A Merry Little Christmas

Christmas is mere days away; I have yet to wrap a single present. I have yet to buy a single present, come to that. I've not decorated, I've penned no witty Christmas cards and I have eaten not one mince pie. It's fairly safe to say that I won't be doing the "traditional" Christmas this year. Now, reading this may bring names like "Scrooge" or "Grinch" to mind, but I would ask that you hold off on the judgement for the briefest of moments whilst I explain.

Don't mistake me; I love Christmas as much as the next guy. I love the relaxing, crooning music that was immortalised by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Judy Garland. I love the smell of the winter nights and the log fires. I love the red, blue, green, orange & pink Christmas lights because they remind me of how much I would physically shake with excitement as a child on Christmas morning having his presents handed to him by his big brother. I love the drinking, and I love the food. I really love the food. 

What I don't like is the headache that the holiday period seems to have become. It all seemed so relaxed when I was a kid. I'm certain that it wasn't, but perhaps it should have been. I hate seeing people frantically running from shop to shop for this trinket or that, knowing that all but the most expensive presents will see very little use beyond Christmas day. Or hearing colleagues arguing over holiday leave, and seeing the general financial panic that people get themselves into just so that the 45 minutes you spend opening gifts is as extravagant as possible. 

I appreciate that this is simply what Christmas has become, and that soon enough I will be knee-deep in the Christmas spirit as I wade through the many gift-wrapped requests of my future children, but for the time-being, I'm keeping it simple. This year might be my favourite yet. 

Christmas Eve will be spent getting painfully drunk with my good friend and flatmate; eating crappy food, drinking cheap beer and watching sub-par films. I'll wake up Christmas Day battling a nasty hangover, and struggle through it to clean the house; awaiting the arrival of my Ma to help cook the meal. We'll spend a few hours together listening to Christmas music and soon enough, my brothers will arrive with Mum's fiancee. We'll eat beautiful food, drink cheap beer and watch some more films. Simple as that.

This is Christmas for me, and there's nothing I enjoy more at Christmas than eating, drinking and laughing with my brothers and seeing Mum relax with Jeff. We'll be as close as we ever are with not a present in sight. I cannot wait. 

I love this time of year. 

So with that said, have yourselves a merry little Christmas. I'll see you on the other side of it!