So Christmas officially begins today. The silly season. The insane season. It's December 1st. The beginning of the advent. A chance for all Western Christian civilizations to prepare for the Nativity, the birth of Christ. The first coming or for most in this country. A day to overeat, over drink, watch shit TV and fall asleep.
Here is the definition of the advent;
Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The term is an anglicized version of the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming." It is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday. The Eastern churches' equivalent of Advent is called the Nativity Fast, but it differs both in length and observances and does not begin the church year, which starts instead on September 1.[1] At least in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Moravian, Presbyterian and Methodist calendars, Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25, which is the Sunday from November 27 to December 3 inclusive.
Did you switch off after the 1st line and lose interest? I did too. That's the problem with Christmas it needs repackaging. We should let the boys who marketed Pot Noodles at it. They'd make us all interested in it's origins and true meaning.
What better way to celebrate the advent than with a cardboard calendar with a chocolate in it. Now for the compulsive over eater and sugaraholic an advent calendar is a no go. Basically because you open Dec 1st, eat the Chocolate (ignoring the nativity scene or saying in the little box) and then you think.....mmmmmm, i fancy another. Before you can say Sweet Baby Jesus, you've opened all of them and scoffed the lot. Thus rendering the calendar completely useless.
I miss being so excited by Christmas I was as a kid. My Mum was world class at Christmas, she made it so exciting and of course December 1st was when the real excitement would build. When you're a kid the opening of the advent is the equivalent to the opening of a pub to an alkie. It's colossal. You wait with such anticipation, open it, read the scene, eat the chocolate and you can't wait for tomorrow to come. Life was so much simpler as a kid. It's a shame we lose that child like excitement in adulthood and become jaded and cynical (at least I speak for myself on that one not that I've actually mentally achieved adulthood yet)
Today's first day of December saw me attend a meeting at a church and witness my first Church Christmas Fayre of the season. There was an old portable stereo blasting out tinny carols, lots of home made cakes, nick knacks and clothes not even the homeless want. It was very cute.
I passed through Kew and Richmond and saw people beginning their Christmas Shopping. Hoards of bored blokes carrying bags looking like they'd rather be anywhere else but with their wives. Legions of estate cars queing up at the Christmas Tree place with excited Children waiting for Dad to sort out the tree (see previous day's blog for that)
A nod also goes to the England rugby team for beating the All blacks infront of 80,000 Daily Telegraph readers at Twickenham. I live just down the road and the area turns into an orgy of corduroy and Barbour jackets for the day. The evening is pretty special too as it's a collection of very pissed middle aged Dads behaving like teenagers in their tweeds. All very embarrassing. Good win though England Rugby. Big congrats.
I kept it simple today, a little exercise, a little writing, a little AA, watched my team Wales lose to the Aussies, watched a bit of tellie, ate a bit of Thai and slept. Not exactly Rock and Roll but I like it.
Day 1 of Christmas done. I have to say I'm yet to feel in the spirit of the season but will continue this advent until the 25th to see if i do. Have a groovy weekend all
xx
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