When is Christmas?
Jan. 8th, 2026 03:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhomustS describes the party we were at last Sunday as her "Christmas leftovers party". The idea is that everyone contributes whatever they have from overcatering for the festivities, or being given presents of more sweets than they can eat. Inevitably, this means that the party itself generates leftovers, but at least we all get sent home with someone else's contribution, which makes for variety.
One of the guests - only one - was wearing a Christmas jumper (big reindeer face, red woolly bobble nose) which he described, rather defensively, as his "leftover Christmas jumper." He explained that his wife (who I don't think was at the party) had discouraged him from wearing it, because, she said, after Christmas Day, Christmas was over. A whole group of people disagreed strongly with this, and launched into the usual discussion of when is Twelfth Night, anyway? (with much counting on fingers), and what is Epiphany? and don't people break their teeth on the bean in the galette? which is always fun, and reveals much about Other People's Traditions. I maintained, as I usually do, that people who want Christmas to be over too soon are usually paying the price for starting too early, and that Christmas doesn't begin until Christmas Day, though some celebration is permissible on Christmas Eve.
This is not entirely truthful, because of course my Christmas begins when we visit the Bears and sing carols. This year we did this one afternoon, instead of the usual evening event, and the change was entirely successful, with one exception: after referring, year after year, to 'the Bears' Carol Evening', I no longer know what to call it. It isn't a carol concert, it isn't a carol service: why am I finding it so difficult to talk about 'the Bears' Carol Afternoon'? Several people were there who had evening engagements but were able to join us for the afternoon, plus F who finds it increasingly difficult to steel himself to leave the house (and left at half time)...
Which reminds me (because once upon a time the mulled wine was his province) that I looked at last year's post to see what wine I had used, and was disappointed to find that I hadn't recorded it: this year our trip to Majestic produced a range of different grenaches, of which I mulled the cheapest (possibly I should say 'garnacha', because I think it was Spanish). Four bottles to start with, and a jar of honey, and I thought that might actually be sweet enough; F thought it needed more, and people liked it, so he was probably right, although I liked it better after I had added another bottle at half time. Next year, add the honey in smaller increments...
After the carols, I do tend to feel that Christmas is over. I'm happy to come home and catch up with whatever I left undone when we went away, and as long as I cook some sort of traditional Christmas dinner,durham_rambler doesn't complain: we restart the festivities at the New Year. With one exception, which is that for a week or two after singing that very familiar selection of carols, I am always earwormed by them. My internal jukebox usually selects a favourite (not always one which I would have chosen) and plays it to me at random times. This year, to my surprise, it was Shepherds, Arise!, a recent addition to the repertoire, originally sung in harmony by the musicians, but now sung by all, in chorus. I wouldn't have claimed to know it well enough to be earwormed by it, but apparently so.
In theory, then, my Christmas ends at Epiphany. But tonight we will go to the Lit & Phil for spooky stories: so traditional an Epiphany event that tonight must be
Epiphany observed. Tomorrow I will take down the Christmas cards (our only nod to decorations).
One of the guests - only one - was wearing a Christmas jumper (big reindeer face, red woolly bobble nose) which he described, rather defensively, as his "leftover Christmas jumper." He explained that his wife (who I don't think was at the party) had discouraged him from wearing it, because, she said, after Christmas Day, Christmas was over. A whole group of people disagreed strongly with this, and launched into the usual discussion of when is Twelfth Night, anyway? (with much counting on fingers), and what is Epiphany? and don't people break their teeth on the bean in the galette? which is always fun, and reveals much about Other People's Traditions. I maintained, as I usually do, that people who want Christmas to be over too soon are usually paying the price for starting too early, and that Christmas doesn't begin until Christmas Day, though some celebration is permissible on Christmas Eve.
This is not entirely truthful, because of course my Christmas begins when we visit the Bears and sing carols. This year we did this one afternoon, instead of the usual evening event, and the change was entirely successful, with one exception: after referring, year after year, to 'the Bears' Carol Evening', I no longer know what to call it. It isn't a carol concert, it isn't a carol service: why am I finding it so difficult to talk about 'the Bears' Carol Afternoon'? Several people were there who had evening engagements but were able to join us for the afternoon, plus F who finds it increasingly difficult to steel himself to leave the house (and left at half time)...
Which reminds me (because once upon a time the mulled wine was his province) that I looked at last year's post to see what wine I had used, and was disappointed to find that I hadn't recorded it: this year our trip to Majestic produced a range of different grenaches, of which I mulled the cheapest (possibly I should say 'garnacha', because I think it was Spanish). Four bottles to start with, and a jar of honey, and I thought that might actually be sweet enough; F thought it needed more, and people liked it, so he was probably right, although I liked it better after I had added another bottle at half time. Next year, add the honey in smaller increments...
After the carols, I do tend to feel that Christmas is over. I'm happy to come home and catch up with whatever I left undone when we went away, and as long as I cook some sort of traditional Christmas dinner,
durham_rambler doesn't complain: we restart the festivities at the New Year. With one exception, which is that for a week or two after singing that very familiar selection of carols, I am always earwormed by them. My internal jukebox usually selects a favourite (not always one which I would have chosen) and plays it to me at random times. This year, to my surprise, it was Shepherds, Arise!, a recent addition to the repertoire, originally sung in harmony by the musicians, but now sung by all, in chorus. I wouldn't have claimed to know it well enough to be earwormed by it, but apparently so.In theory, then, my Christmas ends at Epiphany. But tonight we will go to the Lit & Phil for spooky stories: so traditional an Epiphany event that tonight must be
Epiphany observed. Tomorrow I will take down the Christmas cards (our only nod to decorations).
