Pass the mince pies- Christmas Chat Thread Part Deux

Jude13

I do not think shops should be open on St. Stephens day, Christmas eve is not on to be honest.

DvB

Jude13 wrote: »

I do not think shops should be open on St. Stephens day, Christmas eve is not on to be honest.

I agree. In fact we've oft reminisced on here of the days everything shutdown for nearly a week over Christmas. Would love a return to that, alas pandoras box has been opened however so thats that.

Not sure I agree about Christmas Eve. Even back when i worked in retail part time during college there was a buzz about Christmas Eve & I still enjoy (if time allows) popping out & grabbing a coffee & scone with the family on the eve and taking in the building excitement etc. I appreciate that may be far from many's experience but its a part of what makes the eve great IMO.

Jude13

I get Christmas eve, in very distant past I would have gone to the pub Christmas eve. Man I am reminiscing/daydreaming now, seems to alien to have been in a jammed pub full of excitment.

TRS30

Jude13 wrote: »

I get Christmas eve, in very distant past I would have gone to the pub Christmas eve. Man I am reminiscing/daydreaming now, seems to alien to have been in a jammed pub full of excitment.

Spent more Christmas days then I care to remember from my late teens to mid 20's so hung over that hardly enjoyed the day at all!!

Would also be a fan of shops closing for a few days over Christmas so people didn't have to work and could enjoy the time however understand that some people enjoy the whole sales/shopping thing so is a balancing act I guess. Maybe close Stephen's day so people have at least two days off. Like DvB said, fear it will go the other way though and Christmas day will be like a normal day with pubs and shops open.

Jude13

My god I have been hanging on Christmas day in my youth, to the extent that it ruined it. Still when I was a 18/19 year old I had some craic on Christmas eve, it was such a special night.

DvB

I often wonder If Christmas Eve hasnt always been the peak for me. Over the years it would have been the highlight of the season for me more often than not with many a Christmas Day being quiet & pretty boring.

When I was young it was the excitment & apprehension for the coming morning, when I was older it was a great night out with the mates etc. Then as I got older & became a daddy it was the excitement of seeing the kids looking forward to christmas morning, then getting them ready in their new pyjamas & telling stories, watching movies etc & then all the prep getting everything set up for them the next morning.

Always loved Christmas Eve, easily my favourite day of the year. Hope it never changes.

TRS30

Has been an up and down day for me over the last few years. The years were we hosting and not been organised enough it was a bit stressful, when we weren't hosting or were super organised have enjoyed it and really felt the peak, as such, of the Christmas spirit.

Hosting or not, or whatever other things end up been different this year, I fully intend to be organised this year so can really enjoy the day to it fullest!

freshpopcorn

I got face masks a few weeks ago and I put them in a drawer. They are now scented like Christmas Yankee Candles.

New Home

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I got face masks a few weeks ago and I put them in a drawer. They are now scented like Christmas Yankee Candles.

I keep my Christmassy Frankincense candles in the wardrobe, too, where I also keep my woolly jumpers.

DvB

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I got face masks a few weeks ago and I put them in a drawer. They are now scented like Christmas Yankee Candles.

Brilliant!

Loughc

DvB wrote: »

I often wonder If Christmas Eve hasnt always been the peak for me. Over the years it would have been the highlight of the season for me more often than not with many a Christmas Day being quiet & pretty boring.

When I was young it was the excitment & apprehension for the coming morning, when I was older it was a great night out with the mates etc. Then as I got older & became a daddy it was the excitement of seeing the kids looking forward to christmas morning, then getting them ready in their new pyjamas & telling stories, watching movies etc & then all the prep getting everything set up for them the next morning.

Always loved Christmas Eve, easily my favourite day of the year. Hope it never changes.

Yeah completely agree. Christmas Eve is the magic for me. Even now a days It’s still the best day. Even the last time we had to host Christmas, Christmas Eve was a nice night for just us, we got a takeaway and then opened a ton of sweets while watching the muppet Christmas Carol and Elf.

New Home

I'm just going to leave this here....
https://www.sporcle.com/games/emilymarie07/christmas-songs-in-emojis

TRS30

Loughc wrote: »

Yeah completely agree. Christmas Eve is the magic for me. Even now a days It’s still the best day. Even the last time we had to host Christmas, Christmas Eve was a nice night for just us, we got a takeaway and then opened a ton of sweets while watching the muppet Christmas Carol and Elf.

Any night watching a Muppets Christmas Carol is a good night

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

Yeah completely agree. Christmas Eve is the magic for me. Even now a days It’s still the best day. Even the last time we had to host Christmas, Christmas Eve was a nice night for just us, we got a takeaway and then opened a ton of sweets while watching the muppet Christmas Carol and Elf.

Similar to ourselves. Even on the years we've hosted we've always managed to keep the day calm enough & whilst that morning we may have had some errands to run we always from the early afternoon onwards try to have a nice day with the kids, pop to shops for a last minute browse, grab a coffee etc. then back home, comfy slippers, get the kids washed & into their PJ's, takeaway for dinner (a solid tradition we wont be changing anytime soon) and then some TV before getting them to bed... might even have a whiskey or 2 before setting ourselves up for the morning. Rarely have I found the Eve stressful & I'll be hoping to keep it like that for as long as I'm around to enjoy it.

TRS30

Finishing up work for the week, have a good one Elves, stay safe and don’t get blown away!!

Posy

I'm home from work, and it's Friday. And payday weekend. Yesssss.


There was a pair of trousers (unoccupied) on my roof this morning, but apart from that the storm left me unscathed. :pac:

DvB

TRS30 wrote: »

Finishing up work for the week, have a good one Elves, stay safe and don’t get blown away!!

Finished at 4pm, straight out to get the weekly grocery shop and all done and dusted. Wine opened now so heres to the weekend even if the weather is to be poor.

New Home

Posy wrote: »

I'm home from work, and it's Friday. And payday weekend. Yesssss.


There was a pair of trousers (unoccupied) on my roof this morning, but apart from that the storm left me unscathed. :pac:

:eek::eek::eek:

Are they velvety red with white furry trimmings?

:eek::eek::eek:

I'd check the chimney, if I were you...

Posy

Don't be crazy- firstly, this is May, and secondly, my house is just over 5km from the North Pole. :pac:

New Home

Posy wrote: »

Don't be crazy- firstly, this is May, and secondly, my house is just over 5km from the North Pole. :pac:

Trial run? Or did he get confused because you were playing Christmas music in late May?

DvB

Noticed a few Christmas specials on tv this weekend, including Only fools' Jolly boys outing, which I must admit I watched again myself whilst doing my ironing this afternoon.

gidget

ITV had Gremlins on last night.

New Home

Here's something else to keep you going.

https://www.sporcle.com/games/bhenderson79/16-little-xmas-pictograms

Caranica

New Home wrote: »

Here's something else to keep you going.

https://www.sporcle.com/games/bhenderson79/16-little-xmas-pictograms

Only got 14/16. The other two made sense when I saw the answers

Loughc

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

Please christ dont let this last until the most wonderful time of the year... reckon I'd lose the plot completely if that was the case.

TRS30

DvB wrote: »

Please christ dont let this last until the most wonderful time of the year... reckon I'd lose the plot completely if that was the case.

I hear you. Have been handling it Ok so far and trying to keep as positive as I can however need to know that there is some light at the end of the tunnel as such.

Have the last two weeks in August booked off and hoping to get away for a few days, even to just my sisters house in Wicklow. Hopefully get Elf one ready for school and Elf 2 for last year of Montessori. Back to some normality!

freshpopcorn

DvB wrote: »

Please christ dont let this last until the most wonderful time of the year... reckon I'd lose the plot completely if that was the case.

I'm sort of unsure about everything to be honest for the coming months.

DvB

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I'm sort of unsure about everything to be honest for the coming months.

I think thats a reasonable enough feeling FP & I suspect the majority would share that feeling. Its hard to be sure of anything at the moment, but, just speaking for myself as someone who's having good days & bad days on a seemingly revolving status, I'm doing my best to try & not worry too much about what is completely outside my control & am generally speaking, trying to take 1 day at a time.

It isnt easy though (& Ryanair arent helping my mood either!!) but try not to get too down about a situation that could swing hugely in all directions between now & Christmas.

freshpopcorn

DvB wrote: »

I think thats a reasonable enough feeling FP & I suspect the majority would share that feeling. Its hard to be sure of anything at the moment, but, just speaking for myself as someone who's having good days & bad days on a seemingly revolving status, I'm doing my best to try & not worry too much about what is completely outside my control & am generally speaking, trying to take 1 day at a time.

It isnt easy though (& Ryanair arent helping my mood either!!) but try not to get too down about a situation that could swing hugely in all directions between now & Christmas.

I’m actually not to bad about things to be honest.
I’m trying to realistic about how things might be so I won’t be disappointed.