Hi Cath,

I love these pictures...Especially the open fire one.....So christmassy!

Much enjoyed...( especially on this very grey day)

Debbie.

Hi Cathy,

Snow,Christmas....sorry,familar thread going through these!!

Recently watched 'Christmas Vacation'.....Think it may have effected me too much!!

Debbie.

 Hi Rob,

You get snow?..Oh God i am so envious,a white christmas...How wonderful.I think the nearest we get to a 'white christmas' in London is the Bing Crosby film!..ha ha ha..

Yes ''Its a wonderful Life'' is great,I also like ''The Bishop's Wife'', ''Christmas Vacation'' (which i think is the funniest film i have seen, though have a 'few' very similar christmas's!!) and the old black and white ones,the sentimental ones that leave you with a smile on your face and a tear in your eye...

Great thread, Debbie! I too adore Christmas. I am not sure where you live but here in the States we celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday at the end of November and for me it's a big old feast to ring in the Christmas season. Lol.

I usually put up my Christmas tree after Thanksgiving dinner has been cleared away. I put on Christmas carols, make hot chocolate, light a fire and go to town! Lol. Afterwards it is a tradition to watch "A Christmas Carol" with Patrick Stewart.

I'm all for progress but there are times when we need to put the brakes on for a while. Who cares if in the future you might be able to get to London from Manchester in 2 hours instead of three, who cares if our supermarket bananas have to be striaght instead of curved, who cares if I spell 'striaght' wrongly. Go back into our history books and you'll note the spellings of names and words differ completely. Who cares if I add the milk to the teacup before adding the tea? The only thing that matters is that we care for each other, once we stop doing that we are nobody.

I love Christmas because of the Childhood memories it has left in me, Playing in the frozen snow (with a pair of old socks on my hands cuase we couldnt always afford a pair of gloves). Sitting by the warm open fire. Helping mum and brothers and sisters dress the Christmas tree. Making decorations out of coloured paper. collecting Holly and Mistletoe from the hedgerow. Whatching 'dad' clean and pluck the chicken.The smell of the mum's home baking. Opening our presents on Christmas morning. The sound of Christmas Carols. The friendliness and greetings of everyone you meet.Counting the Christmas cards from friends and neighbours. The Nativity scenes. Opening our chocolate bar selection box, tin of sweets or sugar pig.Having a slice of grandmas rich fruit and rum flavoured Christmas cake, complete with sugar icing and almand paste (Marzipan) Listening to Grandad playing the piano. The Queens speech on the radio.

I have never been a wealthy man but with memories such as these, I am 'rich' beyond belief !

That was Christmas!!!!! 

Hi Diana,

I live in the uk where unfortunately Christmas doesn't arrive until December!..That is except for my little home where the christmas tree and decorations get dusted off towards the end of November despite all the moans and groans!!

It was nice to hear that im not the only one that HAS to play the carols and watch something christmassy while assembling everything.

I just think its a lovely time of the year when  everything just ''seems' brighter and a whole lot more excitng!!!!

Hi,

 Your message was very moving.You sum up everything that makes Christmas such a special time for all.

It's not about the expensive presents or fancy decorations,that really carry little meaning,it's the memories of past christmas's when money was scarce and the real meaning of December shone through.

What makes christmas for me is mum baking Mince pies in our freezing cold kitchen with cold hands,it's how me and my brother would warm our toes around our open fire while sipping hot chocolate and hoping we had been good enough to get he 'things' on our christmas list,it was watching mum run upstairs with a warm iron to iron our sheets as our house was so cold.( this was done so we had warm beds to get into)....and hanging paper decorations on the Christmas tree that we had glued and coloured in...

Priceless....

bbie..