Christmas is drawing ever closer and all the world is in a ho ho ho kind of mood. I would enjoy it more myself if I wasn’t trying to install a shower and mend a broken toilet before relatives arrive for the festive season. I did used to try and look jolly myself at Christmas, but it always came out as a kind of pained grimace that made children cry, so now I don’t bother. I guess I’ll have to practice because we are going to have SMALL CHILDREN here at Christmas for the first time in quite a while.
To help get in the festive spirit we decorated the Christmas tree today. Well, the rest of them did while I watched and asked how much the new lights cost, and even chez nous is looking a bit Christmassy.
There’s nothing underneath the Christmas tree yet but that’s because the children know I will poke and prod any presents (even if they aren’t mine) until I know what they are, and spoil the day for everyone else. So now the children sneak them out on Christmas Eve after I’ve gone to bed. We ordered the tree from the school this year and were promised that it would be 2.50 metres high. Which it is, although the top two metres is a single tall thin stem while the bottom 50 centimetres is an impenetrable jungle of dense branches. I don’t know how they grow trees like that, I think there must be some kind of Christmas tree stretching machine to make them as tall and expensive as possible.
People who like to spoil my Christmas
Santa: Any day now Santa is going to squeeze down our chimney and present me with a bill for the mobile phones and electronic equipment that Mrs B says are an important part of every child’s Christmas, and probably want a carrot for his reindeer while he’s here. Bah, I think not. On the plus side, because France is an hour ahead of the UK, Santa gets here first on Christmas night and we get the best presents. Followed by the Brits an hour later, and much later the Americans get the leftovers that fell out of the sack or no-one else wanted (eg cars that use five litres of fuel to reach the end of the driveway, televisions so big that you have to choose whether to watch the left half or the right half of your infocommercials…).
French Tax office: I got a Christmas card from the tax office, which would have been nice except it was disguised as a tax bill. Did you know that in France companies have to pay tax in advance? So we just had to pay estimated tax for the three months ending 31 December, although at least part of the income hasn’t even been earned yet, never mind received in the bank! Compare that with the rebate that the French VAT office owe us – I haven’t seen that turning up in advance.
On a more positive note
Families: We will have quite a few relatives here at Christmas. Usually I’m not a very social person but at Christmas I do like to have lots of people around. Mostly so I don’t have to play Wii or Monopoly myself but can just sit quietly in the corner in a drunken stupor and watch everyone else having a good time.
Boxing Day: One of my favourite family Christmas traditions, inherited from my grandparents, is the giving of gifts on Boxing Day. The challenge is that these have to be inexpensive – stationery, socks, etc. Everyone enjoys Christmas extending for another day, but there’s no pressure to spend much more money. Even the children enjoy the ‘ceremony’ and unwrapping the presents despite the low profile of the presents.
Perhaps it’s a little tiny bit like Christmas in the old days, when a satsuma and a farthing was as good as it got, and before Faraday had the bright idea that electricity could really be quite useful, without realising the range of electronic goods he was unleashing on the world of Christmas.
After many years here,we have got into the French way of Christmas, and find it a lot better.The posty is still surprised at the amount of cards that come. To him not the norm>
Christmas cards (for sending to other people) are one of the few things we still get from the UK, where they cost a couple of euros for a box instead of the 1.50 per card in France.
I have to say i think they way a traditional English Christmas is celibrated is the best. I was dissapointed in Germany apart from Stollen and ginger biscuits there was no special meal and it was very low key when the 2 days of Christmas are refered to as wine night No 1 and wine night No 2 it does not have the same appeal. i have never had Christmas in france I believe its all over after Christmas Eve. Is that right.?
Certainly the traditional Christmas meal in France is very late Christmas Eve, after Mass. Presents are still given the morning of December 25th for the people I know of, but Boxing day isn’t a Public Holiday. I agree about traditional English Christmas being the best (US and Canada seem to be very similar to the UK), although the French often have capon instead of turkey – which I also prefer. But no crackers, no christmas pudding, no traditional Christmas cake, no mince pies, no Queen’s Speech…
You do expect these things would have traveled further abroad.
I know I expected much more from Germany, Prince Albert introducing the Christmas tree and all that. But no. Even the Christmas markets I honestly think the best one I have been to is in Lincoln. In Germany we used to have a hot pork roll and mulled wine in a mug and that was good, but that was about it. good local craft items were rare. I was shopping at Swaffham market on Saturday amd the Sally Army band was in full flow, and very good they were to. It was a good Christmas spirit there was about 10 of us in the Q at the butchers and strangers were chatting away, it was all very pleasant but the Brits seem better in adversity all looking forward to a change of government next year.There is so much dislike of the government I have never known anything like it.
But no crackers, no christmas pudding, no traditional Christmas cake, no mince pies, no Queen’s Speech
Thats all the bits,i can do with-out.And the last one MOST OF ALL.
Well I haven’t watched the Queen’s speech since about 1980 but I do like mince pies – usually some turn up from somewhere at Christmas though so I’m not panicking yet.
Johnny, I think you’re right about towns in the UK getting a lot more into the Christmas spirit than European towns – and I’d never much thought about it but organisations like the Salvation Army probably do play a large part in setting the atmosphere.
There’s not really a French equivalent – any local groups here trying to raise money at Christmas just come to the house and sell us (another) calendar.
Why do some BRITS.have this thing about the FRENCH and calendars.
At least you see a object for your money,not like tips in the U.K.
NOTHING.
You do expect these things would have traveled further abroad.
Why?
Do the Brits.have the best? (Think not)
Terry. I am not saying everything British is the best. I was just suprised how little tradition there is. germay has the stollen and ginger biscuits and thats it. I asked and asked my German friends but they have nothing special. i am not saying either that they are right or wrong. It was just an observation that much more of it is made of it in Britain.It was not what was expecting, like the myth that Germany is efficent.
I think your word (MYTH) is a word that can be used for most things.
Terry, do you not think the Brits have the best Christmas? Perhaps it’s just what we grow up with that we prefer?
What do you think makes the French Xmas ‘better’?
Question 1 No
Question 2 Not always,i spent the early part years with it.
Question 3 The french Christmas in my opinion is ‘better’,
i lived with the other for years,but now i live in France,the French have not got taken over by it,and still try to remember to reason for it. Plus as i tell people BRITISH by birth, FRENCH by wish.
P.S.Merci pour retour la poste
Where ever you are, what ever you are doing. Do have a Happy Christmas.
MERCI et vous-méme
Thanks to both of you.
and a Joyeux Noel to all whichever corner of the world anyone is in!