I'm so with you on the decorations, Jayne! My constant companion, Radio 3, decided to do something similar to your neighbour this year, starting well by acknowledging Advent beautifully on the first weekend of December, but spoiling the effect by plunging into almost wall-to-wall Christmas music, both sacred and secular, for most of the next three weeks ... and then switching to New Year Viennesse waltzes and ice skating type music almost immediately, with very few Christmassy musical references in the days between Boxing Day and New Year. Very disappointing. I want to enjoy the Christmas period AFTER the presents have been exchanged, the in-person carol services attended and the formal meals eaten, when you can relax and savour all the evocative words, music and decorations. And I also completely agree with you that 'the freedom to do precisely as we choose without reference to anyone else (“you do you hun! Whatever makes you happy”) isn’t the zenith of human progress we’ve been told it is, and is actually probably the thing that’s making everything worse'. It applies to so many aspects of our troubled society.
I’m disappointed in Radio 3! I’d have thought they’d be better than that. And the period following Christmas Day IS Christmas isn’t it. That’s what we’ve been waiting for! I don’t think this is just a secular v religious thing either, because I grew up in a 100% non-religious household and we revelled in Christmas proper, right up to 12th night. It’s a commercial thing: they can’t sell us anything in the between time, so they have to move on. It’s miserable.
Exactly! I was disappointed too as it was clearly an edict from above; with my professional hat on I'll be querying the strategy. If I, a church-goer and Christmas-lover, was fed up with it, how were people who find Christmas difficult or are of other faiths feeling? It seemed to contradict the BBC's policies on diversity. But you're spot-on about it being all about marketing ... my brother works for one of the big discount supermarkets and tells me he spent Boxing Day last year putting out Easter eggs, because the strategy there is to persuade people to buy the next thing on the schedule. It's so annoying ... spoils everything.
I'm so with you on the decorations, Jayne! My constant companion, Radio 3, decided to do something similar to your neighbour this year, starting well by acknowledging Advent beautifully on the first weekend of December, but spoiling the effect by plunging into almost wall-to-wall Christmas music, both sacred and secular, for most of the next three weeks ... and then switching to New Year Viennesse waltzes and ice skating type music almost immediately, with very few Christmassy musical references in the days between Boxing Day and New Year. Very disappointing. I want to enjoy the Christmas period AFTER the presents have been exchanged, the in-person carol services attended and the formal meals eaten, when you can relax and savour all the evocative words, music and decorations. And I also completely agree with you that 'the freedom to do precisely as we choose without reference to anyone else (“you do you hun! Whatever makes you happy”) isn’t the zenith of human progress we’ve been told it is, and is actually probably the thing that’s making everything worse'. It applies to so many aspects of our troubled society.
I’m disappointed in Radio 3! I’d have thought they’d be better than that. And the period following Christmas Day IS Christmas isn’t it. That’s what we’ve been waiting for! I don’t think this is just a secular v religious thing either, because I grew up in a 100% non-religious household and we revelled in Christmas proper, right up to 12th night. It’s a commercial thing: they can’t sell us anything in the between time, so they have to move on. It’s miserable.
Exactly! I was disappointed too as it was clearly an edict from above; with my professional hat on I'll be querying the strategy. If I, a church-goer and Christmas-lover, was fed up with it, how were people who find Christmas difficult or are of other faiths feeling? It seemed to contradict the BBC's policies on diversity. But you're spot-on about it being all about marketing ... my brother works for one of the big discount supermarkets and tells me he spent Boxing Day last year putting out Easter eggs, because the strategy there is to persuade people to buy the next thing on the schedule. It's so annoying ... spoils everything.
Thank you for this. Have always disliked ‘you do you’ as it allows for awfulness to be acceptable.
We’re keeping our Christmas lights and candles out till Candlemas although some things have come down.
There’s an Alison Krauss song called ‘get me through December’ which could have (and January) added to it……. But the days are getting longer slowly x
Very slowly!
Can't beat red bush tea!! Though I'm thinking the chocolate in porridge thing is a tad step too far!🤣
I better not mention that I’ve just eaten a bowl of porridge with a wedge of toblerone in it 😂
Well that’s breakfast tomorrow sorted!! Excellent suggestion.
Brilliantly honest as ever xx
Enjoy!