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Has the magic of Christmas diminished?

Oh joy!  The shops are gearing up for Christmas; the cards & decorations are out even Christmas music is in one shop. The build up to Christmas has been ruined - it used to be magical when my children were young. What do you think? Do you feel the same?


Created By on 15/09/2015

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vee
27th Sep 2015 11:26:41
4
Thanks for voting!
Christmas was a stocking placed at the end of the bed contaning

A sugar mouse (pink of course)
A net bag of chocolate coins (in gold Foil)
A board game of ether snakes and ladders or ludo
A Cadburys selection box (a must for any child)
An orange. ( sounds silly but they were a real treat back then)

Your main present was given to you after breakfast. I know I looked forward so much to those simple gifts and wish so much that children today could have those same feelings.
Fruitcake13
25th Sep 2015 18:23:52 (Last activity: 26th Sep 2015 20:58:47)
4
Thanks for voting!
Yes, I agree with you, Christmas goes on for about 3 months now. I think 3 weeks would be more than long enough. When I was a child, we didn't put the decorations up in our house until 10 days before Christmas. That in itself was an event! We had a set of angel chimes (anyone remember those?) and we lit the candles on the chimes on Christmas Eve. It always felt so exciting, Christmas was truly on its way when those candles were lit and the little angels started turning.
Response from Cessie Original Poster made on 25th Sep 2015 21:01:55
Hi ,
I remember those angel chimes we had one, also when I was a child we had real candles on the tree (shock horror) & when I got up Christmas morning they would be glowing & the smell of the tree in the room was magical.
Response from Fruitcake13 made on 26th Sep 2015 16:52:50
Hi Cessie, I still have a set of angel chimes! Not the same one we had when I was a child, but I managed to find one in a shop and bought it for nostalgia's sake. We didn't have real candles on the tree, though. 'Shock, horror' indeed, the 'safety elf' would object! Lol! Nothing beats the smell of a real tree though, does it? We lived in Germany for a while, and I remember this wonderful blue fir tree we got there one Christmas. One thing about the Germans, they really know how to do Christmas properly!
Response from Cessie Original Poster made on 26th Sep 2015 18:24:07
Those were the days my friend.
I also remember stirring the Christmas pud at my grandmothers & making a wish. She was very busy from November pickling onions & red cabbage she also would make chutney.
One Christmas I went to Maidstone market to buy the fresh turkey I bought such a large one it would not fit in the oven so I had to tie the door with string wrap baco foil around the door & get up at 2am to turn the oven on it took 10 hours to cook. Oh happy days.
Response from Fruitcake13 made on 26th Sep 2015 20:58:47
Lol re the 2am start for the turkey! Maybe you should have left a note for Santa to switch the oven on for you while he was delivering the presents. I don't remember my mother making the Christmas pud, I think she bought one, as I do. I love Christmas pud, it's just about the nicest thing ever. I always bought the cake too (lazy, huh?!) but M&S always did the loveliest un-iced Christmas cakes (they just had plain marzipan on the top) so I did ice and decorate it myself, so I got away with it. Cooking's not my strong point!
SovereignInventory
16th Sep 2015 08:51:12 (Last activity: 26th Sep 2015 17:14:44)
3
Thanks for voting!
Unfortunately I totally agree that Christmas has just become too commercialised and materialistic, it is more about the quantity of what people (mainly kids) get as presents. Maybe as we have gotten older we lose that innocence and magic of Christmas, but I see a poor attitude from my own grandkids as to the real meaning of Christmas as it just seems a time when they can get even more overpriced stuff in addition to the vast amount they already have.
Response from charliegirl made on 26th Sep 2015 16:02:57
I used to love Christmas. The first sign and smell of Christmas was the making of THE PUDDING! We all had to have a turn at stirring it and making a wish, then witnessed the charms and the silver sixpence being mixed in by Mum. Health and safety killed that, not choking on a charm!

The thing is, it was all about being with family. Midnight Mass, a glass of port, games of cards, Boxing Day tea with aunts, uncles and cousins.

Last year I still had presents for some of my grandchildren under the tree on New Year's Eve. They live 25 mins away, but were too busy to see us. Sad? You bet. I used to love Christmas.
Response from Fruitcake13 made on 26th Sep 2015 17:14:44
Hi charliegirl, oh, yes, the pudding and the silver sixpence, and crepe paper crackers and port and Babycham. Lovely! We used to put mince pies and a glass of brandy or whisky out for Santa too on Christmas Eve. Once he left a big muddy footprint on the kitchen floor which we found on Christmas morning. Strange that Santa had the same size feet as our Dad though! Lol! Oh, and Santa always left a present for the dog too.
Jackie S
25th Sep 2015 20:41:56
0
Thanks for voting!
Yes I totally agree. It really spoils it. We haven't even had Harvest Festival or Guy Fawkes yet! We have just been to The Lake District and went into a garden centre that had Christmas trees already up and all the decorations for sale. Ridiculous!!
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