Don’t like it that Christmas starts earlier and earlier these days. It doesn’t seem as magical these days as it did when I was a kid because it goes on for too long.

Christmas season starts in December as far as I’m concerned.

For Christmas itself we stick to a traditional British Christmas but like all the Swiss stuff in the run up to Christmas itself.

Oh, I forgot! Chocolate letters for Sinterklaas (or whatever) must go to the Dutch store soon.

As we could never go away for Christmas (share of on-call duties) - my parents always came to us in the UK. We always had a real Christmas tree, put in the house on 22nd (with water spray and extinguisher carefully hidden in the corner) and real candles. Will always remember daughter, aged about 5 - with little sister next to her- saying, as we lit the tree on 24th in evening 'oh mummy, isn't it wonderful that we are the only people in England having a real Christmas <3

It's my second Odile.

This time I'm going North and I'll be joining a small group tour.

It is worth observing that any Christmas that doesn't involve dancing round the poof to Slade isn't actually a real Christmas at all. Just sayin', like.

Plenty of people had real trees with candles on in the UK back then, it wasn’t unique.

Yes. Could not agree with you more. It's much too commercialized

No electricity, eh? Bummer.

I remember that not many people had their tree up till the 20th at the earliest, too. My mum used to put ours up on 23rd while we were in bed and out of the way.

It’s only relatively recently that people have been putting trees up on 1. Dec. or even before.

We always put ours up after the 21st... family birthdays just before.

Exactly, trees never went up before the 20th and often not until Christmas Eve.

My aunt and uncle used to put theirs up on Christmas Eve morning and light the candles after tea on that evening. It was magical to us.

Another aunt had a real tree with candles on right up until she died in 2015 at the age of 90.

Ours never goes up until after hubby’s birthday on the 13th, usually a week after so around the 20th.

Both he and our son have birthdays in December so we don’t do Christmas until after we’ve celebrated those.

My dad always put the tree up two weeks before Christmas and took it down on 12th night. He was also a stickler for having a real tree because he used to get ours free from his mate who had a fruit and veg stall on the market, and would pick them up from Covent Garden (that dates it).

Yes and on Xmas eve the room has to be closed off to the children so that Santa can put his gifts under the tree. Then one lets the children into the room. And naturally real candles . What else? A bucket of water nearby .

I always start using a couple of nice, artisan scented candles around mid-November, stock up logs for the stove. Early December, I start reading a book about Xmas such as " Xmas Day: 12 stories and 12 feasts for 12 days" by Jeannette Winterson (highly recommended), we get a real tree (grown in our local sustainable forest) and write my 110 Xmas cards or so.


I was dreading this first Xmas as a split family and whether I would be ending spending Xmas on my own, but we have agreed that we are all breakfasting together in the family home and enjoying Xmas dinner at our local restaurant. Huge relief for me!


But meanwhile, let's focus on November! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2yekhjzhlw

And the big question is. When to open the presents ? Morning or evening?

Well I'll take your word for it - but in my 39 years in the UK, in many locations- I don't know of a single family with real candles on their tree in UK. And all friends, neighbours and colleagues were aghast at the idea... Which is why the girls felt it was so so special.

We opened main presents when tree was lit on 24th- but always kept some for stockings on 25th morning- and mince pies and whisky for FC, of course.

McTAVGE- for Christmas, I want to swap- get rid of November and have 2 Octobers, or 2 Junes instead. Please. When little Emma meets her maker (she is on top form and was 14 yesterday) - I will spend every November in the sunshine somewhere.

When it's OVER!

Tom

Pretty much the same as any other day of the year. We'll give each other presents, turkey for lunch with Christmas pud for afters, but otherwise I'll be on my PC same as always visiting my forums and playing Titan Quest or Grim Dawn. Not a special day for us.

I follow the Aussie tradition. I put on my bathers and sit outside under the umberella. And drink a dozen Fosters

First Sunday of Advent is in 9 days around here.

And we did Thanksgiving last Saturday.

Tom