The Christmas/Xmas/Hannukah/Saturnalia/BUY OUR STUFF Season

Wahey!

That feels like a great idea, what you two are doing. I think work Christmas dos kind of force than on you a bit if you have them. I have the additional factor that I'm not seeing The Lady over Christmas, so we had a Christmas market trip and pub dinner on Saturday, then doing something else this Saturday, and then I go to see the family on Monday. Illness couldn't scupper things if it tried. (Which, given the lump I had taken out of my back yesterday, it did.)

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Aye, I’m getting geared up for Christmas too. The tree went up at the start of the month and the house is a little bit decorated. Much less so than everybody else in the street though, which is making me and my bit look at bit Scrooge-like.

I'm guessing your entire area is done up in sparkly lights and the like? We've got plenty of decor in the house but none outside, unlike our neighbours. Makes us look, as you say, Scrooge-like. And I guess we are, keeping all the Christmas decor to ourselves.

Today doesn't feel Christmassy at all. Feels like November. feel like pure s**t just want the cold back xx

You brought up on GGS like its TGA time, some will look forward to that more than Xmas and New Year.

Which I sorta do as posted on here about TGA along with doing a podcast about it which may bleed into others with anticipated games etc

Where retail Xmas is busy (is actually quiet and sending people home) and feel only do Xmas as society deems normal. Where as you say could do stuff through out the year, like why don't I go to my Uncle's in August, no need to be December. Then just bought them smellys and junk, where again they had garden done back in September, maybe something then for the garden make more sense.

Never got New Year, Jan 1st exactly the same as Dec 31st or Jan 2nd.

I can absolutely see that point, especially having worked in retail for 9 years myself. Of course, part of why I like Christmas is nostalgia.

Ultimately, though, nothing matters unless we decide it matters. The year ends, its cold and wet and it gets dark early, it could be miserable but instead we all come together and make an effort to spread some joy. You're right, we could visit family and friends and make little gestures throughout the year - we should, in fact - but Christmas is when we've all agreed to come together and do it, to get through the winter, and I love it.

New year is just an excuse for a piss-up to me, but in Japan, which doesn't have a tradition of Christmas before basically WWII, the whole come-together-with-loved-ones-and-get-through-the-winter thing is at New Year.

I used to look forward to E3, which is kind of cringe to my socialist leanings, but TGA just doesn't do it for me. I said to Mercy, when we were both getting nostalgic and emotional at the Nintendo museum, that I hate how much I love that corporate entity.

I think (and this is from other folk's takes I've read, I can't stress how much I don't follow TGA) that the corporatism around GeoffFest is just a bit too naked for it to be Gaming Christmas.  Don't get me wrong, Christmas is pretty darn corporate, but it wraps itself in just enough of a veneer of celebrating family and togetherness and some bloke who died that those who want to celebrate it as something else, can.  E3 likewise had just convincing enough a veneer around it to slide under the defences of some folk who can't be doing with Geoff waving his orange-stained mitre around.  It was for journalists, or you could just follow the Nintendo bit, or what have you.  Not an option with GeoffFest.  It doesn't help that 90% of the reveals seem to be two years away minimum either, although that was also a problem with E3.

Buskalilly wrote:

Ultimately, though, nothing matters unless we decide it matters. The year ends, its cold and wet and it gets dark early, it could be miserable but instead we all come together and make an effort to spread some joy. You're right, we could visit family and friends and make little gestures throughout the year - we should, in fact - but Christmas is when we've all agreed to come together and do it, to get through the winter, and I love it.

New year is just an excuse for a piss-up to me, but in Japan, which doesn't have a tradition of Christmas before basically WWII, the whole come-together-with-loved-ones-and-get-through-the-winter thing is at New Year..

These two bits are bang on.  Not just Japan either, my best platonic friend's Latvian and they also put much more emphasis on New Year.  There's something in the miserable time of year that lends itself to cheery celebrations for sure.

Lovely roast I cooked up on Sunday, all while simultaneously setting up our new TV and PS5.

Ooft, good going! I also like the fizzy wine bottles next to the Waddle Dees and Pokémon.

I'm up with my parents now in the middle of nowhere, with my family, watching my sister replay A Short Hike. TBH I really miss my partner and cats. She's with her family so I wouldn't actually want to be there, but... yep. Miss my home.

Balladeer wrote:

 I also like the fizzy wine bottles next to the Waddle Dees and Pokémon.

The kirby and pokemon bottles are Chanmerry, a non-alcoholic kids drink sold around christmas, similar to schloer. I opened the kirby one while sat on the floor and the lid hit the ceiling, so we got the champagne experience . . .

Ha, nice. Hope you managed to drink some.



Merry Christmas folks!

Fancy

Home now from going to my Uncle's. Got loads and I mean loads of Lynx sets, socks, some oreo biscuit selection box things, the physical Black Myth on PS5 and lots of ca$h.

Their is few things got my eye on with the money. A new laptop as mine is slowly dying and would like a good gaming one or TV as now got the PS5 Pro, a 120fps/VRR compatible TV but unlike the laptop my TV is still working fine.

Bewildered that people who know each other still buy Lynx.

My haul was decent. Fair few games and books, clothing that I asked for, few bracelets. Nothing mind-blowing but enough to make me feel warm and fuzzy. We watched the new Wallace & Gromit (absolute triumph) and the Ghost Story for Christmas and played a bit of Mario Kart. My parents are almost decent at it these days.

Now for the extended family party today.

Worse I also got all my Dad's sets as he can't use it, as he's now got some skin condition. I won't need to buy any deodorant till Xmas 2026.

When I was in the UK for the stag do I opened a delayed birthday present from my nan. My brother, my sister's boyfriend and I were laughing when the first present was a pack of Lynx Africa. We lost it when the second present was a pair of Lynx Africa branded socks.

That's simultaneously very nan-coded and completely not. Dearie me.

Was this was Toto were singing about all this time?