Christmas decorations - losing interest

[chessie]

Oh dear - I'm going to seem so grumpy - but wonder if others feel like this....

Before we moved to France we had big family Christmases, all kinds of get-to-gethers, Christmas lunch, plenty of family and friends coming round.

Loved to put up the Christmas decorations and all the foodie preparations.

Out here, not the same.   No family - so no large numbers for Christmas meal.   Friends all seem to live distances away - so no 'just popping round'....   Some friends 'disappear' at Christmas - foreign parts or back to the UK.

So not really very social time.    Each year I'm less and less inclined to put up the Tree and the decorations;  just don't see much point in it - not really interested.

Now writing that down makes me seem like a real grouch;  but I'm not, I quite like Christmas, but it's not the fun it was.... and this French place doesn't have windowsills for a start;  don't want to put marks on the ceilings to hang the twinkly things, no bannisters to decorate....... Christmas wreath on the door - only seen by us.

We do have a (fake) tree; we have put lights on the trees outside, and the cards are on display.. so we're not totally non-Christmasy.... just my heart's not in it anymore.

Is anyone honest enough to admit that, given the choice, they'd probably not bother with putting up many Christmas decorations - happy to keep it to a minimum ?

Go on - let's have some truth from you all !!!!!!!!!

Oh - and Happy Christmas   (Shame there isn't a Santa icon)

[idun]

Due to some health problems I did not send one card last year, not one. And the nearest thing we had a decoration was a few of the cards received stuck to a door, but not all of the cards we received. Just could not be bothered.

RE decorations in general, I never put them up before the Sunday before Xmas and they are down about the 2nd of January.

Tomorrow, as I have friends coming on Xmas day, I shall put some decorations up as they love them, and I am doing it for them.

Foodwise, we usually have special nice things at christmas, we really

enjoy some of the reveillon stuff. And we certainly had some nice things

last year.

As far as I am concerned it is a mid winter festival and that is good, having some thing to celebrate in mid winter. But I do not need my house decorated to do it and actually do not think anyone else has to either.

And xmas cards....... when I moved back, it felt 'strange' and very odd to give and receive cards from people I was seeing. So that I knocked on the head. IF I am not seeing someone, then that is different, and a good way to keep up.

Also, you mentioned how different it is living abroad. Yup, certainly right there. One's entourage takes some re-building and in spite of doing that, we found french friends were very set in their ways about what they and their families do over both holiday dates. Any english speaking friends lived a long long way from us, although we occasionally did get together on christmas day or new years eve, but truth is that that was about 3 or 4 times in those 27 years.

If friends were not coming on the 25th, well, me on my own, as my OH is away at the moment, I'd be staying in bed until about midday. Then have a fridge full of delicious sea food to attack later and settle in front of the fire and watch rubbish on tv.

[Russethouse]

I love it, we have 3 trees, a small one on the bookcase which was one I bought my mother, in the hall, one in the sitting room and one in the dining room...

My mothers has Robin s and her decorations on it, the ding room tree has souvenirs from places we have visited and family decorations and the sitting room everything else....altogether they stay up about a month...we leave the sitting room curtains slightly open so the tree shows as a sign of festive cheer...some outdoor decorations around here are very OTT....but it's all in good fun!

[andyh4]

I sympathise Chessie.

Back I the UK and later in Germany we had a very wide circle of friends and family found it much easier to visit.

As time has progressed our circle of friends who live nearby has shrunk and we now expect few visits over the festive season. Although we have decorated we still have several boxes/crates of decorations which are now not used.

[Chancer]

Just another day for me (working as usual) and has been for décades, even less Christmassy since I moved to France because I stopped sending Christmas cards (I was strapped for years) and now dont recieve any plus no-one here wants to or feels obliged to invite me to dinner.

 

Last year I got the Xmas budget down to zero and this year will be the same.

 

At least I no longer feel the need to go away on Holiday during the Christmas break to get away from all the commercialisation being stuffed down my throat, its all but non existant here and I no longer have a break not being employed or working at customers sites, I can just carry on with the renovation as usual, better than that because as things stand I dont have any bookings from the 24th to the 27th and the long term tenants (students and stagiares) will be returning to their families.

 

No housekeeping to do and no worrying about disturbing tenants with noise, what a great Christmas present [B]

[NormanH]

The lack of a UK style "Christmas" is one of the great benefits of living in France, although it is seeping in like a wet f*rt

[Gardengirl]

I enjoy it all, have two Christmas trees up, one in the living room with lots of white twinkling lights and tree decorations from years ago, including a bell from our wedding cake, and another smaller tree in the hall. Candles (electric) in the living room window, a holly wreath on the front door, another made with tartan ribbon bows in the hall, a swag along the mantle piece, Santa Claus climbing up from the hall to the landing, cards everywhere. We have all the family spending the day with us tomorrow, but it's not just for them, I enjoy it all.

We'll be heading off to a hotel in France on Wednesday for a few nights and will take with us a couple of very small plastic flat pack Christmas trees; they've travelled the world with us for various Christmases.

I must admit I'm not keen on all the flashing bright blue and piercing white lights that hang on various house fronts near us, but I do like those white icicles that many hang up from the gutters.

I prefer the quieter preparations for Christmas that I see in France, simple and stylish decorations on shopfronts, painted santas etc on shop windows by an artist who works on quite a few around our little town, greenery tied on town fences etc. I've seen similar lovely decorations in various French towns, much prefer it to the glitter and garish decorations in most English towns I've seen, along with loud music beating out. Of course, some shops etc in England are more simply decorated, but generally it's OTT and brash.

[idun]

I don't mind the idea of those climbing Santas, INSIDE someone's home, but I find them really really creepy when they are on the outside walls.

All my french friends used to have decorations and trees, not to be seen from the road, because of the shutters, firmly shut at night.

For me, this season is for young kids, and if we had any involved in our lives, I would make a lot of effort for them.

[Judith]

Christmas is important for me, more so than new year, but then I am a regular churchgoer so that's understandable, though this year, we too have decided to be on our own, and take a short break in the new year. 

Decorations and commercialism-wise, I am less concerned, though we do put up a tree about now, and some decorations in the lounge, it does not spread to the rest of the house.  I am still using the tree I bought in 1972, and the baubles date from the 70's and early 80's too.  Lights are also of that generation and (touch wood) they have so far continued to work each year! Cards are displayed, but they are fewer and fewer with the advent of e-cards.  I put a wreath on the gate last year ... and will repeat this year - no-one would see it if it was on the main door.

I do, however, hate the commercialism of Christmas, and don't find the climbing Santas particularly enjoyable, though one or two are done with eclat and they are not bad. I rather dislike the blue and white lights so prevalent, not at all Christmas colours, but I suppose they are good for the environment.

[dave21478]

Nothing at all going on here.

I send no cards and receive none - an arrangement that suits me fine.

No tree, no decorations. I did a little extra shopping last week so hopefully will not have to venture into town again until 2016.

The local village appear to have changed their street decorations this year away from the bulbs and got blue LED affairs strung up between the lamp posts. Looks very trashy, IMO. Speaking of trashy there are more and more houses going for American style (oi, careful now, no USA bashing!) decorations with illuminated reindeer on the lawn and lights everywhere.

Actually, I do have one - I got a 1€ battery operated string of 10 white LEDS and wired it up to an old solar garden light a few years ago. Like a puppy, its not just for Christmas as it hangs by the back door all year round as its pitch black there after about 5;30pm. Its enough to see the key hole by and prevent me banging shins on the garden table.

[Alan Zoff]

Can't stand either the commercialism or the religious hocus pocus.

Always nice though to have an excuse for a party or family get together and if a few decorations help to lighten the mood, I've no objection.

[Patf]

Does anyone know the reason for the tradition in France of having seafood at xmas, and making more of "reveillon" with luxury meats or poultry? The local paper yesterday was promoting recipes for deer and sanglier, healthy meat with little fat etc.

The shops here have been full of smoked salmon and shellfish etc, and this week it will be very expensive oysters.

[andyh4]

Pat

It is an old church tradition that forbade the eating of meat on the run up to Christmas. In some places this was for the whole of Advent, in others the week before Christmas and others again just Christmas Eve.

[Patf]

I would never have thought of that, not many religious folk here.

I wonder if the French know the reason? I once asked the manageress at Carrefour the reason for one of their bank hoildays and she didn't know - "it's just the 14th of July" or whatever date " we always close."

[Chancer]

In my first Christmas here I did recieve a couple of cards and strung up some fairy lights from Gifi on the grotto that I was forced to live in, they were dark days, occupying an abandoned building and living in 5.76m2 Under a gazebo with baches for walls, a bit later than the photo it was buried in insulation like a yourt.

Having no choice but to leave the Windows boarded up because the druggies, winos and cassoces would still try to break in, a couple managed it while I was Inside and they were so wasted they didnt even realise, they just knew it was a place they had crashed before when it got too cold. Unsurprisingly I myself turned to drink in those early years.

 

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So for me these days Christmas is a time for rejoicing that the darkest days are now long behind me and for reflection, everyone else around here just eats, drinks and smokes themselves into oblivion for a couple of weeks, the keep fit classes that I do were down to 4 women this week, come January 4th there will be the full membership of over 100 (I'm not kidding) trouble is as no more than 30 ever turn up at any time except after a fête the salle des sports that we use cannot accomodate everyone so the instructor does an intensive cardio session that sees many crawling out to be sick within 10 minutes and the week later the numbers are back to the normal personnes sérieux. Its a brilliant strategy on the part of our club albeit accidental, the 80% that only come twice a year subsidise the rest of us, the trainers also use the same strategy to thin the numbers out come la rentrée.

[Hoddy]

We’re having few decorations this year than usual. Only one tree for a start and for the first time ever it’s not a real one. I’m not sure if it’s old age creeping on or there is some sort of change in the air.

An increasing number of my friends have stopped sending Christmas cards because of the exorbitant price of postage. Several are sending donations to their favourite charity instead.

It is just another change. When I was a child our decorations didn’t extend far beyond sprigs of holly and ivy which were easily collectable from around the house and paper chains which we made ourselves. We always had a tree although I can’t remember where my dad got them from. It was decorated with some ancient and precious glass baubles. In my life time we have gone from relative austerity to ridiculous over-consumption maybe we are just becoming more aware of how our wasteful society is. I shall be very interested next year to see if it is becoming a trend.

[AnOther]

Never bothered much with it in UK and even less inclined to here in France.

IMO if you're not a believer or a practising Christian than it's all total hypocrisy anyway.

Bah Humbug !

[idun]

Not sure whether I am irritated or amused by your post AnOther, probably a bit of both.

Our ancient ancestors had a celebration in mid winter and the clever old early christians just followed suite, let's face it, it is usually easier to get people to change their 'views' if there is of benefit to them.

And I think that our ancestors were rather sensible people having such a celebration.

So I think it is a good thing.

I used to have a friend who became ba'hai, she had been catholic and the new faith did not do a mid winter celebration. However, she told me that the priest had always said that Jesus was born on the 25th of December and that was absolutely true. Quite frightening this blind belief, especially as she had taken on board the new faith, literally.

So bah'ing and humbug'ing .......... I betchya that two or three thousand years ago, not one person in a bronze age or iron age village would have said, 'keep' your mid winter festival, I'll just stay in my bunk  with a bowl of gruel or what ever winter rations were then!

[NickP]

[quote user="AnOther"]Never bothered much with it in UK and even less inclined to here in France.

IMO if you're not a believer or a practising Christian than it's all total hypocrisy anyway.

Bah Humbug !

[/quote]

I suggest you visit Norman, you can be a couple of miserable old gits together. [:D]

 I think you will find it's a pagan festival rather than a  Christian one, OK the self righteous bible bashers may have taken it over, but most of us with children and grandchildren enjoy it wholeheartedly without going to church etc.

 Lighten up folks, it just a chance to eat a festive meal; receive/give a present or two and enjoy the delight on children's faces. By the way I must agree with Idun the "le Père Noël" hanging by his neck from a French porch isn't really a good sight.

Any way a very Merry Christmas to all including the Victor Meldrews [kiss] [kiss] [B] [B]

[Chancer]

Not having children or grandchildren or indeed anyone else to share "it" with does not make someone a Victor Meldrew or a miserable old git.

 

Many times over the years I have heard the remark that I am sad but what the people are really saying is that they would be sad in the same circumstances.

 

Joyeux Noel to those of you that celebrate and enjoy it.

[YCCMB]

I tittered a little at the suggestion that Christmas is commercialised and over-decorated only in the UK, and that France is immune.

Well, maybe so, but at least the sight of a stranded, illuminated Santa abseiling off someone's roof in April is, fortunately,something only seen in France.?

If you want to blame anyone else for the rest, then Queen Victoria and Coca-Cola are the principal culprits, I beleive.

[Aardvark]

Worry not.  It'll all be over in less than a week. 

[Gardengirl]

[quote user="You can call me Betty"]I tittered a little at the suggestion that Christmas is commercialised and over-decorated only in the UK, and that France is immune.

Well, maybe so, but at least the sight of a stranded, illuminated Santa abseiling off someone's roof in April is, vfortunately,something only seen in France.? [/quote]

I looked everywhere around our small town for a santa abseiling, but finally found one at Avignon. I'd seen them abseiling from balconies in many places in France, not as late as April though, but couldn't find one in our town - I even had several French friends alerted to find one for me.Our Santa now hangs happily over our banisters in England, but only over Christmas an New Year; he disappears on holiday from January to December.

[idun]

Well I have put up a few decorations today, and one thing has fallen from it's perch four times now, which is getting on my nerves.

As I said, IF I had been on my own, I had my day planned. Would not be doing jobs other than cooking, just relaxing and doing whatsoever I fancy![:D]

[dave21478]

As to the decorations themselves....

Most of them are made in the factory city of Yiwu, China. They are churned out night and day hundreds of tons at a time. They are transported to the port where they are loaded into hundreds of thousands of containers, loaded aboard thousands of cargo ships, which sail literally half way round the planet each burning several hundred tons of fuel oil every day until they arrive in Europe where they are transferred into various distribution hubs, by road. Tens of thousands of lorries travelling God knows how many kilometers through various depots and hubs until they end up on the shelves in Gifi or Auchan or Tesco and so on.

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aparently, conditions there are "pretty good" by Chinese factory standards.

Come January, some get kept until next year, the rest go into landfill.

Yet I cant buy a hoover over 1400 watts because "the environment".