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Christmas in Films, Music, Stories, Poems and Traditions

Trainspotter

With Christmas rapidly approaching - it seems only twelve months since last time - I thought I would start a thread on Christmas - what it means to us, our memories, what traditions we have (locally or of our own), what we like or don't like, and also to share our favourite films and music of Christmas.

I do not like the commerciality of Christmas.  My favourite memories of Christmas were when I was young, and returning from Church before Christmas to the glow of the the wireless/gramophone set in the living room, the light of which was an eerie green colour, the room being lit by the lights of the Christmas tree and a collection of 78's of Christmas Carols playing on the gramophone. It was a truly magical time.

In the late 1980's a programme was made for Channel 4 of Dylan Thomas's 'A Child's Christmas in Wales'.  This is a film I watch over and over again, it just evokes memories of my early Christmases, when we did not have a television set.  This film isW beautifully shot, and brings the humour of Dylan Thomas out.  'A Child's Christmas in Wales' was originally a short story, and there are versions of Dylan Thomas himself reading it on You Tube.  Dylan Thomas had such a beautiful way of putting things into words, and perhaps because of my own Welsh heritage it always brings a bit of a tear to my eye, in a good way!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BTSQYdBuZY

I also think humour is an important part of Christmas and the Christmas season.  I like all sorts of Christmas music from religious to secular, and songs which are really about the season rather than Christmas.  So for my first song which I will put here is this one from Bob Rivers (who is a record producer, not the singer!), the song is a parody of a delivery by a certain brother and sister who were very popular in the 1970's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GONd04tiLk

Please share what Christmas means to you here.  And I will add more as the days pass!

Parents

  • As a child a tradition was me going and buying a Christmas tree with my dad. We then spent ages untangling the fairy lights. Inevitably they would not work to begin with. Then came the fun of finding the dud bulb. I remember delicate glass baubles, birds with fibre glass tails, paper Chinese lanterns. The fairy on top of the tree was given to me by a little boy called Duncan when I was 4 years old. I can still remember him walking down the garden path with it. She had wire through the holes where her legs used to be, a white dress, moulded blonde hair and a silver tinsel crown and wings. 

    These days we eat a special meal on Christmas Eve then take the leftovers out as a picnic lunch on Christmas Day. We go for a walk somewhere with our dog. I am wearing my Santa onesie and beard. We lost Duke in August to heart disease so this year will be the first Christmas with our new dog Izzy. It remains to be seen if she likes the festive season as much as Duke did. He absolutely loved coming up on to our bed on Christmas Day to unwrap his presents, there would be bits of wrapping paper flying everywhere and sellotape stuck to his beard. We still miss him. I am taking some roses to where we scattered his ashes tomorrow. 

  • in reply to Sunflower

    I miss my dog most at Christmas. I got him at Christmas. It snowed that year and he loved snow. It snowed the second day I had him and he put his face in the snow and just plowed through it. Hardly came up for air, never seen anything like it! I had to be careful walking him in the snow, I thought he'd suffocate! He never got over it, snow was always something that made him go nuts! He knew it was Christmas too. Clever little *** knew everyone would get him a treat! I was lucky he lived until he was 19. That's one downer about Christmas, I miss my dog. Sorry to hear you'll probably be missing Duke.

  • in reply to Cloudy Mountains

    Yes, we miss Duke every day. He was a larger Han life character, a huge personality in a little body. He was my friend and protector. When I was out with him I felt so much more confident. So sorry to hear about your dog. Your description is making me smile a lot! I know exactly what you mean about them plowing through the snow! Duke used to get snowballs and balls of ice on his undercarriage, but he didn't care! It snowed this last winter and although he was getting very tired because of his heart failure he still wanted to go out and play in it. 

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  • in reply to Cloudy Mountains

    Yes, we miss Duke every day. He was a larger Han life character, a huge personality in a little body. He was my friend and protector. When I was out with him I felt so much more confident. So sorry to hear about your dog. Your description is making me smile a lot! I know exactly what you mean about them plowing through the snow! Duke used to get snowballs and balls of ice on his undercarriage, but he didn't care! It snowed this last winter and although he was getting very tired because of his heart failure he still wanted to go out and play in it. 

Children
  • in reply to Sunflower

    Sweet picture! Almost too cute to look at! Lol, I'm getting all soft!

    Yeah, I'd always feel better around my dog. Never judged me. Was used to my weird quirks. Didn't take offence to my sarcastic comments. I know that he didn't understand most of it all, but it was nice to have company where I didn't have to watch myself! I could sing, talk to myself, and stim like mad.

    My dog was the same, he got old and frail, but the snow would put the devil in him. He'd get totally amped up. It was hard to calm him down, truth be told I didn't want to!

    The other day my mom was watching Hatchiko when I went round, I had to leave before I started crying like a ***. Never watch that film if you miss your dog! I'm a pretty emotionless person on the surface, but that is something I can't watch. It is pure emotional Kryptonite to me!