Today I'm putting on my Grumpy Ole Woman hat! I usually love all things Christmas, decorating, lights, carols, shopping and scrummy food! I am wondering this year "is it me?" In my childhood, Mince Pies for example only appeared a day or two before the big event, usually made by Mother's own fair hands with a little help from me - well those that ended up in the patty pan and not on the floor that is! Christmas Puds were made at least a year ahead and stayed in the pantry in it's ceramic bowl fermenting and soaking up all the wonderful juices that went into making Christmas Puds so special. The Christmas cake too had been made well in advance and only iced perhaps the night before to make it fresh and sweet. Small Stockings were hung up with a minimum amount of goodies in them usually an orange or tangerine in the foot of the stocking with an assortment of nuts, one or two little trinkets and that's about it. It gave me so much joy!
Now going into a store one is faced with the biggest array of food, toys, decs., cards etc., it sends the mind and eyes askew. For example, I'm not a great mince pie lover but thought this year I would treat myself to a few not having the time to make them these days. What was I faced with? About 20 different types of mince pie, from minis, alcohol laced, non alcohol laced, iced, unlidded, lidded, crimped, uncrimped, decorated, undecorated, children's pies, etc., and so the list goes on. All I wanted was a bog-standard mince pie for goodness sake and only a few not boxes of 9,12,16, 24, 48 - oh go away please! I like mince pies even less now!!
No wonder the world economies are in trouble with so many choices Christmas has lost it's purpose and it's meaning for many, many people. I'm convinced if we went back to limited ranges of everything, we would not be tempted to buy things we cannot afford or need right now because the choice just wouldn't be there. Food or other objects would not be wasted so much and the pressure would be off of all, for all sorts of reasons.
Bah humbug I hear some shout!! No not at all. Don't get me wrong I love my Christmas time as much as anyone else, the fun, the laughter, the over-indulgence and the pig-out factor that we suffer from but secretly delight in!! But let's get a grip and remember the true meaning of it and what it is meant to portray. Particularly when on the other side of the World half are starving and suffering through lack of the basic necessities of life. Happy Christmas everyone :)
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