Christmas? Not yet, but …

I decline to have anything to do with Christmas before December 1st at the earliest. I close my eyes to Christmas decorations in the streets, and scuttle out of any shops belting out Christmas musak. A three month long celebration ain’t our kind of Christmas at all.

There are just two exceptions. Christmas pudding has to be made on Stir Up Sunday. And since I was a small girl, October half term has been the time to make the Christmas cake. That way, it’s got time to sit and mature, have all those rich flavours get acquainted, and wait for us to feed it with frequent tablespoonsful of hooch. We made the cakes last Saturday – one for each family in the family – and today I’ve got them out again to pour a little whisky on the already sozzled cakes.

That’s the beginning of our kind of Christmas.

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#Kinda Square Be sure to read Becky’s post. She has some fine suggestions to make today a better day for you, and for others.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

48 thoughts on “Christmas? Not yet, but …”

  1. I feel pretty much the same except I’m inade4uate and can’t cook Christmas pud/cake 😦 😦 A gentleman friend back in the UK has already made 9 for his substantial family. A nice tradition! Here they’re just starting to put street lights up in some places. It seems to be a rolling programme along the Algarve, but they won’t be lit till… who knows? Probably December. 🙂

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    1. Oh Jo, You CAN make Christmas cake! You just chuck everything together. Mind you, Portuguese friends might not eat it. Both the French and Spanish find it unappetising. Yup, street lights up here, but not lit yet, thank goodness.

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  5. It is mince pies I cannot resist, and MrB is making the mincemeat for me again this year 🙂 and Christmas pud we have one from last year still to eat. Probably should though make a few now for next year!!

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    1. Oh, you and Mr. L should get together, He cannot ignore a mince pie. Ever. Yes, Christmas puds are a once-every-two year event, aren’t they? You can’t actually make only one.

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  6. I haven’t made one in years, but have the urge to do one this year, must dig out my recipe! We don’t celebrate Christmas, I dislike all the commercial hooha.

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  10. Looking at your lovely cakes has reminded me that Mum always baked ours in October- and regularly laced them with whisky. She’s nearly 101 and in a care home, but you’ve inspired me to take up the mantle as I know she will enjoy a piece with cheese- come Christmas.

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  11. They look delicious. It appears as though there will be plenty of cakes and puddings delivered by the postman this year. I am hoping that the No.10 crew don’t suddenly dangle ‘a treat’ for families with a brief relaxation of rules and tiers for Christmas Day.

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  14. I’ve never made a Christmas cake. That’s a shocking admission perhaps, but I don’t like it so it has never occurred to me. Perhaps this would have been the year to do it, having plenty of time at home, and give it away to someone, but I might have missed the boat. Oh well, maybe next year. Yours look good though – even if I wouldn’t want to eat them!

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  17. Christmas decor will start after this weekend. Since we are huge Halloween fanatics, it will begin after Halloween. I was in a store the other day and I see where the shelves were cleared & ready. Some other stores already have stuff. I bought a new piece for my village. We also had a community wide yard sale two weeks ago and I bought another piece to for my village. Almost everyone had masks on and was all outside so I wasn’t too worried. I won’t put anything up until the end of November, but I’m excited to do it for a little norm! 🙂

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      1. Oh, Frank & I will be busy. The only people that will enjoy it is the neighbors. My best friend & her husband may come for Christmas but I won’t see any of my kids or grandkids. Not enough social distancing going on there for my taste. But it should be fun to share with everyone on WP. 🙂

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  18. Those cakes look wonderful. I have not made Christmas cake often and not for years. I followed the family tradition of using brandy not whisky to ‘feed’ the cake – I wonder if any difference in flavour is that significant.
    I also don’t like the lengthy Christmasfication of shops for months on end. I saw my first online Christmas advert today and it was a bit of a jolt. Its nearly November already!

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