The Christmas/Xmas/Hannukah/Saturnalia/BUY OUR STUFF Season

That's lovely Mas. 😊

Snowballadeer wrote:

Do they do a lot for Christmas in Japan?  Different base religion, but I imagine they're equally enthused by the commercial and family aspects?

The KFC Christmas thing is very real and very brilliant.
Christmas is a thing in Japan, albeit on a much smaller scale and curiously considered more of a "couples" thing than a "family" thing.

Season's Greetings to y'all!

Happy Christmas y'one and y'all! :king: :king: :king:

Merry birthmas to the babby zombie Jesus & to everyone on here.

Today's Christmas plan: fill kitchen with soft toys while rest of family's at church, and photograph their reaction.

Merry Christmas

I got this lot for Xmas (minus Secret Santa) and £407 Cash (which isn't pictured, also I got £30 of that a few weeks ago which I've spent and £12 is off scratch cards that I need to go collect)



The main things are the SNES Mini which I'll talk about in it's thread and signed picture of Kevin De Bruyne.

Then a bunch of retro games my grandparents would have picked up at boot sales / charity shops unfortunately none really for my collection, link amiibo which I do already own, then bit's like smellys and pants & socks (not in picture along with some shoes) etc

The one thing I'm not sure about is the Retro-Bit (they are partnering with SEGA and talking Saturn & Dreamcast related stuff soon ) Super Retro Trio, it's cool but I can't plug it into the TV without fiddling as it's not HDMI (I could run via my Elgato) and I don't own any NES or SNES carts (famicom's I think will work as well) and I don't really want to get back into collecting for either of them plus the decent games are pricey for both of those. Which leaves the Mega Drive part and I've got a Mega Drive for that, if I was trying save space like what the box says and not have 3 consoles out at the same time but it be replacing one for one and I can't even remember the last time I even bought a Mega Drive game. All that sounds bad but I do think it's neat and I get why my Dad bought it being retro etc and he paid a lot for it but I just don't know when or why I would use it.

Clearly the best thing in that pic os Don King boxing!

Belated Merry Christmas to you all. Hope it went well (I see a lot of Switch stories!); mine wasn't that painful this year.

Hope everybody has a cracking Christmas!

Man, Christmas in a restaurant is the polar opposite of Christmas in retail. We were dead quiet in the run up to the big day, and on boxing day, but between Christmas and New Year we've been insane. I'm talking packed from open until close, mad understaffed, having to work 13-hour shifts. Still, lots of hours and lots of tips means big ol' paychecks in my final month before Japan, so I ain't complaining!

Drunkalilly wrote:

between Christmas and New Year we've been insane. I'm talking packed from open until close, mad understaffed, having to work 13-hour shifts.

Welcome to the hospitality sector!

I worked one Christmas time in retail, and six in hospitality. Retail, quite honestly, was a piece of piss - no bother at all. Hospitality was an arse kicking though, every year, without fail, for the reasons you listed. Ooft.

~

What's everybody doing for Hogmanay and New Year's Day? I don't know what I'm doing yet

My wife has a night shift, so I will be at home with the cats, chilling quietly.

NYE party with The Lady's friends, somewhere in the back of beyond. Standard stuff. Will go home shortly after midnight, probably.

Hope you find some plans, Cappa! As for Zero, any plan involving cats is a good plan. I believe the back of beyond locale also has cats.

I'm meeting a couple of people from work, and probably drinking and dancing until some daft time Monday morning.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Welcome to the hospitality sector!

I worked one Christmas time in retail, and six in hospitality. Retail, quite honestly, was a piece of piss - no bother at all. Hospitality was an arse kicking though, every year, without fail, for the reasons you listed. Ooft.

Despite that, I would never go back. Retail was miserable in a way hospitality hasn't been so far. I get along with everyone, the people all want to be here and I'm selling nice food I actually believe they should try.

Anybody started getting EXCITED yet?  Normally I wouldn't have, not really - only The Lady isn't a big fan of the ol' Chrimbo, so I've kind of moved in the other way.  Today I put up tinsel, fairy lights, and six robins; and tonight we're having our first mulled wine of the season.

I love Christmas! 🎄

Yes and no. Love that I've started to see all the decorations up and the music playing but the number of presents I need to buy and lack of ideas for them has got me a bit anxious (don't worry Secret Santee I don't mean you). I know it shouldn't matter and everyone will still be grateful but its a niggling feeling.

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Weird one for me. There are decorations going up all over the place here and I've got my avent calendar, but as I won't really be seeing anyone or exchanging much in the way of gifts on the day itself, I'm not feeling it all that much.

Acht, sorry - I didn't consider those who may not have their families near to hand (or may not want them). Definitely a very different dynamic there.

Treesmurf wrote:

...but the number of presents I need to buy and lack of ideas for them has got me a bit anxious (don't worry Secret Santee I don't mean you). I know it shouldn't matter and everyone will still be grateful but its a niggling feeling.

How many people do you feel obliged to buy presents for? For me it's the nuclear family and The Lady (and my Secret Santa, whoever they be). For you that's obviously extended to The Kid - anyone else?

Ordinarily I'd be talking mum, dad, brother, sister, aunties, uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends and colleagues. Love buying gifts!

This year, who knows!?!

I'm the same as yourself, Balla - immediate family alongside any Secret Santas that I might be involved in.

I'm not feeling the Christmas spirit quite as of yet, but I'll get into the mood following my yearly big Christmas shop that I have with my mum - we pop across to Glasgow or Edinburgh and attempt to get all our shopping bashed out in the one day along with taking in the Christmas markets and having a decent lunch somewhere.

I got a bit excited when I ended up on that Food channel (which they're renamed Christmas Food); I happened to catch the 1990 Delia Smith Christmas series, which was one of the first things we had recorded on VHS when I was a kid. That was an excellent time in the world.
However, other family reasons have negated this (a bit boring to go into here)

Jimbob wrote:

However, other family reasons have negated this (a bit boring to go into here)

Ah sir. Hope you can still enjoy the Yules despite whatever this refers to.

I'm not feeling it, I do think it's down to being in retail for so long and I've got people like my Uncle to buy for who I've said before loves Christmas and will moan at me if I just ask for ca$h but is almost impossible to buy for as he does nothing or my grandparents if they want something they'll just go buy it.

The incessant Christmas tunes would surely drive you crazy working in retail over the festive season, no?