Published on 12, July, 2020
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!
Just made a depressing post about missing my dog, one thing that always pops up at Christmas.
Anyway a list of good things about Christmas, and some of my family celebrate Hannukah. Double whammy. A bit tiring but it's worth it.
Most Christmas music is ***, but Slade is great, and that Wings one with the synth too. It's a Wonderful Life, corny, schmaltzy, but the quintessential Christmas film. Watching the Darts championships with my dad. Watching some black and white stuff with my nan. Helping mom cook. Going over to my exes and getting drunk with her family. Anticipation of the weird, useless, present my cousin will buy, every year it gets stranger, and more funny. Mince Pies, Gelt Cake, Baked Camembert with home made giant croutons, and red onion marmalade, Brandy Snaps, Canolis with cherry jam, big bags of Pistachio nuts, brisket, smoked salmon, well yeah food in general. Seeing my friends and probably having a few drinks, games of Street Fighter. The whole gamate of awesome Christmas films that aren't supposed to be Christmas films but get shown every year, Goonies, Clash of the Titans, Krull, Lethal Weapon, Gremlins, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and you get it.
It's been a pretty rough time of it lately, but I'm determined to have a good Christmas. Going to try and have a mindless stereotypical Christmas as best I can. I'll probably run out of energy but I'm going to try.
Oh but one thing I really hate about Christmas is glitter, *** glitter, whoever invented it should be reviled in history as the absolute scum they are.