I happened across this earlier today, on a blog I frequent. Yes, that's right, friends; the Christmas discourse begins already. No doubt many people will shake their heads or groan upon hearing that. That's right: I've become like one of those annoying ads that advertises Christmas offers in September. Yes, I know: it's late October, Christmas is just over two months away. To be perfectly honest, though, I've been looking forward to it in a direct way for weeks. Indirectly, of course, I've been looking forward to it since last Christmas – and why not? Around Christmas every year, I revert to a childlike enthusiasm, untempered by any kind of cynicism. I feel a genuine and overwhelming sense of pure joy.
Part of the reason why I've started looking forward to Christmas recently has been the cold snap which began quite suddenly in the last few weeks. We've had the kind of dry chill in the air that I'd normally associate with December; naturally, association being what it is, this makes me think of Christmas as being quite close. In fact, the end of December is possibly the coldest time of year; last year's was particularly bad. Yet even though I associate December with a great deal of cold, I can't recall ever being cold at Christmas. I don't think it's selective memory, either; there really is a kind of intangible warmth around Christmas. Somehow, Christmas creates its own unseasonal, undetectable warmth. It sounds ridiculous even to me now to say such a thing, but it really does feel like that. Perhaps it's just that I don't feel cold because I can't associate Christmas with the bad feelings that being cold would suggest, or maybe it's that joy I mentioned earlier.
A dear friend of mine (who has a similar love of Christmas) mentioned earlier today that Christmas FM will soon be announcing its frequency for this year (yes, it's been quite a Christmassy day). This got me thinking about Christmas music. Now, let's not mince words: some of it is painful. Only a few days into December, I guarantee I will want to strangle the child from that bloody "Christmas Shoes" song; let's not even get into my utter loathing for the Ronan Keating and Moya Brennan cover of 'Fairytale of New York' (I'm sure I'll end up writing an article about it eventually. "You're cheap and you're haggard"... urgh). There are the guilty pleasures, however; I recommend this (for Cliff's magnificent dancing, a favourite in my household; particularly from 2.24 on. Also note his Fonzie pose at 1.35) and this (purely for his jumper, though the elf and Santa also amuse me). Beyond that, though, there are the songs that are genuinely good. Wizzard, for instance; yes, it's cheesy, but I will never stop loving it. The same applies to Slade and Jona Lewie. Also, since my dad complains every year that 'Pipes of Peace' doesn't get played enough, I'll give it an air. Then there are the objectively good songs, the ones which actually seem good at any time of year; Greg Lake and the Pogues spring to mind. If I could make one recommendation, though, before this paragraph collapses under its own weight, it would be to seek out some older Christmas music; the great crooners (Frank, Sammy, Dean, Bing et al) did some great versions of carols like 'O Come All Ye Faithful' (always my favourite), as well as more recent songs like 'White Christmas'; they're well worth looking up.
Now to the elephant in the room. Yes, it's true: presents are a large part of the reason I like Christmas. I enjoy getting free things (and, yes, I enjoy giving too). There are some caveats, though. Firstly, I often find myself appreciating the presents which come as a complete surprise far more than any others; it may be a cliché that it's the thought that counts, but I really do love the idea that someone cares enough to put in so much thought (also, I'm woeful at buying for people, so I can appreciate how difficult it is). Also, while I do associate past Christmases with the things I got for them, my prevailing image is always either going into the sitting room for the first time (which is more to do with the sense of anticipation, followed by surprise and joy, than the items themselves), or else sitting around the table at dinner with my family.
Speaking of Christmas dinner, that's something I'm already looking forward to for sure. Turkey is a delicious meat, and it really feels like a luxury. Roast potatoes, perhaps some melon as a starter; Christmas dinner in the Treacy house is quite the occasion. Funnily enough, I never cared for crackers as a child; I hated the bang. Even now, I have to tense myself for it, the way I do for gunshots whenever I'm in the theatre. Food in general is a big attraction of the Christmas season; endless chocolates and sweets, with the eternal "Roses or Quality Street?" conundrum. It helps contribute to that wonderful sense of luxury around Christmas.
I hope my enthusiasm for the Christmas season is evident. I say "the Christmas season" even though I've been concentrating a little on the day itself, because I love the build-up almost as much as the actual day. Those damn songs playing everywhere, lights appearing around the place (a neighbour of my aunt's is always particularly extravagant with the lights on his house; I shall try to get a photograph this year), harried-looking people laden down with shopping bags – the anticipation is slowly built up. Even now, there's a smile on my face at the thought of my favourite Christmas traditions (I have many; I may outline some at a later date). The countdown begins here, and I do mean that; I intend to keep said countdown going right up to the 25th of December. So, without further ado...
64 days until Christmas!
[By the way, I don't particularly care for Hallowe'en, so I'm more or less ignoring it. Actually, I don't much care for a lot of holidays, but I make up for that by really loving Christmas.]
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