Leeds Christmas market
Christmas is once again sneaking up on me. Despite me making a concerted effort this year I am not yet feeling the yule tide spirit. The tree is up, I’ve got Bing Crosby at Christmas on permanent repeat on my iPod, and I’ve even gone so far as roasting my chestnuts on an open fire - but still I’m getting nothing.
It probably hasn’t helped that I’ve worked pretty much non stop for the last week or so. Also I haven’t done myself any favors by imposing this stupid Advent Colander thing on myself. I found NaBloPoMo a bit of a strain last month, and now I seem to be posting twice a day. I am officially an idiot.
Still, I remember feeling the same lack of festive cheer last year and it all turned out ok in the end. I’m planning on doing a bit of Christmas shopping tomorrow so that might put me in the mood.
In an effort to hurry things along a little Kerry, the kids and I went to church this afternoon. It was the first time I’ve been in a church for something aside for a wedding or a funeral since… well… ever actually. I did used to go to a church kids group once but that was only because it was less rough than the local youthclub. Even then I stole sweets from the tuck shop. I’m not worried though, I’ll repent on my deathbed.
However Amy has been talking about baby Jesus a lot recently, and both Kerry and I had an urge to sing some carols so we thought it might be a nice thing to do. I can appreciate that some may not approve of non believers such as ourselves going to church just for the “atmosphere”, but it was more to do with giving Amy the experience really. We want our children to eventually make up her own mind about religion, and they will only be able to do that if they are exposed to all sides of the argument.
And anyway, we weren’t the only heathens in the place. Paul was also there under the strict supervision of his more godly wife Becky. Evan and their baby daughter Layla had a competition to see who could disrupt proceedings the most. Layla took an early lead with a prolonged burst of crying, but to my mind Evan was the real victor with his periodic episodes of loud shouting and his attempts to wrestle lit candles from all and sundry.
We had a nice time and Amy really enjoyed herself, although she was a little disappointed that she didn’t get to see baby Jesus. We also got a couple of Christingle’s to take home with us. I haven’t seen one of those since I was about eight. Kerry claims she’s never seen one at all, but she had a weird childhood. Amy had eaten all the sweets from hers before we even got out the church door. Perhaps that’s how the Anglican church can combat the continuing decline in congregations, free christingles at every service. I shall write to the Archbishop of Canterbury with the suggestion immediately.
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 12:20 am
I feel your pain. I’m totally not feeling Christmas-y this year.
Then again, I’m Jewish. Why should this year be different from all other years…
On the other hand, I’m totally feeling the CommentLuv plugin love. Is niiiiice.
Rattling the Kettle’s last blog post..Cookbooks That Suck
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 3:05 am
This has been an off year for me as well. I’ve been trying and trying to get into it but nah. I’m not grinchy about it, just laissez-faire, I guess!
Hilly’s last blog post..Super Snackie Sunday: If only the moving men wore brown…..
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 4:37 am
I feel the christmas love…. but I am not religious and I have not been near a church.
hooray!
(I had to follow the wiki link on those christingle things, I checked it out and I have never seen one either)
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 5:18 am
I’ve also never seen a Christingle. Is it an English thing?
Just wanted to say that I’m starting to feel the holiday spirit. It’s creeping in.
BTW, I nearly choked on my drink when I read the line about going to church for atmosphere. That’s fantastic.
Whit’s last blog post..Thing 2 That Goes Bump in the Night
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 7:36 am
Did you never go to the harvest festivals in the Church? Where we dragged all of the crap out of the back of the cupboard and posted it to Africa.
Sam’s last blog post..Posing with Ute
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 8:01 am
I’m with Kerry… I’ve never seen a Christingle either!
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Sam - Oh yes, I forgot about Harvest festivals. Ad thinking about it I must have gone at Christmas too in order to have witnessed a Christingle.
Helen - That’s because you had a freaky childhood too. Sorry to break it to you.
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Whit, Camikaos, et al - Christingles may well be an English thing, they are certainly a Church of England thing anyway. That’s why Kerry and Helen haven’t seen them before, they did a lot of their growing up on British army bases in Germany.
German churches don’t have Christingles, they just have elaborate plans revolving around invading Poland.
(I just can’t help myself, sorry)
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Christingle eh - pointy cocktail sticks, lit candles, young children with short concentration spans - Merry Christmas!
The joy of it all is that I get to explain all about Christingle to my Junior Church group this Sunday, and then it’s our Christingle & Crib Service on Christmas Eve which will be interesting to say the least!
I think it’s great that you’re giving Evan and Amy the chance to make up their own minds and be ‘exposed’ to different possibilities. and if you ever feel like immersing yourself in the Anglican culture then I’ve got a vacancy for a little helper when I teach Sunday School - I’ll let you put the glitter and the (not sharp) scissors out!
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
ooooh, a photo of the German fair in Millenium Sq Leeds - do I win a prize ?
Was there on Saturday night for the annual jolly boys christmas curry neet outing and bought some pseudo German teddy bears for the girls in lederhosen and suchlike - totally naff and I’ll be ridiculed for doing so on xmas day.
I went to a midnight mass on xmas eve last year for the first time ever, well, first time sober anyway - won’t bother this year, I didn’t know any of the songs or when to stand up/sit down etc, pantomime is at least predictable in its audience participation.
Gary’s last blog post..Woolworths Ladies
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Christingles seem like an excellent way to skewer yourself while you set yourself on fire.
Avitable’s last blog post..Fuck the Turks
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
never heard of Christingles..but I’m Dutch so that should count as a reason..
Christmas feelings..hmm well at home the celebration of the Dutch version of santaclaus (that’s the fastest explanation) has been postponed from the 5th of december till the 22nd, so christmas feelings will have to be postponed till after that. Next to that..it’s deadline stress this week..ugh.
I’m reallly thinking about stepping over to Wordpress, I like the things you can do with K2 and I love the commentlove. Or are these things also implementable in blogger?
Arjan’s last blog post..Upcoming…
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
I’ve no idea what a Christingle is, but the Baptist church folks used to bribe us with hot dogs and candy. Poor kids are easily bribable, as it turns out.
I woulda got on that bus for a piece of lunchmeat and one smartie.
Contrary’s last blog post..My small breasts and I
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
I have more Christmas spirit than is healthy, so I would be happy to send some of mine your way! **Merry, Merry Christmas!** (Do you feel the warmth infusing your bones RIGHT NOW?
Tracy’s last blog post..Poo-tastic!
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
I like the plan for repenting on your deathbed. It seems like a very efficient shortcut to actually living a good and moral life.
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
And now I feel so UNloved. Why oh why don’t I (and others) get comment linkage?
on Dec 17th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Jeff - I’ve looked into it and i think it’s because you don’t have a feed link in the head section of your page.
on Dec 18th, 2007 at 3:46 am
Ok, I’ll bite. What does that mean? Can you send me a sample of what you’re talking about?
on Dec 18th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
The pic of the Leeds Christmas market has me feeling all nostalgic - we were in England in November last year and found ourselves in the middle of the Wells Christmas market which was lovely.
As Rich and I have different levels of religiosity, it seems we don’t take the kids to any church services…he’s afraid of my hippy-dippy new-agey spirituality and I’m afraid of the fact that although he’s obviously a new-agey spiritual type himself, he can’t let go of the Catholic thing. For what purpose I have no idea.
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