Bah Humbug! And so it begins …
This year’s tree!
How has the build up to Christmas 2012 been for you so far? Is your house festively decorated? Are your fridge and freezer overflowing with seasonal goodies? Have you made you own Christmas cake ?( (Btw great last minute recipe here if you haven’t!) Are your cupboards stuffed with surprise gifts for loved ones? Are you getting excited as the big day draws closer or even starting to worry if you have over committed and are far too excited? Will you be inviting everybody to your home this year or is it your “year off”?
Last year I would have answered “Yes, yes,yes” to all the above … I even admitted to going totally over the top last year. This year, however, it’s a bit more like …”Bah humbug”
I have been trying very hard to write my usual upbeat, festive post but this year it just isn’t happening. Time is running out and the ink isn’t flowing.
For those of you who don’t already know, we spend every alternate year at home (in Spain) and then with family in the UK. I was planning on writing a “Home and Away” post to highlight the differences between the two but it didn’t happen. And do you know why? If you do, please let me know!
The only possible explanation I can offer for my Bah humbug feeling is the fact that, this year, we will not be celebrating at home, we are going back to the UK for Christmas ….
It may also be due to that fact that we have builders in whilst we are away and so have only minimal decorations adorning our house. It may also be because the annual trip to the children’s theatre performance was not the most successful and the only Belen we have visited in Malaga this year turned out the be made up of dressed up Barbies, Ken and Action Men … what the???
The Ten-tacion Belen in Malaga plaza!
I know. I should be ecstatic. I have no cooking to do. I will be fed and watered ( holy water of sorts!) for a whole ten days and it will hardly cost me a penny. The children will see all their grandparents and cousins. There will be the gifts galore. We will see an amazing pantomime production. We will be able to watch all the usual Christmas TV favourites. We will see Christmas decorations and festive lights wherever we go. We will have a church carol service … We may even have snow!
But, you know what? Bah Humbug! We will not be “at home”. And that, my friends, is what I think is the issue!
So rather than withering on about false feelings and festivities, I thought I’d look into this years festive feeling … the good old “Bah Humbug!”
The saying Bah Humbug originates from the character Eberneezer Scrooge. Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens‘s 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol…: The tale of his redemption by the three Ghosts of Christmas (Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas Present, and Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come) has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday. Scrooge’s catchphrase, “Bah, humbug!” is often used to express disgust with many of the modern Christmas traditions. (Source Wikipedia )
Watching this Disney clip reminds me that “Christmas is a time for giving, a time for being with one’s family” and that I know we will have a wonderful time. We always do. But I am wondering if I am becoming a modern day humbugger (very much like my hubby in fact! How scary is that!) or will the feeling pass ….
Scrooge McDuck as Ebeneezer Scrooge wishing his nephew a “Bah Humbug” instead of a merry Christmas in “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”
It seems that modern humbuggers often ramble on about the commercialization of Christmas. Of course, they would equally rally against the commercialization of life itself in a larger sense, but that would undermine the special holiday pleasure of taking Santa Claus’s name in vain. Modern humbuggers often snicker at all the lights and sweetmeats and specificities of Christmas, averring that it is all hollow or meaningless. But they too line up, demanding, “We all want our figgie pudding” just as do dedicated Christmas sprites. … is this how I am feeling?
Are you a bah humbugger? If so, do not fear, it seems “they”, (or maybe even “we”), are not totally unacceptable, as they merely celebrate the season of warmth and giving in a different fashion . The suggestion is to give them the same courtesy and acceptance as we give all the various Christmastime celebrations. Let them, (or us), grumble by the raging fire, and pass them another mug of mulled wine.
So there you have it. My festive or unfestive ramblings for Christmas 2012. Without doubt, 2012 has been a very exciting year for us and we cannot thank you enough for all your support and encouragement! If the festivities and celebrations in the UK do not take up too much of our time we will try our best to write a New Year post.
We have so many plans in place for 2013 so this Bah humbug cloud will not be around for long … even writing this is giving me hope!
Oh and for a bit of fun, we carried out a Twitter search for #bahhumbug … needless to say the list was extensive. You may relate to a few of these yourself …
As if its only 9 days until Christmas. Never felt less excited for it in my life #bahhumbug
Idk what I hate more.. Christmas music or when ppl sing it obnoxiously #bahhumbug
Christmas decorations are up and i still dont feel christmasy!#bahhumbug #whatiswrongwithme
The worst part about Christmas is having to go to that one Christmas get-together with the mental side of your family. #bahhumbug#misery
Hours spent Xmas shopping 3 – number of pressies accumulated 0#bahhumbug
Oh God. Carol singers. #BahHumbug
Trying to find a boyfriend before Christmas to increase my percentage of presents. #bahhumbug
Seriously think I’m becoming the biggest Grinch ever! Each year, Christmas loses its magic touch & becomes a stressful annoyance!#BahHumbug
To be honest, Christmas can hurry up and be over already so I can start buying stuff for myself again without the added guilt.#bahhumbug
Trying to get into the festive mood, but I REALLY don’t feel like it should be Christmas yet #tooearly #BahHumbug
I get so excited about Christmas and the movies and music but when it actually starts it all annoys me. #bahhumbug
Already have Christmas fatigue. Someone make it stop already.#bahhumbug
On top of all the usual, my daughter’s birthday is 25 Dec and my partner’s daughter’s birthday is 6 Jan (Reyes). Credit cards are definitely getting more exercise than I am and I’ve still not finished. (Panic sets in…)
As always we shall be avoiding the festivities with a marathon viewing of Firefly and drinking home-brew in our very own Bar Humbug!
Great post. Nice to hear that Christmas isn´t Martha Stewart style in every house. Suitcases, travelling & pulling it all those plans in. Sounds a bit like my usual Christmas.