Goodbye QVC now the Christmas season is in full swing.

[loveallthingsitalian]

I agree with you, but they're just selling a dream, aren't they - and there's clearly enough people who want to buy into that. They're hardly going to show a slightly burnt turkey, some tatty decorations and an argument, which is probably more representative! I also don't think people have these fabulous holidays in the Caribbean for which you need gallons of UltraSun, or all these dinner parties and 'lunch with the girls' and endless garden parties: all of which QVC wants to portray happening every day.
U
I'd personally like Christmas preparations to begin no earlier than 1 December, but that's hoping for too much.

23rd December will do me! Bah humbug!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

That sounds lovely. Hope you have a great time.

Because we had livestock to tend all the family used to descend on us for Christmas every year. Of course, having drinks it "wouldn't be safe to drive" so they stayed for days & days..."a lovely break & rest".
Meanwhile, having prepared the bedrooms, shopped, make cakes, mince pies, decorated, put up the tree etc etc, I had cooking to do for the whole tribe ( never an offer of help) as well as still having all the animals to tend to.
The only time I really loved was late on Christmas Eve, going down to the barns to check the animals, so still & peaceful dozing in their hay. That felt like a true Christmas.

This (excluding the animals!) has been my Christmas for all my married life now reduced to 1 staying but having to visit a nursing home many many miles away several times.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Mr L used to work in an industry where it was 24/7 no closing for holidays (pre zero contract days). There was actually a waiting list for people who wanted to work Christmas Day. It was a great excuse for men not to have to have lunch with the mother in law from hell, and at treble rates. Win win!

Of course now it would probably be at normal rates but still able to avoid MIL!

 

[Silver Fox]

I hate the way QVC push Christmas as the "Family Season", "The Party Season". Think of all those parties you'll be going to, having the neighbours in and then a huge, happy family Christmas with everyone getting on and handing over beautiful gifts to each other. It's a load of rubbish. Who has the neighbours in for mulled wine and mince pies? No one I know. Who goes to tons of parties? Maybe the office do but that's about it. We don't do family Christmas either as they are usually a disaster so it's just us. I don't like the way the TV assumes everyone has a family, everyone is hugely happy or that everyone has masses of money to spend on Christmas.

CC

Thankyou Candycane for putting my feelings about Christmas so eloquently.I for the present have the cash & health to fly out, but when I say cash, my 2 weeks away will cost a lot less than staying in UK.I can laugh off all this Christmas stuff but many won't be able to & end up feeling more lonely & feel like 'outsiders' that they don't slot into this stereotype. Thankyou!

 

[maymorganlondon]

It seems to me that we are all expected to emulate an overdone Christmas movie (usually Hollywood style). It's so idealised, and takes no account of human nature and families' ability to get under each others' skins. That said, I don't go much for the depressing East Enders style family rows - too close to home! Wouldn't it be nice to not have a single "one size fits all" idea of Christmas peddled all the time?

 

[historymystery]

The comments on here have summed it up to a T. Why do these channels try to perpetuate this myth of friends, family and neighbours all in one big, happy gathering at Christmas? It's totally unrealistic in most cases. Having said that, I believe people should have the Christmas they want, and if families and neighbours are very close, that's wonderful, but what bugs me (and I can see I'm not alone!!) is this constant "pushing" of a huge celebration and pressure to buy gifts for all and sundry. And it starts in July, which is adding insult to injury, in my book - I'm still thinking about holidays and days out in the garden! Most people couldn't afford to celebrate in this OTT style anyway, even if they had the inclination, so give it a rest, selly telly, for pity's sake. I'm switching off, definitely not buying, and I'd guess I'm not alone.

It seems to me that we are all expected to emulate an overdone Christmas movie (usually Hollywood style). It's so idealised, and takes no account of human nature and families' ability to get under each others' skins. That said, I don't go much for the depressing East Enders style family rows - too close to home! Wouldn't it be nice to not have a single "one size fits all" idea of Christmas peddled all the time?

 

[warwa100]

That sounds lovely. Hope you have a great time.

The only time I really loved was late on Christmas Eve, going down to the barns to check the animals, so still & peaceful dozing in their hay. That felt like a true Christmas.

Thank-you

I love the picture you have drawn for us here. It's lovely.

I really like the countryside and would love to live in The Lakes, but my OH isn't keen. We work in the city (Manchester) & live just on the outskirts so would never get this imagery on Christmas Eve.

Beautiful.

 

[May]

I think the build up to Christmas can be very stressful espeacially when you are sorting everything out (Man or woman )... When the children were young I used to stress over the turkey the Brussels ...etc ...now I wish I hadn't stressed so much ...if thenbrussels are ruined or the turkey dry whey does it matter as long as the house Is still standing and nobody injured ...and then you have the post Christmas effect which can hit lonely people even harder ....i was talking to a lady at post office other day who said she often gets post in for her ..93 ..year old neighbour who always has blue packets delivered ...bless her ...QVC of course ..QVC know who they are aiming at ...many lonely old people with some money to spend ...I just thought awww bless her ...makes her happy ...but of course kerching everytime for QVC for that demographic ...( the lady at 93 still quite active ) ...lovley images of meaningful Christmases on here ever