call to my Australian daughter who almost joined us, but is relishing her first Christmas in 20+ years without a crazy work schedule surrounding it. May yours be totally pleasant and the year a wonderful one.
It was thinking about Paula’s prompt which led me down this path and how everyone is practically forced into believing that unless they are with family, then they won’t have a happy time. Even all the stuff about the homeless drives me crazy, one Christmas dinner isn’t going to feed them for the rest of the year! Aaargh! Anyway, I enjoyed having my family around in the summer when we were able to share a good plate of simple food and walks on the sand. OH and I plan a stroll on a beach, weather permitting, a nice steak and salad and a glass of good red wine. You seem to have everything sorted – enjoy!!
A contemplative look at this crazy season Jude and I agree with all your sentiments. I went early to the supermarket yesterday for the pav and strawberries (the pav on special, I don’t bake any more, the strawberries doubled in price!) Other peoples trolleys piled to overflowing, anxious, unhappy faces, arguing kids and parents and strangely hardly any Christmas carols played over sound systems (due to the Muslims complaining) even the word “Christmas” is replaced in many places by just “holiday” I’m having the family to my place, now we are back in the whole house. A simple prawns, chicken and salad affair followed by pav and strawberries then down to the beach. Forecast is for 30+degrees… Enjoy your peaceful Christmas. Best wishes for 2018 my blogging buddy…
Ah, I wouldn’t mind a slice of that pavlova PP.
I don’t think there will be any left…
I miss the light in the winter, so I hang up colored lights in my house and enjoy the atmosphere they create. But the rest of the hype, I can do without. I did make some home-made bird feeders as my acknowledgment of the season, though 🙂
I think it is nice to create some of the festivities in December, we need to celebrate the winter solstice and the arrival of spring, it just gets too much. I am sure the birds appreciate your gifts as much as we appreciate seeing the birds in our gardens.