Like everyone else, I am thinking about Christmas. Our first Christmas on The BBB! I am excited and slightly apprehensive.
The tree we have had for many years won’t fit (in fact, there isn’t space for a tree at all). The lights might draw too much electricity. Are candles a better idea- and are they safe? But I am quite enjoying getting my teeth into the challenge!
But like everyone else, I have been pretending that it is too early to think about Christmas… whilst thinking about Christmas!
I have been complaining about shops that have Christmas music on in November and Christmas films at the cinema from Halloween.
But I still go shopping and watch the Christmas films!
I think I have revised Christmas! Christmas comes in layers.
We have to let Christmas time start early, or there isn’t enough time for Christmas events. It is up to us when Christmas starts (Christmas Time, Christmas Week, or even Christmas Day), just because shops started sooner doesn’t mean we have to!
I have seen a few Christmas films in the last couple of weeks and watched a lot of Christmas adverts. They have made me think about the effect they have on me. Films like Love Actually, which suggest that Christmas is a time for loving mankind, and being kind and generous. I think most people feel Christmassy, benevolent and full of human kindness for an hour or so after the film, but the films don’t really have much effect on our actions. 
We leave the cinema and life carries on. Have we got a gift for Tommy, is the turkey ordered. Do I have enough money, can I make it to all of the kids Christmas events, will they forgive me if I miss one…
In fact, I think these films (and even more so the seasonal adverts) can have a negative effect on us. I think they make us compare our Christmas with the Christmases in the films. In the films, Christmas is generally doomed for most of the film, but they end with a lovely Christmas with lots of people all around and a great community feel, even if it’s not how they first intended. There is often a throwback to the big Victorian style of Christmas or a big community Christmas (everyone stuck in the supermarket or cinema, for example). When it gets to the pinnacle, everything is great. In adverts, Christmas is even more perfect – generally because the family has brought the product being advertised! No tantruming toddlers, the dog doesn’t eat the presents, the dinner doesn’t burn. Everyone works hard to make Christmas perfect, which it is.
Most people can’t manage that (and often wouldn’t want to) – with modern families being spread far and wide and so many commuter towns with little sense of community.
This leaves people feeling that their Christmas doesn’t measure up. The estate don’t all sing around the tree, there is no piano in the lounge. What has happened to the Magic of Christmas?
Looking at the diagram above, Christmas Day is the biggest star, but the smallest amount of time. This says a lot! It is only 1 day!
Life continues because Christmas is just another day. Toddlers will tantrum. Food will burn. People will argue. On a darker note, people will die. People without homes are still without homes.
Christmas is lovely and sparkly and lifts our mood, yes.
But it is not magical.
Expecting one day out of 365 to be perfect is setting ourselves up to fail.
If we want to properly enjoy Christmas we need to alter our perception.
What do we enjoy? What makes us feel good? The perfectly-cooked turkey isn’t a good idea if you don’t like turkey! Helping people makes us feel good. Being around people makes us feel good although too much and it may also make us feel bad! The same goes for drinks!
If we have enjoyed Christmas time, it doesn’t matter if we haven’t got the perfect stuffing or, well, perfect anything! Perfect anything is generally unobtainable! Aim for nice or good instead!
I know a family with little children who had Findus Crispy Pancakes for Christmas dinner. They all loved them. No one spent ages cooking them. The kids didn’t get stressed eating a meal that they didn’t want. There was more time to spend together playing games and they had a lovely Christmas.
Do what makes you feel good. Don’t consider what you haven’t done and don’t kill yourself striving for the unobtainable.
Merry Christmas Time, however and whenever you want it!