Live the Pooh way

The spirit of Christmas.

Where has it gone? In fact, the spirit of every national holiday and special day seems to have waned. There's still some there, but not as much. Maybe that's how it feels when you grow up. Maybe it is still there but we have to look that bit harder for it with all the vommercialisation of it.
I always remember sitting my RE GCSE paper where I won the RE prize. One of the questions was to discuss the word play in the picture of a banner in town:

'Glory to be in the High street!'

Well, I wrote realms! It is true that Christmas has become too commercial and the strenuous link of the three wise men bringing gifts you struggled spelling as a kid, has become even more tenuous.

I look back very fondly on the Christmas mornings when I was growing up. It was pure delight to open all the prezzies from my aunts and uncles, then my grandparents, saving my parents' gifts till last. The best till last. I always had a stocking, filled with tangerines, gold  chocolate coins and bits and bobs of stationery.
My presents were always things I'd asked for throughout the year. 'Wait till your birthday or Christmas', was said often to my friends and I. And wait is what we did! My parents would go to the wonderfully packed John Brittain's toy shop in town, and hide them all over the house Or, as they told us, the elves had been busy making toys!

The suspense on that run up to Christmas morning was amazing. We were very patient and had faith that everything on our Christmas list had been ticked off! When I look back on those lovely memories, this quote is so true.

The lovely tradition of stockings being filled too! Perhaps that's what is missing a bit nowadays? That good old nod to tradition and customs? Presents are still bought, wrapped and hidden away until Christmas morning. Children still creep downstairs to see if he's been then eagerly open their prezzies. It's still so much fun, especially as the younger ones scream at the bike shaped wrapping paper. But some of that waiting months to have something on Christmas Day has gone as many children get things soon as they want them. Or have so much pocket money, they can buy it themselves. I am generalising though. As I always do!
I love this next quote. Christmas is a feeling; a warm, roasty, toasty feeling.

I do love the idea of bottling up this lovely, gappy feeling of love between friends and families.

This made me laugh though. How many different spirits are there?

Well, I'll have any of these three spirits thankyou! This is a joky quote but I suppose it does remind us again of the commercialisation of it all.

I do agree with this next quote. It isn't just for that day or week or festive period. It's about being kind, thoughtful and loving all year round.

Christmas is about the children. And the child in adults! It's about the magic of believing, the magic of sharing presents, the magic of family and friends spending time together. It is about Christ too, for those who go to church. This quote shows how the magic can be spread to one another. Again, this is true for every day of the year. Try to see life again through the magical eyes of a child.

It is lovely getting presents and fun buying them. But it's about a lot more than that. Quality time with loved ones we don't get to see enough of in the busy year. It is about making more effort to get together. Family traditions too. Christmas formed such a big part of my life growing up. We would have family parties, playing Charades and dancing to Chas and Dave. It was so lovely to have different generations altogether, laughing and singing. My cousins and I would make dances up for the family and we'd put my grandma's costume jewellery on. We'd sit with my grandparents, laughing at the various Christmas specials like Morecambe and Wise and I'd have a sip of the fluffy Snowballs drink! When I look back, these gatherings were full of Christmas spirit and love and I wish I'd been able to bottle that!

So, I should lay under the tree and remind my family that I'm their gift! Ha ha!

I love this quote too. Keep sparkling the whole year round!

Christmas means so much to me. Growing up, I went to Sunday school and took my presents Christmas morning to show. Now, we always go to the lovely, local Christingle service on Christmas Eve and this kind of starts off Christmas properly for me, personally. A link to my past. Then it's home to drink Snowballs and eat mince pies, sprinkle reindeer dust on the garden, get the mince pie and sherry ready for Father Christmas and the carrot for Rudolph, fill the stockings and go to bed, looking up at the skies for a glimpse of Father Christmas!

So whether you are religious or not, Christmas is about being kind, helping others and taking time to see our loved ones. I love the idea of  giving people your presence as well as a present, in this very busy world we live in; giving them your precious time and attention as well as your love. Taking the time to write a card or letter to loved ones across the miles, visiting elderly relatives. The relatives who, looking back, helped make your Christmas as a child so special. Give back that magic to them.