Bah humbug

Solidarity brother...

humbug cus of the damn illness 

3 recent bereavements has fucked my Christmas right up this year.

So Ho Fucking Ho Ho Ho

2025 - Bring it on!

When I left school in 1966 I went into the butchery trade, it meant so much work year on year that effort to reward ruined Christmas for me.

Mixed feelings here Steve. I dislike the rampant commercialism and the need to spend, spend, spend on crap that people don't want, that usually ends up in landfill. I find myself swearing at the Christmas songs on the radio, and the adverts trying to flog me even more stuff I don't want mostly sicken me.

However, on the other hand, if one uses the time sensibly it can be a time of reflection and contemplation, quality time with those we care about. FWIW, our Christmases improved significantly some years ago when we decided not to turn the telly on! Even better, the British side of our family has agreed something of a moratorium on Christmas presents. Inexpensive edibles only. :-)

It is a little more complicated on the Hungarian side of the family, but we have that pretty much under control now too. My wife always sends a 20kg parcel of British goodies to her folks back in Hungary - I usually take the opportunity slip in an encrypted backup-archive too - which is handy. :-) 

A similar 20kg parcel arrives here with Hungarian goodies you can't get here. This usually includes a 500g or 1kg bag of pukka Hungarian paprika - the hot tasty stuff not the rubbish they sell here. And a carrier bag full of these things - they're effin' gorgeous...

Christmas dinners are a bit unusual too. We have two. A Hungarian one on Christmas Eve - usually something fishy. Hungary is a landlocked country - a result of backing the wrong side in two world wars. So fish is quite a delicacy. When were are in Hungary, it's usually something tasty but bony fished out of Lake Balaton. We staying in Blighty this year. So it was a large fillet of fresh Salmon cooked in a honey-and-Hungarian-mustard sauce.

We have a customer who usually gives us the key raw ingredients for our British Christmas dinner. This year its partridge. Not in a peartree, but marinated in a rich and delicious sauce that my wife has perfected over the years.

Meantime, my little business does its annual Christmas cards. It's all a bit silly really - mostly an excuse to play with some new tech, whilst keeping in touch with people, many of whom go back a long, long way. It almost invariably comprises of a now 30-year-old inside-joke about a goose who does not like Christmas. Can't blame him. Geese tend to get eaten this time of year and they don't like that. They don't like it at all. :-)

This year's card...

And the slightly bizarre story behind this year's incarnation.

I think I'm saying that if you are one of those folks who doesn't like what Christmas has become, try to turn it into something that you do like. Works for us, anyway.

Merry Christmas. :-)

Never seen so many really bad, tacky Xmas images in Recent Images. What is the point? Popping in to say hello. Looking forward to a Humbug flavoured Gin  later. 😉 They have every flavour.

Over the years we either lived abroad or visited abroad at Christmas so never really bothered with Christmas decorations or anything else whilst in UK. My son loved it because he'd have UK Christmas presents before we'd fly, Christmas with family in Canaries on 24/25 and then Christmas gifts again on 6th Jan Spanish tradition. So when we returned to UK from living in Cyprus and my son is rarely at home we haven't done anything or really travelled since just cba with Christmas trees decorations and all that nonsense. Christmas free zone these days.

ClickMore 📷 said

Never seen so many really bad, tacky Xmas images in Recent Images. What is the point? Popping in to say hello. Looking forward to a Humbug flavoured Gin  later. 😉 They have every flavour.

This stuff is quite pleasing too - prezzie from my kid brother, addressed to "Mr Chuckles". Bit of proper Yuletide glamour for you too...

ClickMore 📷 said

Never seen so many really bad, tacky Xmas images in Recent Images. What is the point? Popping in to say hello. Looking forward to a Humbug flavoured Gin  later. 😉 They have every flavour.

Few things bring out my wish to shout "Bah humbug" quite like Christmas shots of models, tacky, poorly done, unimaginative and cliched. Only a couple I've this year were worth the time that went into doing them. 

Not much of a Christmas lover myself, but that's mostly being a grumpy git since adolescence. I manage to wish people well, and to spare a thought for those who don't get much chance to be happy. 

Merry Christmas Steve. Merry Christmas one and all. 🎄

I was never a Christmas person ... it wasnt a great time for me as a kid

However, once I got married and our first got elder, I *had* to get in to Christmas for their sake. I didn't want to give then the same dour piss-poor memories that I had.

True, away from the family, I was still a miserable, Christmas hating git... but at least my kid didn't see.

Anyway ... fast forward 14 years ...

My youngest is 14 now, and this is the first year without the exuberance, energy,and squeals of joy that only a small child can bring .. and its hit kinda low.

It feels more... melancholy, less festive, less joyful ...

I guess that the rest of age group [mid 50s] have already been through this ... I really hope it gets better.

FarmerSteve said

Feel free to join me in not having any great affection for the festivities for whatever reason. In my case, I'm just a miserable old git who hasn't really enjoyed Christmas since childhood.

+1. At least when I was working I got two days off.

I'm having a nice quiet Christmas with the family.  Best wishes to all! 

ClickMore 📷 said

Never seen so many really bad, tacky Xmas images in Recent Images. What is the point? Popping in to say hello. Looking forward to a Humbug flavoured Gin  later. 😉 They have every flavour.

What’s the point you ask, well it’s Christmas and they are just fun at this time of year. He says as one who has unashamedly posted tacky Christmas images and had fun during the shoot taking them. 

Edited by Barney57

I enjoyed the Solstice.