What puts you in a holiday mood?

stealing my first salvation army kettle of the year.

The Ray Conniff Singers, my iPod and a pair of headphones.

Eggnog and rum. Lots and lots of rum. Then I'll get in the mood to celebrate almost anything.

One year, after decorating the tree and drinking lots and lots of rum, I fell asleep on the floor admiring my handiwork. During the night, inexplicably, the tree fell atop my nearly lifeless body. At about the same time, I must've been having a nightmare about an avalanche or something, because I awoke with what I thought was the whole of the Alpine forest crushing my chest.

Eventually, I was rescued. (It's a good thing the kids didn't wake up...)

so there is a santa?

Decorating my tree. Driving around looking at Christmas lights.

Irish Cream. Especially hot coffee with Irish Cream.

Having a Royal Xmas party in the royalty thread and having all my friends up above stop by, so you better stop by, k.

A decorated tree, a fire in the fireplace, and the smells of cookies baking....Yup! That does it!

I love it all. I start putting up decorations the day after Thanksgiving, and that is when my son writes to Santa with his list. I've been making cookies non-stop. Tonight: Macaroons! Yay!
Tony Bennett and Andy Williams are now the music of choice in my car when my boy is in it.

Baking the first goodies of the season.

Nothing after I left San Francisco at age 28. L.A. and south Florida just do not cut it.

In the city we had the hustle and bustle of shoppers within a few blocks of Union Square, the scent of trees, Santas and the Salvation Army ringing bells, and rounds of parties where the booze flowed.

Christmas carols. The real ones, the kind they refuse to play in supermarkets now. I could listen to O Holy Night and What Child is This and Joy to the World and the Coventry Carol and... well, you get the idea.

William Haskins said:

so there is a santa?

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Yeah, but all I could see of her at first were cheap fluffy slippers and cracked heels that could do with a dab of lotion. It was dark except for the twinkling lights I was suffocating under, but I recognized those feet; they kept moving around, going from one side of the tree to the other.

Santa's feet could talk, too, and they said, "That stupid son-of-a-bitch! I told him a hundred times to tie the goddamn tree down."

The tree started to shake, a little at first, then with growing persistence until my den was uncovered.

Santa was angry. She said if the tree wasn't back up, in pristine order, by the time the children rose from their slumber, my life would become little more than a coal chute.

You can bet I thought that one over for a while before I passed out again without moving.

Well, no snow this year-- I'm living in the wrong area for it. Been hearing Christmas songs since October thanks to my part-time retail job. Haven't believed in Santa since I discovered that he and my mom strangely had the same handwriting.

LOL.

Okay, serious answer: family. Next week, it will truly feel like the holidays to me when I walk in the front door of my grandmothers house and see things getting ready for the party that evening and help her set up for our family gathering Christmas Eve. When I see my Aunt in one of her many Christmas sweaters and my mom's dog playing with some sort of Christmas-themed toy she bought.

My Nana will (once again) remind whoever is sleeping in the living room that her tree lights will automatically go off at 12:30am. And inevitably my mom's dog will jump up on the couch (as I usually sleep in the living room) at some ungodly hour of the morning when she wants to be taken outside.

Yeah, then it will be Christmas.

I love putting up the lights and decorations while listening to some old Christmas Carols. I start baking various things around Thanksgiving and it doesn't stop until after Christmas. It's my favorite holiday.

January.


(My cheer picks right up when the commercialism is gone)

(sorry, but it's true)

Christmas Eve. We go over to my Oldest Bother's house for dinner (all safe for me to eat) and opening family presents. It's warm and friendly. We listen to our selection of Christmas Songs on the way to and from. For now, Hubby and I open our gifts to each other once we get home (usually around 12-1am), then go to bed so we can go to his family's on Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve means the commercialism is done. It's just a pleasant celebration. There's no counting presents or comparing dollar amounts or anything at my Bother's. Whenever conversation gets into a touchy area, some one always points out, "Hey, it's Christmas" and then it's back to being nice. The conversation may continue, but in a nice way (kind of like some of the civil conversations here.)

It's dark (my favorite time of day) by the time we even get to my Brother's. Sometimes there's snow falling/ on the ground, but it's always cold enough to be bundled in hat, scarf, coat. The back door at Bother's is foggy from the heat of things cooking. Often, I help Bother finished cooking (we'll ignore the fact that he and his wife can't work together to finish...) and then the table is pulled into the middle of the room, chairs are rounded up from every nook and cranny and someone has to wash the last forks so there's enough for everyone.

Sometime after arriving at my Bother's, Christmas arrives. It's not so much a time on a clock or a day on a calender. It's a feeling of peace and celebration. My porcupine quills even lay down.

Bahamutchild said:

January.


(My cheer picks right up when the commercialism is gone)

(sorry, but it's true)

Click to expand...

I agree. I start to feel good after I've washed the last dish on Christmas afternoon - usually in near 40 degree heat (celcius).

That Santa Baby song. It does the trick every time.

The kids getting ideas of what they can give each other. Initially, it changes daily and not always in a good way...

Sorry, but not much gets me into the Christmas spirit. I'm not into the holiday, and I don't get or give presents, so it doesn't mean a lot to me. (Not what you want to hear, I know.)

I do put up a Christmas tree and put ornaments on it. I've started collecting some really nice ornaments, and I enjoy looking at them. And the lights are pretty.

Then every morning I go downstairs and redecorate the Christmas tree once the cats are done DEdecorating it....

I think eggnog with lots of brandy might put me into the "spirit." ;-)

When we put the tree and lights up, usually with a tin of chocolates nearby.

But Christmas really arrives for me at Christmas Eve, when work is over and everyone is splitting up to go their own ways. The commercialism is over, and it's time to get on the train to go home to my family's and start preparing the turkey and ham for the next day, and eating mince pies and chocolate, and bringing the cat in so he can stalk the tree.

It's going to be a little different this year because I'm not actually working on Christmas Eve for the first time since I was about seventeen, so I'll be finished work the previous night and we're all going to go out and have a Christmas drink. Then it's on the train early on Christmas Eve.

So many things!

Hearing "Mary, did you know" on the radio station that plays nothing but Christmas songs beginning the day after Thanksgiving.

The first snowflakes and the kids running in with shouts of, "It's snowing!"

Making peanut brittle - which I only make at Christmas time.

The first Christmas card in the mail, and knowing when I see it that it's from my best friends' mom and dad - she's been my best friend since we were three.

Hearing the jingle bells I hang on all the doorways. They drive the dog nuts, so in addition to the bells, we have the barking and the mad scramble through the house to see who's here.

The wreath I hang on my back yard gate - the only entry we use during the holidays.

Gee, this was nice. Now I have to go make fudge or something.