Christmas...

[fajrdrako]

Gacked from dargie:

Do you celebrate Christmas? -- Yes, I love Christmas passionately.

Do you believe in Santa Claus? -- No.

When do you open presents? -- The morning of Dec. 25.

What is your favorite childhood animated Christmas movie? -- I have never seen an animated Christmas movie, for children or otherwise.

What is your favorite live-action Christmas movie? -- I've seen so few I don't think I can answer that.

What is your favorite Christmas song? -- "In the Bleak Midwinter", with the British music.

Have you ever gone caroling? -- Yes, long ago.

Any special foods you only have during the holidays? -- I like to eat plum pudding with rum hard sauce on Christmas day. Eggnog is a seasonal favourite.

What part of the gingerbread man do you bite off first? -- I go for different parts.

If you receive a fruitcake what do you do with it? -- I take it to work so the people there can eat it.

Do you put up Christmas decorations? -- Yes. I love them. I love the way they make my place look and feel.

Do you have any Christmas traditions? -- No. For the past few years, Marcelle and I make a joint Christmas dinner as part of the celebration.

Have you ever been kissed under the mistletoe? -- No.

Do you send Christmas cards? -- Yes. I stopped for a few years when I was too sick, depressed and poor to celebrate Christmas. Not now. I love sending Christmas cards and tend to send way too many.

What is the best Christmas gift you ever got? -- Punkinhead. He was a present two Christmases in a row. He was a cute tussle-topped little Eaton's teddy bear with big feet, who was in my stocking when I was three - the small version. Unfortunately when we went out that afternoon I left him at the street car stop and when we went back, he was gone. I hope some needy kid found him, who loved him as I would have.

The next year when I was four there was a cute little brown bear in my stocking, named Brownie. And under the Christmas tree, a large-size Punkinhead with red shorts. It doesn't get better than that.

What is the worst/most odd Christmas gift you ever got? -- Er... no idea.

What do you really hope to receive this Christmas? -- Yoga books. Or books in general.

Does Christmas make you feel younger, happier, stressed, or bitter? -- Not younger. It makes me feel cheerful.

Have you been naughty or nice this year? -- I like to think I am nice when I am naughty and naughty when I am nice.

Comments

Another POV

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

I always feel guilty at this time of year, because while I'm well aware that I'm supposed to feel happy, I rarely am. Xmas for me is a lifetime of unhappy memories due to a dysfunctional family both in childhood and most of my adulthood. Even though I know I control my own holidays now, we are so conditioned to feel that Christmas is all about family, love, and warmth, that all the season does for me is bring back all the unhappiness every year. It's just a time for me to "get through", and wish it was past, and I don't think that will ever change for me. And of course, it's always compounded by money worries. What pleasure I now get out of the holiday is from giving, and when I can't give because I can't afford to (even to charity), that's even more of a downer.

Sorry to depress your journal - feel free to delete if the spirit moves you, I won't mind ;-)

Re: Another POV

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oops - I replied to this and lost my comment.

I too suffer from the 'family' thing at Christmas. It's a huge reminder of what I do not have - family - tying it up neatly with concepts like love, happiness and peace; yes, that's depressing. Which is why I couldn't handle Christmas when I was depressed.

Still, there's something in me that responds happily to Christmas even under these circumstances, and the things I do enjoy - cards, parties, presents, carols, and so on.

I'm glad you commented. Really, there's no need for only cheery comments!

Re: Another POV

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

In a weird sort of way, I think that when I have no family expectations left, i.e. when my mom does pass away, then I will in a strange way be able to make Xmas 'my own' to some small extent, and try to enjoy it for what it means to me in the here and now, sort of - friends, cheery music, giving to charity, etc. At least, I hope so.

Re: Another POV

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hope so - that's a good thought. I find I am more and more disinclined to share other people's Christmas, however kind their invitations are in spirit.