Christmas is all about

kids faces lighting up when they open the present, a few too many yo ho ho's when cooking the food, cinamon and vanilla sugar, Mama having the last say at the highly inappropriate tree which grossly uberpaid for, frantic last minute christmas card dispersal, sneaking upstairs to wrap a present for someone who has turned up unannounced, incestous Christmas party at work, kids devouring chocolates of the tree which are about 10 years old, Mama making a hand made Christmas decoration, tantalising baking and food smells from MAmas kitchen, Pannetonne, more pannetone, turkey stuffed under the skin ala me, cold turkey sarnies, smoked salmon, mulled wine ala Mama, stockpile of batteries so high you could open a corner shop, bucks fizz, walnut, poppy seed beigli, pogacsa, hugs, kisses, Dr Who, sitting in the dark room with only the lights on the Christmas tree illuminating the fact that you are raiding the chocolate tin, walnuts from our land, hazelnuts from Mama's land, random bits of sellotape hanging off the table post wrapping frenzy (only to be discovered in july), long walk whilst food roasts, honeyed roast parsnips,red cabbage ala me, cheezy christmas card competition with hubby, the sound of the doorbell, red wine, more wine, being in your Pj's on boxing day until 4pm...becoming an expert in piecing together the toy which toddler is demanding assebly of pronto, polar express, christmas carol, christmas cards, terry's chocolate orange, hangover!!

Christmas is not: mince pies, christmas cake, queens speech (apart from to heckle),scrooge, supposed to be about spending 3 hours untangling the lights, trying to jazz up the Christmas door wreath only for it to fall apart in your hands, woolworths (sadly!).