Christmas

kevinokeefe

Hello Folks,
Isn't it amazing how that time of year swings round so quickly. 
No doubt the false bonhomie will begin to ramp up another notch once All Hallows Eve has come and gone.....not everyone finds the 'Festive' period a time of joy and good will to all men...

SueHeath

Morning @kevinokeefe hope your well,
hope you don't mind me asking but was does "bonhomie" mean ?
I take it you don't like Christmas. 

kevinokeefe

Hello Sue, not really, it's a bad time of the year for me. I get it that people want to celebrate, but it's the falseness of it, on a lot of occasions: the feigned good humour and the pressure for everybody to have a 'good time'

SueHeath

Get what your saying Kevin, I will admit i love Christmas and all the stuff that comes with it but then again i have a very large family around me with lots of little ones. 
It sounds like you have had a bad time of things round that period, so what does "bonhomie" mean it sounds Scottish or Irish to me ? 

poppy123456

@SueHeath omie is happy, good-natured friendliness. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bonhomie

I must admit, i love Christmas and even more so since my grandchildren were born. My grandson will be coming up to 3 by Christmas and i love shopping for presents for him. My granddaughter is only 11 weeks at the moment so she will still be small at christmas.

66Mustang

I used to love Christmas, especially the food and drink and seeing family members.

But we have some relatives who get very angry/grumpy which I find hard to deal with. One of the relatives tends to stay from around the 20th until well into the new year. It's 2 weeks of hell for me.

I still like all the food and drink.

@SueHeath my dictionary says "bonhomie" means friendliness. It's of French origin.

kevinokeefe

You've got it Susan. Literally translated from the French it means 'Good natured man', but it's used in English to covey geniality; cordiality and friendliness

66Mustang

@Pam that is a good attitude, like you I love Christmas deep down and still try to enjoy the build up as I used to love Christmas but it is just filled with anxiety for me.

Sandy_123

It is stressful xmas, everyone comes to mine, but we all do cooking, boxing day is best, nothing to do on that day.  But it's nice all family together, eating, opening gifts. 

janer1967

I enjoy Christmas and the build up normally spend one day with wider family 

Been going out for Xmas Dinner for few years since toby got older 

But this year will be very different as spending the week in benidorm can have my Xmas lunch looking out at the sea 

66Mustang

Thanks @Pam that means a lot

leeCal

I understand the false friendliness and good humour aspect but frankly that’s an improvement for a lot of people, better that than being a misery. 

This year my four children will be doing something else somewhere else which means that I will have one of my loneliest Christmas’s ever. Bonhomie in my homey could well be missing this year. ☹️

Tori_Scope

Have you had a look to see whether there's anything going on in your local area @leecal? I know that some organisations will host a Christmas lunch or get-together  

SueHeath

Thanks every one for the imfo on the word Bonhomie, i have never come across that saying.
Out of all the chats about this subject the one that has saddened me the most is @leeCal i hate the thought of anyone being alone or lonely at Christmas, if it's not their choice. If you don't mind me asking leeCal will you see your children Christmas eve or boxing day, i only ask as you could swoop your days around. x

leeCal

Hi @SueHeath, that would be a good idea but they won’t be around, they all live a long way from home, in fact of them all my eldest is the one who would normally visit but he’s working in the USA. 

@Tori_Scope That’s a good idea too but I’m a bit of an introvert to be honest. I will look though, there may be a dinner or something somewhere. Unfortunately Our local Salvation Army centre closed down last year so it wouldn’t be with them. 

Thank you both for thinking of me though, very kind of you. 

Sandy_123

We have all that magic back with grandkids, who believe in all the tales, baby will be 6 months old, so a blended dinner for her. Only person missing this year is my daughter in law, she works for the police and is working all of it. I used to go town every xmas eve years ago, choir singers and a hot mince pie

Cher_Alumni

@Sandy_123 Ahhh just 6 months old! How sweet 

@kevinokeefe I can relate to how you feel! For a long time I found the festive period difficult, the heavy expectation everyone will have a good time is a lot of pressure when their are challenging realities to navigate too! I hope it turns out a little better than you anticipate. Do what makes you happy, it needn't be the traditional stuff. 

This year I'll have a one year old so I think a trip to see the big Father Christmas himself will be on the cards. 

Sandy_123

Oh how lovely visiting santa

SueHeath

I'd like to visit Santa but i can't sit on his lap ha ha ha - just a joke x

Sandy_123

Who says you can't @SueHeath

janer1967

@SueHeath I'm sure you could take the grandkids and sneak in yourself and pretend you need a sit down or faint into Santa's lap