Do you celebrate Christmas? If you do, when do you decorate? Is your Christmas tree up already or will it still be a few weeks before you do that? What are your Christmas traditions? If you don't celebrate Christmas, how do you spend the holiday season?
We haven't put up the tree yet, but when we do it gets covered with multi-colored lights first (I don't like white or single color lights!) Then there are "family" ornaments that are either ones that our three sons have made over the years or are special ornaments that we have purchased while on family trips (i.e. Disneyland ornaments, etc.). The last ornament that is placed each year is an ornament that is very special to me. It is the last remaining ornament from a set of twelve that my family had when I was a child. The other eleven have all been broken over the years. That single ornament represents a lot to me. All the rough times that I have gone through in my life and yet I have survived. Placing that ornament on the tree is a very emotional moment for me. For years we would look in 2nd hand stores in the hope of finding some more ornaments to match that one - with no luck. Then on Christmas 2014 my oldest son gave me a small gift for Christmas. When I opened it there was an ornament that matched my last remaining ornament! I burst into tears as I hung it on the tree. That evening I came out here on Empty Closets. That one small ornament had brought back to me all of the heartache that I had endured over the years when I was abandoned by my mother and father, when my boy friend/lover/soulmate died and while I tried to hide my sexuality. It was the "straw the broke the camels back" and everything came crashing down on me. That night Empty Closets saved me from making a very bad decision and helped me through the first few days of accepting myself as gay. Now when we decorate the Christmas tree those Two Ornaments mean something different to me. The mean hope and happiness that I have learned to love and accept myself! So during this holiday season may you love and cherish your family and friends and don't forget to love yourself as well! .....David
Hm, I'm not a christian so... Nope. Taking advantage at work. I just work those days away. As a 'tradition' if you wish, I watch Sci-Fi and Horror films, perhaps watch anything with James Stewart on it, or anything by Orson Welles. TBH, the view of discarded, damaged trees out on the streets, to be picked up by bin men, to see this year after year, depresses me for some reason. But if you enjoy your celebrations, I'm happy for you.
Yes, because my family wants to, but I'm not as keen on celebrating Christmas as I was as a child. It's an holiday, that's targeted towards children and has become too commercial. We only put up a tree (plastic tree, it's much cheaper, than just buying a new live tree every year and less to clean after) and we do it a week before Christmas. We have some old traditional ornaments, that we use every year, since we were children. We mostly cook, some traditional Christmas foods, eat them and enjoy our time together. Listening Christmas songs and watch traditional Christmas movies (Home Alone, Die Hard, The Santa Clause and so on) and special holiday programs on TV. When I was a child, then you knew that Christmas time is near, when the Coca Cola train commercial came onto TV. We had advent calendars too every year. Christmas was much more magical back then.
I do, although I'm not nearly as enthusiastic about it as I used to be. My wife and I put our Christmas tree up on Black Friday, like we usually do. I get the day off work so it's easiest that way. Leading up to Christmas, I tend to watch as many sappy romantic Christmas movies as I can find (Netflix is releasing a gay Christmas romance with fake dating and I'm so excited). On the day, my wife and I exchange gifts in the morning (typically not wrapped because neither of us cares enough for that anymore) and then go to her grandparents' house for lunch and more presents.
