It's a time to get together with loved ones, friends and family.

Unfortunately it's also a time for excess for many, excess eating, excess spending on gifts, excess drinking of alcohol.

When I was growing up we got the presents we were given and were not given the option of asking for what we wanted which is the way it should be. It's all to do with the thinking and care that someone puts in when buying a present. Giving money or gift vouchers is cold and impersonal (mind you I'm sometimes guilty of that) whilst other presents even when they are ones we might not like still give a warm feeling as we know that the giver has put some thought into it. Or at least we hope they have!

I remember getting wooden toy bricks as a child. Imagine giving that to a child today - they'd probably call in the child protection agency!

Even though money was tight I still remember those Christmases with fondness especially getting a soap angel from Santa.

Talking about Santa I was very crafty. I heard ay school that Santa was my Da but I pretended that I didn't know so as to keep getting prezzies from Santa. My parents got suspicious by the time I got to the age of 11 🤣.

So you've said it all, ourChrist the lord was born it's what we celebrating this weekend

Christmas is family time. My grandkids come over before Christmas and we bake cookies and they frost all the cutout, all 9 of them. It’s always messy fun. Christmas Eve we get together with all our kids and the grandkids. We have our family traditions and foods we make. It’s definitely a full house and it grows every year with the granddaughters boyfriends. They all look forward to the stockings. I was going to stop one year and they all said we love your stockings so it’s now a tradition for everyone.

My children live too far to be home on christmas. With the exception of our youngest. So christmas is not what it used to be. But we but on a nice dinner and chat on the phone. The grand kids are mostly grown no great grands yet. Need little ones for christmas magic. So we enjoy as best we can but always a sadness at the boy we lost 4 yrs ago.
The center of my holiday is church. I rejoice in the birth of the christ child.

Good question Hkc. I’m not sure how I would describe the meaning of Christmas. Seeing friends and celebrating life, and giving gifts that feel special. I hate the manic shopping and the myriad expectations our society has. I’m grateful for this group and all the wisdom and support here.