(picture credit above: The Guardian)

I wanted to do this post in a long time but never really found some free space to prepare it. Well, it seems as if this little picture problem, which accompanied me the past weeks, came perfectly in time in order to use it for posts like this one.

The old Christmas issue is slowly but surely reaching its peak today and I think my nerves are too.

Not only that one of my flatmate enabled some kind of guilt as she was telling me what she’s going to get her parents and friends, I also feel that the London was going crazy after I left.

My opinion towards Christmas can be exactly read over here. I once wrote it in German (quite at the beginning of my blogger-life) and once in English last year (as I was just starting to write in English on the blog).

To get it summarized in one sentence (and for those who are as lazy as I would be to re-read this text): I simply don’t like the forced feelings of joy and happiness when there’s more stress and guilt and all those kinds of “feeling so great” on a day, which most of the people don’t even understand religiously and historically.

It’s sad but it’s the truth.

And none of us can’t deny that Christmas is not somehow connected to some kind of stress.

The good thing is that my parents decided to leave this stress out by going skiing for two proper weeks and celebrate in the hotel. Without a classic Christmas tree (besides from the poor, little one in the hall) but also without cooking dramas and any other disputes, which (at least that’s what I heard many times) tend to turn up at such occasions.

(Never experienced that but could write a whole article about the different cooking dramas we had … from lobsters I befriended with in two days before they were slowly cooked in boiling water to other things – there would be a lot to tell you!)

Nevertheless, there’s something strange about this year. I’m still not a cookie baking girl (will I ever be?) and I’m still not singing Jingle Bells in a sober state of mind. But going through my great Instagram made me realise that I was hashtagging (a true shame to use this as a proper word) the word “#christmas” as much as “#chocolate” and “#loveit” (or “#blogpost”). (This means: A lot!)

So what is it that made me capture so many pictures and mark them under the christmas section? Am I a sparkling little girlygirl inside? Is it the secret wish to like it as much as other people do?

I don’t know. But what I know is that there are 10 negative as well as quite positive points about an evening most of us take as a good last chance to get drunk before New Year’s Eve! ;)

Let’s get started with 10 things I like & hate about Christmas!

(and don’t be scared .. it’s not going to be about Jinglebell Rock songs and Santa Claus presents).

The Hate

1. Forced feelings of being joyous for a month in advance when in reality deadlines of all kinds are coming closer

2. The fact that people forget that it’s actually a YEAR coming to an end (connected to 1.)

3. Unnecessary christmas songs that should enhance the time (but make me even more nervous)

4. Friends and other bloggers whining about all the christmas events

(There are people who still WORK in November and December rather than finding it hard to decide between the make up line’s launch of a french fashion house and the exclusive sale of the department store next door – stop plugging all those selfmade matron fat cookies into the figure and cry over the fact that the dress is not fitting for the event anymore)

5. Oh and by the way … tempting cookies of all kinds!

6. The good excuse of eating all other kinds of sweets as “Christmas is sooo soon”

7. Sentimental thoughts on the actual day

8. Wrong presents (mostly the result of forced feelings to “get SOMETHING”)

9. Last minute realisation that you’re not 5 anymore and eventually won’t get away with that pretty drawing of Santa Claus and his reindeers saying “Love you mum & dad”

10. The classic one: People wishing mArry christmas

(The ***attached points: 11. People bumping into you wherever you are (exceptions can be seen somewhere in Timbuktu maybe) and 12. Unfriendly people and 13. Even worse: Unfriendly staff who’s not able to give a PROPER service just because they pretend to be stressed out, too – and yes, this is different to 11. because if you worked for a department store or any other thing that requires a direct customer care then part of your job IS being nice!).

The Likes

1. Christmas Lightning in London 1 month in advance

(most of it is prepared in September…)

2. Cartier christmas decoration in Bond Street

3. Christmas window displays of all different kinds

4. Secret Santa presents.. so wrong that it’s already funny again

5. Pretentious sales that make you just feel better after buying something (which is, in reality, just bullshit ;))

6. People hoping for snow in a city, which is not prepared for snow and whining about it the moment there IS someday some snow

(There’s that German word called Schadenfreude and it’s like sarcasm … it’s there since I was born)

7. An end of a stressful period in the last months of the year on the 22nd/23rd LATEST

8. The sight of holiDAYS

9. A good excuse to stay in bed the whole day

10. Eating (and for those of you who like it: Drinking) as much as possible on one evening and still looking acceptable in comparison to the day after New Year’s Eve

With all these pro’s % & con’s I wish a very happy pre-Christmas day and hope you guys prepared for the real Armageddon ;)