What do you like about Christmas?

Bees said:

What do you like about Christmas?

Almost Everything.
That I can think of:

I'm sensory seeking when it comes to xmas lights.  And my fave colours are everywhere this time of year.

I like setting up the tree, I have a 4ft one so it isn't physically taxing, and putting my fave decorations on it.

I start present shopping early so there is no rush, I like to play detective so if someone isn't a total mystery I enjoy working out what they would really like, and if I get stuck I ask them for a wishlist, or give cash in a card for the impossible people.

Sometimes I don't even wait until xmas, if I see something small I think a loved one needs or wants I'll get it for them just because.

I like the big dinner with the extended family - who I get on with, I'm not in any closets with them and they know I'm autistic so if anything gets overwhelming I just excuse myself to the quieter room with my ear defenders and nobody makes a fuss and drama about it.

The songs, I have classic playlists on an mp3 player and on CDs in the car, so I listen to all of them - except WHAM, because I've been playing and mostly winning Whamageddon for the last 4 years and I don't see why I should break a fun habit now.

Mince pies.

Making up for North Pole staff shortages and being the xmas elf and making the Santa presents, it's the ones for the kids that aren't in the usual wrapping paper, and they can't have seen you buying it or the wrapping, so when you put it under the tree on christmas eve it looks out of place like it was wrapped by someone (at the north pole) else all covered in the ribbons and bows and things.

Watching fave seasonal movies under a blanket with the family.

All the food and drink.

I'm not at all religious in the traditional judeo-christian sense, for us it's more like the date for Yule got pushed back a few days, and a festival of familial and humanitarian love and warmth. People say it's about the birth of Jesus* but really even if you strip it down to it's most secular it's still about breaking up the dreariness of winter and being thankful for eachother. Unless you are a business person in which case it's about exploiting people for capitalism, but that is very cynical when you don't actually have to buy loads of stuff to enjoy xmas. Maybe other people see it different, but the question was "What do you like about Christmas", and that's my answer.

* (It isn't. https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/biblical-evidence-shows-jesus-christ-wasnt-born-on-dec-25 
https://historycooperative.org/pagan-origins-of-christmas/  Enlightening reading or those interested in history, religion, and religious history.)        Because I also like the history of the holiday.

 
Oooh I like carolers too, but we don't seem to get them around here despite being in a town with seemingly a church on every street.

I still like the religious songs tbh, I think they are quite sweet regardless even if Mary's Boy Child is historically innacurate.

When all the xmas shopping is done I still like to go out for a short while when there is plenty time left so it's not a crush and just "mop up" the last bits like stocking fillers from highstreet shops and see if they have any actual reindeer about, sometimes they do and I like to see them.

I love mince pies  but I can't eat too much now because my digestion is massively over sensitive.

I love mince pies  but I can't eat too much now because my digestion is massively over sensitive.