Who Needs a Perfect Christmas? Embrace Joy and Ease!

Are you feeling the Christmas pressure yet? With societal expectations of the 'perfect Christmas', it's not uncommon to feel like your celebrations fall short. But here's a secret — there is no right or wrong way to do Christmas! Whether it's a grand feast or a quiet day at home, your celebrations should be about what brings you joy.

Take a walk with us down memory lane as we dive into our favorite Christmas traditions, debate the universally divisive topic of Brussels sprouts, and groove to the 70s hit "Gordon as a Moron". We ponder the origins of Father Christmas and how he's represented across cultures – did you know some cultures bribe their children with the idea of him? We also ruminate on whether turkey is a global Christmas dinner staple or a tradition popularized by Bernard Matthews and the Victorians.

We wrap up this episode with a heartfelt reminder to prioritize self-care amidst the Yuletide hustle and bustle. The magic of Christmas isn't in the perfectly wrapped gifts or the number of festive events you attend, but in the love and gratitude we share with our loved ones. So, take a breather, make your own traditions, and enjoy the season at your own pace. From all of us here, we wish you a magical Christmas filled with love and joy!

Chapters

• 0:44 Pressure for Perfect Christmas
• 10:52 Christmas Traditions and Santa Claus
• 20:58 Christmas Pressure and Magic Simplified
• 32:16 Views on Christmas and Commercialization
• 47:04 Importance of Self-Care During the Holidays

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:45

Oh, yeah, did one to then review a recording then for a minute? Cool, hello, hello, hello. How be thee? I be alright. I be thee. Yeah, I be alright. Thank you.

Speaker 1: 0:55

Yes, how's your day being Alright? Busy, good, I'm working it. Yeah, it's alright, it's good. I'll see you later. Bye, thanks for listening, folks, how's your week?

Speaker 1: 1:13

How's the Christmas shopping going? Do you know what? I'm actually virtually done, virtually Part a couple of things that I need to sort out. I'm virtually done, that's good. And I'm half packed, half packed. Well, that's one. Where are you going? Are you leaving?

Speaker 1: 1:37

I don't know what you're doing to Christmas. What do you do to them? You don't back off me, for I didn't like you were leaving home. Have you told him? Right? This is my official thing to John. I'm leaving, you love, not that he's going to know. It's because he doesn't listen to this anyway. You mean wrapped, wrapped, that's the word. Wrapped, daring mate. Wrapped. Yeah, it's not been too bad. I haven't even wrapped anything yet, have you not? No, I haven't finished shopping yet. I've got a couple of bits left to do. Yeah, I haven't even got a couple of little bits, really, but I am not wrapped or packed. Yeah, I'm just not, I don't know. I'm just not sure how I feel about it.

Speaker 1: 2:34

I think there's a lot of pressure at Christmas and I think people what's the word? Well, savages have found. I think people have put a lot of pressure on themselves that they don't need to. Oh, totally, totally. But I think the problem is oh, maybe I watched too many films. It's just this pretty perfect picture of Christmas, isn't there? But they'll sit in it, because I saw you the other day. You were watching that stupid Bloody Christmas channel. Yeah, brilliant, total non-reality. But they'll sit. It's non-reality, isn't it? It's for the films where it's snowing and everybody's idyllic. They've got a screw drawn for Christmas and the house is decorated beautifully. All the stuff's packed, packed, wrapped it's got me at it now Wrapped, beautiful.

Speaker 1: 3:41

There's the big sparkly tree and everybody loves each other. Wow, what a load of ballots that is. That is shite, isn't it? Because at Christmas time I reckon probably nine times out of ten Well, you're stressed.

Speaker 1: 3:59

Things don't go right with the dinner. We haven't got houses that are beautifully blessed with decks, do we no? And then everybody has a good scrap on Christmas Day, don't they? That's it. Everybody's asleep by the Queen's speed.

Speaker 1: 4:14

Yeah, barting, oh, show it. Come on, come on, woman. That's how much I know or actually care. But that's what I mean. It's just, we're fed these bollocks all the time. We are, we absolutely are, and then everybody's pressurised because they think they have to keep up with all that bollocks. Yes, and that's where I mean that people put stress on themselves rather than going. Do you know what I do, what I can do? I'll spend as much as I've gotten. No, much more, because that's all there is. But, yeah, but, like you say, we're supposed to achieve this and you're supposed to have every family member for Christmas, and you know.

Speaker 1: 5:12

But I also think, right, and this might be a little bit out there, but I think there are also adverts and stuff that lay a whole lot of guilt on people. If that's not what exists in your life, yes, absolutely. If that's not, you have no resemblance of that picture. Perfect Christmas. People, without realising, make you feel guilty about that. Not make you feel guilty, but because that's not, nobody can make you feel good. I'm not explaining this very well, but you can have guilty feelings if your life doesn't resemble that. Yes, yeah, yeah, because in your head you think that's what everybody else's Christmas looks like and when yours isn't looking like that, you feel inadequate, I'm not good enough, not good enough, and along with that comes all the other feelings of feeling shame and guilty and everything else.

Speaker 1: 6:22

We need to make it realise that not everybody's Christmas looks like that. Then very few, probably, isn't it? Yeah, in all honesty, if you had a camera in everybody's house with the Christmas dinner, it doesn't look like how we all think it looks, does it? No, not at all. What should it look like? If yours is beans on toast with just the two of you, that's absolutely fine. But that's it, isn't it? Yeah, it's what yours might look like and what mine might look like. A two-do, totally different thing. Yeah, absolutely. And if you were sat there in your slippers and just watched Crack TV all day on your own, that's fine. Yeah, that's absolutely fine. If that's what you want to do, that's how it's going to be. You're fine, and it's got all to do with anybody else, but that's it. It hasn't, has it, you know God?

Speaker 1: 7:26

I remember years back, so, the house full of people that I lived with who are not particularly want to do traditional stuff anyway. So one year we decided we were going to have an Italian Christmas, brilliant. So we did that. We literally had an Italian Christmas, so I cooked Italian food because my lot all like Italian food, so I cooked Italian food. And I remember when people say, what you have to do, what you have for Christmas dinner, we're doing Italian this year.

Speaker 1: 8:03

You're not having turkey in all the trimmings. No, who really likes turkey? Honestly, do not a lot of people really like turkey, do they? Who really likes turkey? But not a lot of people. But, like what you're saying, people buy it because they think they should. They think they have to because turkey is the traditional.

Speaker 1: 8:31

We've done goose before. I had goose one years and years ago, I mean, dad cut the goose, didn't really? Yeah, well, mine probably would prefer that. But yeah, and we have chicken, but it's the same thing, isn't it? It's just a small Turkey, isn't it? Yeah, to be honest, yeah, we have chicken and a bit of beef and a Yorkshire pudding.

Speaker 1: 8:56

My hands go Yorkshire pudding, yorkshire pudding for Christmas Day. Come on, yorkshire pudding. We haven't got that Yorkshire pudding, but we've got that Yorkshire pudding. But then, like you say, that's what you do, isn't it? That's what we do? We mainly leave it in the oven and forget about it. What? The Yorkshire pudding? The Yorkshire pudding? Yeah, so you don't end up eating Yorkshire pudding A lot of the time. No, it's the one thing we forget, because you forgot about it and left it in there. Yeah, but you're so right, because people go. You know it's okay. Yeah, after here's Christmas, but that's it, isn't it. Who says I've got after? Okay, that's it, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 9:42

I remember another year we just didn't get. None of us got dressed. We stayed in like pajamas all day, love it, but then because that's what we wanted to do, and why shouldn't you? That's it. But yeah, it's funny, we are funny, aren't we? How, like, there's all these things that have been programmed over the years and we're so afraid to journey away from them. Christ, yeah, because of what somebody else might think or say about us for not doing that. It almost feels like somebody, the whole world's going to implode if you don't eat turkey and pigs in blankets on Christmas Day. Oh god, pigs in blankets. Not first about pigs in blankets, but I like pigs in blankets. I think that's why people do it, because they mostly like the pigs in blankets.

Speaker 1: 10:35

Yeah, I love Brussels sprouts, but why don't we have them any other time of year? I don't know. All it is is bloody bacon wrapped in. No, it's not bacon wrapped in sausage. Sausage wrapped in bacon, yeah. Why don't we have them other times of year? I don't know.

Speaker 1: 10:52

I love Brussels sprouts though. I've grown into Brussels sprouts. I hated them when I was a kid, but I quite like them now. My lot of always love Brussels sprouts, but I don't like it when you put all this sea stuffing with, um, what's all that about? What? Like pancetta and chestnuts and all that will all be, yeah, what's that about? Just sprouts? Good old, good old sprouts, like a good old Brussels sprout. But then I'm a bit like that with like wine in the gravy. Why do you have to put wine in the gravy? Because it makes it taste nice? No, it doesn't. Yeah, it does, gives it a bit more depth of flavour. Look at me, gordon, gordon.

Speaker 1: 11:45

There's a song I was going to sing then, but I won't. What are we going to sing? Gordon is a whore on Jyoti John Gordon is a moron. Have you ever heard Jyoti? John Gordon is a moron. No, you need to listen. It's why I need to go on Spotify for that Jyoti John. Why was Gordon a moron? Oh, because you have to listen. It's all about the bus stop. Okay, honestly, it's hilarious. Gordon is a moron at a bus stop. What are you musing to listen to? You can't listen to it. It's hilarious. How far does this song go back? It's got to be the 70s. That explains it. Yeah, they were clearly on LSD when they never. It's funny. Now I'm going to have to Google that in a minute. After we finish this, I'm going to go home and listen to Gordon as a moron I think that's what it's called. But it's all about Gordon being a moron In a bus stop, at the bus stop.

Speaker 1: 13:06

Yeah, it's a girl involved, obviously. Clearly it has to do with a girl. Girls are not. But bloody trouble. Oh, my kitty, you're mad as a box of frogs, do you? You really are, you really are. I wonder if anybody gives a box of frogs as a Christmas present, Maybe the French, just the legs.

Speaker 1: 13:39

Do you have a tried frog's legs? Now, I don't think I could. I'm just thinking of my old man's tried frogs legs. Have you had snails before? Yeah, I don't think I could do that either. I can do that either. They're a bit slimy, aren't they? Yeah, do other people have turkey for Christmas dinner? What in other countries. Yeah, I know they do turkey for Thanksgiving in America. I'm just wondering if the people like the French have turkey. I bet they don't. French are quite cultured with their food. I bet they're not a lover of turkey, are they? I don't know when does it come from that we have turkey. I don't know. Bernard Maffey's probably That'd be turkey drummers, I bet it was Bernard Maffey's wanted a flocks Because it's not traditional turkey.

Speaker 1: 14:33

Is it Because that's where goose comes from? Because goose used to be more traditional for a Christmas day. So why is that not? Why did that not stay trendy then? Goose or under? I don't know whether it was. It's trendy to put your spuds in goose and goose fat In goose fat, yeah, but I don't know whether it's because maybe there's not as much meat on a goose as there is a turkey. Because they fatten up turkeys quite a lot, don't they? Yes, it's not pleasant experience. What fattening up a turkey? No, if you see the whole process, I don't want to think about going to that one. But yeah, so I'm guessing. And the turkeys boobs are quite big, aren't they? I've never looked. Turkey breast is quite big, isn't it? So I'm guessing. It's probably maybe because Bernard wanted to sell a few more and decided that there was a bit more on there. I sure goose is a lot more traditional for Christmas day.

Speaker 1: 15:39

I bet it was the Victorians. It's always the Victorians Interesting, isn't it? Well, I love it where it all comes from, how it all started, and then it sticks. Yeah, and how many hundreds of years later. And we're all still eating turkey, but it is.

Speaker 1: 16:02

It's also things like now, where did I read was it a read that? Or did I see a video about that? But Father Christmas never used to be Father Christmas like Father Christmas is now. Father Christmas is like now is because of Coca-Cola Is there and the Coca-Cola ad, but you know, like the Lories, yeah, that go round, but well, they used to have Lories like that years and years ago and that's how they, that's how they depicted Father Christmas and that's why Father Christmas is like Father Christmas is now Because the Coca-Cola. I could be talking out of my arse, but I'm fairly sure.

Speaker 1: 16:42

Well, I read the other day that in France I can't think of his name, but Father Christmas, as a mate that goes around with him can't give his name, but it's a funny name and to all the naughty kids. He slaps them. That's what happens in France. I can't think of his name. It's hilarious. The kids get a slap from the other. Father Christmas, yeah, he slaps them. The naughty kids get slapped, and his name is something like that. It's Slapber Slapber Christmas.

Speaker 1: 17:24

I was only reading it about it. There was no somebody told me about it and I so didn't believe them that. I looked it up and it's true. No, yeah, yeah. So if you're on the naughty list, I'm gonna get slapped. Do you remember that I was just away with bribing kids in France? Possibly Because we all bribed our kids with Father Christmas? It's a bit naughty, isn't it? Of course we have. It's the only way you get free December, isn't it? Because in Germany it's like St Nick in there or something like that. Well, that's where it came from, isn't it? It came from the Nick. Yeah, he gave Gifts out, wasn't he? He was a nice man, yeah, but yeah, I don't think he so.

Speaker 1: 18:22

Did the name Father Christmas come from the Coca-Cola Like, because it obviously was St Nicholas? So did they then rename him Father Christmas from the Coca-Cola thing? See, that's a good question. Is Father Christmas just an essentially a British thing because a lot of people call him Santa Claus. Yeah, here, right, yes, is he Santa Claus more in America, isn't he? Yes To what? Is he called Santa Claus? I don't know, see, if you think of the word Claus, how you say Claus. That also would be Claus, wouldn't it? And Claus is quite a Germanic name or where the Santa Claus comes from another area. I don't know. I don't know. I have to do a little bit of research here. That's interesting.

Speaker 1: 19:21

It's still bollocks though. Yeah, it's just the bollocks. We tell our little kids about it. It's okay, they're not going to be listening to this folks. This is not made for children, and if you're over 18 and listening to this, I'm really sorry.

Speaker 1: 19:43

Father Christmas isn't bollocks. Let's just cut this over. Father Christmas isn't bollocks, but the whole package of Christmas and what it pushes on to people and how they feel about it. That's the bollocks bit. Yeah, because we all love Santa. Don't raise your eyebrows at all. We all love Santa. You learn to love him. Tracy just loves a man with a big white bushy. Oh my god, she just wants a man with white bushy Come down here and hit me. Can we just make her behave here? It's just that some people you never know when they're listening to this too, they have to love Santa.

Speaker 1: 20:58

You don't believe Santa doesn't exist. You can't have exactly. You've got to believe in the magic. It's the magic that counts. But that magic is also bullshit. We lie, I know, I can't deny it, and then we tell kids off for lying. Absolutely. It's just fucked up shit on the top of this bullshit. But I do think it's even bigger bullshit because of how people feel about it. Completely, completely and utterly.

Speaker 1: 21:40

People get stressed about it for one day Well, it is as a giant, most in it, and they spend far too much money unnecessarily, usually because they then feel inadequate. If they don't, which is ridiculous, it's all comes down to lack again, isn't it? People need to stop feeling pressured from the outside and we need to stop pressuring people from the outside world to think that it should be a certain way. Yes, absolutely, especially in this day and age. We should, yes, and especially with the way things are at the moment as well, I think, because things are difficult for people, really difficult for people, so they shouldn't feel pressurised into doing this huge thing where it should be about just. It's a day when we all get, we should all get to just do what we all want to do, whether that's with other people, without other people, not having to be with people we don't want to be with. Appreciating that, you know, as a family, each part of that family can do whatever again they want to do.

Speaker 1: 23:03

It shouldn't be a thing that it has to be a certain way, because that's how it's always been. No, and that's what people need to change. Because that's why I said we only put this pressure on ourselves because we don't put boundaries in and we don't make those changes, no, for ourselves and we don't look after ourselves. So then we end up a mess. That's it.

Speaker 1: 23:31

And also, like you said, we're also so overly aware of what other people will say if we don't, if yeah, you know, if that our Christmas isn't looking like they think it should do, yeah, and that's so sad, because what should it look like? It should look like, however that person wants it to look like, and that's got nothing to do with the external factors that people are then spending a load of money on no, which that feeling will last about two minutes, the amount of money they've spent, and that's not going to make people feel any better, and in fact, 90s at the time it's, people feel worse. This is it, and that it's such a hard one. It's so hard this time of year it is so hard. And then it's a hard time for people who are missing people.

Speaker 1: 24:36

Yeah, because again there's a pressure, because this is family time. But if your family aren't there, then you feel even more pressure. Yeah, that you haven't got your family than everybody else has, which is bollocks. Yeah, it's a day, and maybe it should be just a day of gratitude, and if we all could practise that a little bit more on that day and take the pressure. But we have to take the pressure off ourselves and then collectively, that pressure gets released, doesn't it? Yeah, that's it, isn't it? Like you say, stop doing the fucking John Lewis adverts that portray it all to be lovely and hunky-dory. Well, I don't know. Is it which one's this year that's got the strange Venus flytrap plant? No, yeah, I don't know. So, john Lewis, I don't pay any attention. Yeah, you know a bit differently.

Speaker 1: 25:43

Show, it's not that I watch a lot of telly, you know, I watch a lot of telly. I just don't think I pay attention. That's because you only watch catfish. I don't watch catfish in ages, because you come in the oven, go on sky. I don't watch catfish in ages, I just watch the Christmas channel. Oh my God, I can't think of anything worse. But it makes me laugh because it's totally like not reality. I just think to me that is an escape from reality. It doesn't put. I don't feel pressurised, like from that at all, but to me it's like the opposite it's like an escape from reality because it's so unrealistic.

Speaker 1: 26:33

I mean, and I love, you know, I love Christmas. I absolutely love Christmas. I don't go and spend stupid amounts of money, In fact very little. We're not big on presents we do get. Last year we had to make them. That was hilarious, absolutely hilarious, yeah, but I do love it. I do love it. What is it you love about it? I don't know. I think I am a bit of a sucker for, like the magic. I've never found the magic, you know, but I love that whole imagination and like, no, it's weird, I love the feel of it, but I don't really know why, because I've never had some great ping moment with it. You haven't ever spotted something in your fireplace or in your golf fireplace.

Speaker 1: 27:40

How does he get in then? Well, when there were little ones here, we had to leave the key, but he's. But he had to stay downstairs. He's not allowed upstairs. He's never been allowed upstairs in our house. We've never put him through a lot, quite a few years now, because we have a certain person in the house that doesn't like Santa, and you see that's.

Speaker 1: 28:06

But there again, you see, there's another pressure because everybody thinks that every child loves Christmas, every child loves Santa. I know, I know for absolute deafener that not every child does. No, because if you think about that logically, he's quite scary. Yes, and this strange man comes into your house in the middle of the night, he lets himself in. But it's not even that, it's just they don't like Santa. They, even being little, didn't like that whole. You know, give me presents. I've never had that. No, I don't want any. So this is it, isn't it? But there's an expectation that, because they were a child that they love Christmas and people step over boundaries.

Speaker 1: 29:04

Oh, my good God, yes, at Christmas time, with children, big time, hug aunties and kiss aunties and uncles they've not seen for exactly. And you may have children that aren't comfortable with that. No, so shouldn't be made to do that. No, not at all. So that's what it means, isn't it? There's so much. It's not just one thing with Christmas, it's lots of things. Yes, it's not just Christmas dinner, it's not just the gifts, it's not just the whole. We've got a perfect family. It's not you need everybody in his wife's room. No, it's not. It's so many things.

Speaker 1: 29:52

Yeah, I think that's where my magic of Christmas did begin, because as a child, we did have people round Christmas Day. We got together as a family Christmas Day. We didn't have other people around. We were always together Christmas Day and Boxing Day as a family we used to get together, but that wasn't about lots of presents and things like that. As a child growing up, I only ever had one present, never expected more and that was all that we got. Never wanted more because that's what I knew. But it was always a time we did spend together as family, which was nice, whatever family that was. So I think that sort of instilled a magic.

Speaker 1: 30:49

I don't know, I don't know, I love it, I do love it, I do love the whole. Like believe it's funny, isn't it? Yeah, but then I am a bit like that. I think I'm a bit, can be a bit away with the fairies sometimes in that sort of side of things. I love that whole imaginary world and things like that. So I think, probably as a kid, maybe that instilled it a little bit. Okay, that makes sense and I like that.

Speaker 1: 31:21

I like being in an imagination, like in my head, in imagination, and if I believe it's magic, I've always got to have a bit of magic in your life and that's great, yeah, but it hasn't come from any great big thing and I suppose my mum made it. I think she, when I, when people talk about my mum, like family, talk about my mum, they always talk about my grand and grandad's boxing day. That always comes into the conversation from, like, my mum's cousins and things like that. So I think they instilled that magic of Christmas as a family get together, which my mum then carried on. I mean, I haven't carried it on.

Speaker 1: 32:16

I get together with my own personal family, but I don't have a big party on, you know, and they invite lots of people because they wouldn't want to eat my cooking anyway, because, no, they wouldn't, no, so but I think just that magic thing has obviously been passed down, that Christmas is a time where people just get together, which I like. I can see that, but at the same time. I've never. You know, I don't pressurize my kids. I say to them if you want to come for Christmas obviously some of them live with me, but if they wanted to go elsewhere, I wouldn't have an issue with that, it wouldn't bother you. No, no, no, it wouldn't spoil your magic of Christmas.

Speaker 1: 33:02

If I had to sit in the house on Christmas Day on my own and cook my own Christmas dinner, I'd be absolutely fine with that. No, I wouldn't cook my Christmas dinner, I'd blad at that. Also, you'd get somebody to plate one up for you and then you'd nuke it in the microwave. Yes, yeah, I mean that's fine. I always say to it some stage will get together over it. It doesn't have to be like Christmas Day or Boxing Day or something. It's some stage will get together with that, and if that's just for half an hour, that's fine.

Speaker 1: 33:41

But yeah, it's weird when I think about it, like, why have I got this? I love it, I love putting the decorations up, but I'll take them down Boxing Day because Christmas is done. Then they're gone. They're back in the attic Boxing Day. So yeah, I have a very strange view of Christmas, don't I really? Yes, when I think about it.

Speaker 1: 34:02

But, yes, it doesn't get on my nerves. Like some good, lovely Christmas songs or that I love it. Yeah, bring out Christmas songs. See the problem? I know I'm moan about Christmas and you take the piss out of me about moaning about Christmas. But no, because I think I do moan about it and I do, and it's not that I don't like Christmas, it's not that I have an issue with it being shoved down our throat from August. We just don't take the notes of it. Yeah, but like, why, why does it? Why do you need to put Christmas cards out in August? I agree, they started early because I think it makes it hard for the kids, because it's a long time rolling in then because they get excited about it. That's fine. So, and I think, let Halloween get out the way and let those bits go and then we can start Christmas. Just start in December. Yeah, I do agree with that, but at the end of August I don't take the notes of that.

Speaker 1: 35:15

I think I get a problem with it being overcommercialised and it all being about how much you spent, and I think that that's where I have the problem with it. Yeah, and I did get a miserable bugger for several years after my mum went, just because I didn't know what to do. So I think, yeah, so definitely. But I just think for me, I think it's the whole overcommercialising of it. Oh, it definitely is and I totally in agreement. You know, like I said, I love it, but I don't financially spend stupid amounts of money and I don't think I've ever done that.

Speaker 1: 35:58

The kids and that, and I've always said to them If you, if you've got a tenner and you've got to buy somebody a present, you take that tenner and you think about the person and you buy something for the person. If you've got 100 quid to spend on somebody, you can just buy anything. Yeah, you really like that, but it should never be about how much. In fact, little is where the thought is yeah, or if you haven't got a tenner, then you make something, and that. I love homemade presents. I mean we did it last year and it was hilarious because we had to make gifts for each other and it was absolutely hilarious. But it was great, absolutely great, and we didn't spend a lot of money but we had a lot of fun making them, hiding them and thinking about what you're going to make.

Speaker 1: 37:06

But again, you thought about that person. She thought, right, what can I make that that is, and you either thought of it too, which I thought that's relevant for that person and irrelevant whether they like it or not. You're just trying to think as it is relevant or something that they're like, so you give the person a lot of thought, so therefore it feels like it's had thought in it. Yes, yeah, and that's that's what I like in when you're giving something to somebody that it's just been thought about. Yeah, so, like I said, if you're under quit to spend on somebody, you can just go and buy anything. I have to really think about it, so it's meaningless. So that's when, the little things, that's when it counts and that's what I like.

Speaker 1: 38:03

Yeah, I see what you say. And if somebody can't do that and you just buy a card, that's got nice words, or right, nice words, right, nice words, that that's that's worth so much. And, like you say, and even that, even if you just give somebody time, absolutely, and maybe that's what you anything, yeah, and maybe that's what it is, because it is the one day where not so much these days but people don't have to go to work, so you've got the time to spend, to sit and play those games and it's the time. Yeah, it's not the, it's the time. It's not the time, it's the time, it's the time, and what that actually is, the memories you make with that time. Yeah, yeah, and I am very lucky because I have got lovely memories of lovely Christmases. So, yeah, I think that's probably what it is.

Speaker 1: 39:01

So we need to get on the bandwagon and stop all this commercial shite. I just. But then they've commercialised everything. I look at Easter, look at the dance of the thing, all of it. Now I've seen Cadbury's Cream Eggs in a local co-op on Boxing Day. Yeah, yeah, they do, but then they spoil it because they bring it into early, don't they? You don't get that excitement. No, you lose it. You lose it. It's true commercial. I think we have gone through a whole spell of losing what these, what these sort of times are all about.

Speaker 1: 39:42

I'm not a religious person, so you know, and I'm fine if that's. If that's how you feel about Christmas, yeah, that's absolutely fine. If you don't do it at all, that's absolutely fine. Just let everybody do what they feel they need to do. That's the thing. Don't pressurise, don't be pressurised into having to do. Don't make somebody do they do something that they don't want to do.

Speaker 1: 40:14

No, that's the bit I don't like, and don't judge people if their Christmas isn't looking like you think it should. No, no, there's hundreds of reasons why it doesn't look like you think it should look? Yeah, and I do think Christmas is just a bit of a magic for kids. It should be more about the kids in a sense. I don't know if people argue that it should be the religious part of that If they're religious, but that's fine. It's quite a nice magic time to spend with kids and you don't have to spend loads of money to do that Time. Kids just want time, time Average.

Speaker 1: 41:00

Sit with them, play that game, pack a card. Yeah, we've got this crazy game that we play and it is literally I don't even know where it came from and it's just a box of cards with letters on Right, big cards with letters on. That's all it is, and I think we've just made up the rules. Great, so now you can't tell me what this game is, because I was just thinking this goes we can do for games. No, I haven't got a clue. It's just a box. There's no lid, it's just a little box, the card's sitting and they've all got a letter on it. So we shuffle them out to everybody. So you get five or six cards each and then there's a pile of cards with questions on. So one person will read the questions and we take it in turns. So it'd be the first person to name a bird. So you've got to name a bird with one of the letters of your cards and you've got to be the first to hold that letter up and shout the name. So if I had a B like Blackbird and then if I get that, whoever's first then gets everybody else's cards and then at the end it's the person with the most cards.

Speaker 1: 42:27

We laugh hysterically at this game and fall out of not fall out properly, but you know, like I got it first and all that stuff. Yeah, and it always goes to that game and it's the most stupidest nothing game ever and I don't even know where it came from. I have no idea what it's called, because we've got half box and we don't even know if we play it right. We just made it up. See, things like that. Yeah, it's weird and we might play a little bit of picture. We've got a whiteboard. Oh, not done. Picture of me. Picture me so hilarious why people can't see what you're drawing. I don't understand they wouldn't with me. Trust me, I can't draw a fucking straight line with a ruler. Love, there is no chance of me ever getting it. Well then, you should play, picture and rate, because that's hilarious, but do it on a whiteboard so that everybody can see what you're drawing. It's funny. I like funny games.

Speaker 1: 43:32

We're trying to look for one. Actually, we're trying to look for one. In the weeks. We're a bit different, but not a bit meaningful. Now, and you just want something that's really silly. Yeah, I'll tell you what, if ever you find them right.

Speaker 1: 43:45

One year we had crackers with um, oh, the bazookas in it, oh my god. But your, each bazooka had a different letter, and then you all had a sheet of music and where, where your letter was, you had to blow your bazooka. Oh my god. Honestly, that is brilliant, sounds awful. It was, yeah, but you can't blow the thing because you're laughing so much. So then you miss your place. So then you've got to start again. Oh my goodness.

Speaker 1: 44:22

Yeah, I'm going to play some funny games and pass the parcel with oven gloves on. You try unwrapping wrapping paper with oven gloves on. Yeah, it's not possible, is it? So you have to throw a big, pass the parcel. Then you have to throw a double with dice. But you've got your Christmas hat on in your oven gloves so you're unwrapping. But then, where the next person is trying to throw a dot, throw a double so you can keep unwrapping until they throw a double, until you pass it round. That way it's brilliant, because you can't open the wrapping paper. Oh my god, because you've got oven gloves on. You need to take videos of that and show that after over Christmas. It's funny.

Speaker 1: 45:12

Everybody's round to Tracy's for Christmas. You need to do that. So I haven't made one of them yet. See, you still need stuff to do at Christmas. It's just a bugger to make.

Speaker 1: 45:20

I was going to say it's all the bloody wrapping of it. Wrapping packing yeah, there's always a prize in the middle and there's some little sweets as you go along, but there's some scratch cards here and there. That's funny. Oh my god. See, folks, everybody's round to Tracy's for Christmas. Yeah, it's just simple stuff. At my house, nothing complicated. Dinner's never complicated. It's because she can't go. No well, I don't care, never gonna leave my dinner. So I've never cooked Christmas dinner in my life. Oh my god, I don't know, have I actually? I might have cooked one or two, but not all by myself. I have amazing children. They cook. Well, it's a bloody miracle in itself. That's a Christmas miracle, oh my god.

Speaker 1: 46:18

So, in short, christmas just needs to be whatever you want it to be, without the pressure of what everybody else thinks it should be, but don't put the pressure on yourself. No, it can be. Yeah, because you might feel like that pressure is coming from around you, but there's only because that's if you allow that to happen. Yeah, so don't. So don't choose it, don't do it. Do your day in your way, and it doesn't matter what the advert tells you you should be doing, no, or anybody else tells you it should be like, you know, not family, not nothing. No, doesn't matter. Do it your way, but it's the easiest way for you, without it causing any stress into the new year.

Speaker 1: 47:04

Could you go look after yourself? Yep, as we said, most important person, yeah, it's not so fresh, it's just so care, exactly, and it shouldn't be a time to get stressed about. No, so on that wonderful night that's wonderful You're listening to little reminisce it was, and if you're listening to this on the day that it downloads. It's Christmas Eve. Oh, happy Christmas Eve. So we wish you a very merry, happy Christmas Eve and, whatever you're doing during the coming week or couple of weeks, just have an amazing time and remember that you look after you. Yeah, definitely, we love you loads. Thank you very much. Merry Christmas Bye.