by Mel (Fri Dec 25, 2009)
So here we are. The weeks of
shopping, stressing, thinking and spend, spend, spending have led up to this
point; December 25th. This is the day when we unite family, friends
and festive cheer. But how does your Christmas compare to the ones you used to
have?
As a child, I thought Christmas
was brilliant. Terry's Chocolate Orange for breakfast, new clothes, tons of
presents, big dinner, telly, walk, bed. Then, it seemed so simple. Now, I
realise just how hard women have always worked to make the day a success. Then,
they had to get up at 4am to put the turkey in the oven and the sprouts
on to boil. Now, oven timers do the turkey and sprout bit, but the kids still
get us up at 4am. And we can't tell them to sod off back to bed until 7am (like
our mothers would have done) because they might call social services. Then, as
now, women are expected to produce a stupendous meal for all the family
(indignant men, who do all the cooking, jump right in with your vitriolic
comments). Then, I don't remember Mum complaining about the work involved, but
maybe she'd started early on the sherry? Now, I complain (quite) a bit, and
then hole up in the kitchen drinking champagne. Different era, same solution.
Christmas always involved relatives. Aunt Pearl might drop
by to have a mince pie and leave some money in an envelope, and Uncle Nev would
smoke with Dad in the garden. They didn't stay long, and it wasn't a big deal. Now,
who you spend time with on Christmas day
is a minefield. Some couples alternate between parents, other women I know will
only spend Christmas with their Mum. Of course your mother-in-law can cause problems; she
wants her son home to pamper, but you don't want to drag the kids 5 hours up the
motorway just to keep her happy. I know someone who has called her husband's
bluff on this issue. She's told him to go home to Mummy, but that she is
staying put with the kids. She's scared witless he will opt for Mum, but feels
pretty sure the kid thing will win out. Did these mind games exist back then?
For most people in the West, Christmas Day will involve
television. In the UK, we have the Queen's Speech. The hallowed tradition of
rushing to the sofa at 3pm (GMT), singing with gusto to the National Anthem and
looking for signs of ageing in Queenie, is a fond memory from my childhood. And
when she'd finished, there was the Christmas Day Film: James Bond, ‘The Sound
of Music,' ‘The Wizard of Oz,' ‘Where Eagles Dare,' or ‘The Great Escape.' It was
such a treat to watch the Christmas Day Film because then, TV was rationed. Now,
we are fed wall-to-wall Disney Pixar stuff and the kids have to be forcibly
dragged away before we can sit down to dinner.
There's something about Christmas - then and now - which not
many people mention. It's the huge anti-climax. Then, I remember getting to the
bottom of my present pile and thinking, ‘Is that it?' And I hadn't just had a
lump of coal and a tangerine, I'd had a whopping great stash of presents, but still I wanted more. The anticipation
had been so great, the day could only be a disappointment. Now, I'm not so
bothered about the gifts I get, (although a girl always needs more shoes), but the
feeling still lingers about the day as a whole. Like most women, I've invested
tons of energy in planning, making lists, shopping, thinking, caring and
wrapping. I get to the end of the exhausting day and think, ‘Is that it?' Of
course I am filled with relief that it's over for another year (bah humbug),
but still my inner child is a little put out. Maybe a pair of Louboutins will
cure me of this angst? I'll make sure Santa gets the message.
And so, dear readers, this is Christmas. Whether you stick
rigidly to the traditions of your childhood, or whether you've booked a cruise
to escape the stress of your family, I hope this Christmas you are happy,
healthy, and full of festive cheer. And if you can't manage the latter, just
make sure you've got plenty of champagne to hand. It works for me.
