Get excited about Christmas 2023!

[Slow.Patrol]

I hate all the commercialisation that goes with Christmas. However, it has got a lot better since my family and the OH gave up present buying a couple of decades ago. I had a religious upbringing, so Christmas was about the Church when I was young.

We HAVE to go to the MiLs on Boxing Day. However as she is over 90, we are still waiting to hear if it is on or not. Thanks to the Sumo sized snot infested SiL, I got a stinking cold after the gathering last year which put a damper on my NYE plans. If anyone turns up with a cold this year, I am back out the door. The OHs family are dysfunctional at best.

[UTH]

ecs0set said:

UTH said:

Actual Christmas day is just me, Mrs UTH and my Dad (well, and out 1 year old baby)

What would people do in terms of Turkey? Been looking at pre ordering but even the small ones from Waitrose, Sainsbury's etc say "up to" £60!! Although waitrose is saying £28-£60, but when I add to basket it's just saying £60!
Not sure I want to spend £60k on something for just three of us!

Turkey crown, unless you like the legs.

Good shout, got it booked, 22nd Dec. Christmas vibes just went up.

[A500leroy]

UTH said:

ecs0set said:

UTH said:

Actual Christmas day is just me, Mrs UTH and my Dad (well, and out 1 year old baby)

What would people do in terms of Turkey? Been looking at pre ordering but even the small ones from Waitrose, Sainsbury's etc say "up to" £60!! Although waitrose is saying £28-£60, but when I add to basket it's just saying £60!
Not sure I want to spend £60k on something for just three of us!

Turkey crown, unless you like the legs.

Good shout, got it booked, 22nd Dec. Christmas vibes just went up.

Brought a frozen turkey crown last week from Aldi for £7.

[Monkeylegend]

A500leroy said:

Brought a frozen turkey crown last week from Aldi for £7.

And half of it will disappear down the plughole when you defrost it

[anonymous-user]

Monkeylegend said:

A500leroy said:

Brought a frozen turkey crown last week from Aldi for £7.

And half of it will disappear down the plughole when you defrost it

I can 100% recommend this if you don't want to go to the hassle of cooking a whole turkey

https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-slow-cooked-tur...

[s p a c e m a n]

Was looking at trees in the garden centre at the weekend. Sitting on the sofa Sunday night the missus bought some 7ft pre lit £1000 pound tree in a sale that she had been talking about since before last Christmas.

Turned up today, took one section out of the box, it looks like every other fake tree I've ever seen.

I'm sure that it'll fluff up nice or something, probably needs a bit more dressing than being waved around a dark room to look a bit christmassy

[Mick Dastardly]

s p a c e m a n said:

Was looking at trees in the garden centre at the weekend. Sitting on the sofa Sunday night the missus bought some 7ft pre lit £1000 pound tree in a sale that she had been talking about since before last Christmas.

Turned up today, took one section out of the box, it looks like every other fake tree I've ever seen.

I'm sure that it'll fluff up nice or something, probably needs a bit more dressing than being waved around a dark room to look a bit christmassy

I got sick of the needle carnage in January so bought the same from Balsam Hill, but 8 ft, last year and it looked great. Bought a few huge pine candles from TK Maxx for the authentic smell.

Edited by Mick Dastardly on Tuesday 21st November 20:03

[dirky dirk]

i dont like it xmas
it starts in october and ends on xmas eve,

its jsut too commenrcialised and puts too much pressure on poor families to compete,
id much rather go away for the two weeks and not have anything to do with it,

doesnt help i hate the dark and rain and my dad died before xmas and buried after, so any prolonged boozing gets me thinking about him,

everyone else seems to like it so i get its jsut me

[Gary C]

dirky dirk said:

i dont like it xmas
it starts in october and ends on xmas eve,

its jsut too commenrcialised and puts too much pressure on poor families to compete,
id much rather go away for the two weeks and not have anything to do with it,

doesnt help i hate the dark and rain and my dad died before xmas and buried after, so any prolonged boozing gets me thinking about him,

everyone else seems to like it so i get its jsut me

[geeks]

Mick Dastardly said:

s p a c e m a n said:

Was looking at trees in the garden centre at the weekend. Sitting on the sofa Sunday night the missus bought some 7ft pre lit £1000 pound tree in a sale that she had been talking about since before last Christmas.

Turned up today, took one section out of the box, it looks like every other fake tree I've ever seen.

I'm sure that it'll fluff up nice or something, probably needs a bit more dressing than being waved around a dark room to look a bit christmassy

I got sick of the needle carnage in January so bought the same from Balsam Hill, but 8 ft, last year and it looked great. Bought a few huge pine candles from TK Maxx for the authentic smell.

Edited by Mick Dastardly on Tuesday 21st November 20:03

We have this one, really does look great and more than one person hasn't realised it isn't real. It has proper moulded needles rather than the other type.

https://www.costco.co.uk/Toys-Baby-Child/Christmas...

[Slow.Patrol]

dirky dirk said:

doesnt help i hate the dark and rain and my dad died before xmas and buried after, so any prolonged boozing gets me thinking about him,

everyone else seems to like it so i get its jsut me

Nope, I'm with you.

Dad died on 10th December and was cremated on 23rd December.

I would love to go away somewhere warm. Anything to get out of the duty visiting

[UTH]

We will be getting our tree this Friday, and 2 weeks today is my last day of work.....things are looking good.

[okgo]

Someone I know has put their tree up already. One way of keeping your kids council for when they grow up.

[akirk]

okgo said:

Someone I know has put their tree up already. One way of keeping your kids council for when they grow up.

Trafalgar Square: Norwegian Christmas tree felled ahead of London journey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67520...

Westminster Christmas tree makes journey from Kielder Forest
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-6745702...

so very council

[UTH]

okgo said:

Someone I know has put their tree up already. One way of keeping your kids council for when they grow up.

Judging by the number of people I saw dragging trees around this weekend, plus TV shows like This Morning have their studio all madeover, I think this weekend was the turning point. And I'm fine with it, nothing wrong with 5 weeks of festive feeling.

[okgo]

It’s awful.

There’s everything wrong with that.

[okgo]

akirk said:

Trafalgar Square: Norwegian Christmas tree felled ahead of London journey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67520...

Westminster Christmas tree makes journey from Kielder Forest
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-6745702...

so very council

Journey isn’t ‘erected’ is it.

[UTH]

okgo said:

It’s awful.

There’s everything wrong with that.

There are probably better threads for you then

[akirk]

okgo said:

akirk said:

Trafalgar Square: Norwegian Christmas tree felled ahead of London journey
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67520...

Westminster Christmas tree makes journey from Kielder Forest
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-6745702...

so very council

Journey isn’t ‘erected’ is it.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2023/1...
nope, but at the end of the journey it is generally put up

always in time for Advent which starts this week...
For those who complain about the length of time before Christmas where people are starting to think about Christmas - it is a period called Advent - technically a period of waiting and contemplation regarding Christmas and the Second Coming in Christian circles - though on PH it is probably best known as the time of expensive Wera / Lego / Whisky advent calendars and one faction of PHers putting up Christmas trees and another being grumpy grinches and complaining about it

[2gins]

I usually go far too early and have mincemeat, 2 cakes, 2 puddings all done well before Hallow'een and half the Christmas dinner done by December 1st.

Not this year. Have been holding off as long as possible. All went pear shaped with a mincemeat batch last weekend and having seen this thread I've just ordered the Beer52 advent calendar. Last day at work is the 14th and I'm not back in until Jan 4th. Several beery social things planned in and we might go to Prague for a few days early in the NY. Very much need the time off this year.