The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

There are so many things I miss about the UK around Christmas time, obviously family but other things are

Work Christmas parties, where everyone gets ratted and no-one mentions work at all

Christmas TV, comedy specials like the Royle Family, Gavin and Stacey... They seem to do Thanksgiving ones in the US but not Christmas. Christmas takes over the TV in the UK, here there are no special programs on, no special movies, it's just like normal shit TV

Days off, 1 day off here is just tight

Food, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, Yule log, having a big tin of Roses to dip into...

What's everyone else miss?

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I miss the Christmas season starting somewhere round December 10th.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I'll be back on Boxing Day (I fly on Christmas Day!).

...but I miss Christmas Pud, crackers and Morcombe and Wise and Only Fools and Horses and Noel's Christmas Presents! (Yes I'm old and sad!!)

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Boxing day football

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I can't really say anything and I will be home in the UK this year probably wishing I was in the US like I normally do when I am back in Blighty!!..but to console myself I will make sure I eat plenty of mothers home made sausage rolls and a abundance of REAL CADBURYS chocolate to keep me going ;)

I do miss when here in the US the Christmas morning Noel Edmond's show LOL

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Boxing Day.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I used to sing in a church choir when I was school age and I really miss Church Christmas music.
I also miss some of the treats and the TV specials as well as going to our local annual motocross Boxing Day meet.
Don't miss having to go and visit relatives I don't really want to see and having to sit on the "spare" chairs;)

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

That lovely festive song by Slade - you know the one.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I miss the time after Christmas day ...you know how it gets drawn out back home?

I am sad each time my MIL whips the Christmas tree down on the evening of the 25th!

Actually, everything ...even the blooming Argos Christmas catalogue!

Thank goodness I am nearing the end of my stretch :D

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Tesco/Sainsbury's/M&S sausage meat stuffing with all the fruit, nuts,etc in it. We do miss certain parts of the family, not just at Christmas, but any time of the year.
This part might need to go into the pet peeves section, but here goes. The too long run up to Christmas, and then on Boxing Day, it's as if Christmas had never happened. No goodies left on the shelves, nothing, not even a card or Christmas tree ornament to be had.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

My family and our odd little Christmas traditions. This will be my first Christmas living in the US, so I am expecting it to be a bit tough.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I will miss Tescos Finest Courvesior Clotted Cream with brandy butter too on a hot mince pie.
The Radio and TV Times
The Queens speech which is amazing as I never watched it when I was in England
The Snowman film on TV

Hope you dont mind me joining this thread - I am up North in Canada

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

What do you mean? You don't get the Queen's speech in Canada?

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

When we first moved here I'd get a bit twitchy around November and book a holiday for us somewhere...made the first few Christmas' doable :)
I also found that starting our own family traditions helped :fingerscrossed:

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

A decent length of holiday, running into the new year.

Getting shit faced and it being perfectly okay...and to do it again on boxing day...and to be shit faced for new years, dancing with the cops as the town bells ring in the new year....without freezing your gonads off.

Cheesy TV specials.

The naff chocolate decorations, crackers and not having to explain what they're about, naff bit of tinsel.

Hot, street cart of horse-chestnuts and peanuts.

Boozy eggnog and whatsit with the wine.

New Year sales.

12 days of Christmas.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Parties that have even the tiniest element of fun.

TV specials.

Husband getting more than one day off work.

Christmas food as mentioned by Nicky.

Varied crackers, not just the bog standard ones.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Friends and family.

Christmas atmosphere in the UK.

Meeting up in the pub Christmas Eve afternoon.

M&S Christmas goodies.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Work ones where they have an open bar and you not having to drive to it, so really being able to get shit faced and everyone having a laugh.

Everything I've experienced over here has been very timid in comparison and very forced...probably doesn't help that hardly anyone I know actually ends up living any where near where they work, so everyone is driving miles around so can't be arsed after working a full day.

I know that's not the case for everyone, obviously, but just out here, where I am.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

No not at all. Drop by any time. I agree with you on the TV and Radio times. The Christmas ones were great.

The Snowman film on TV is one of my most cherished childhood memories and a lot better than Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Which are just American pieces of junk compared to The Snowman. I do like the American Christmas shows but I just like the snowman a lot better.

I miss that you would sometimes have snow during the Christmas holidays.

Having a lot of people to spend time with during the holidays and not having my grandpreants here to spend Christmas with :(

I hope that everyone has a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. :)

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

How many years has it been since you've been in the UK.

Christmas is already well in swing!

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Morecambe & Wise Christmas Specials:

Christmas Turkey, followed by Bird's trifle for Dessert.

The excitement of actually getting something you wanted for Christmas as a Kid, and then showing off your presents to your mates.

A day out to a Frigid North Wales Coast on Boxing day, to find most things closed but still having a great game of Footy or Frisbee on the Beaches.

As and adult - getting drunk on Christmas Day and wondering where Boxing Day went to.

Jim.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I wish it could be sprout day every day?

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I know - me too!!!

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Panto!

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Over the years you start getting used to the American Christmas, but fortunately I have introduced a lot of our traditions here. Thankfully I can now get crackers from Costco, (when I first mentioned them one of the Americans thought I meant the type to go with cheese - and then when he saw them only wore his hat for 5 mins.. no staying power)!

I miss Yule Log, Christmas Cake, mince pies, Christmas decorations staying up longer than Christmas evening, (I remember the first Christmas here we went for an evening walk, you wouldn't believe the amount of trees we saw out in the garden or the back of someone's truck already)! family coming round on Boxing Day, Carol-singers, carols instead of stupid songs, Christmas Specials on TV... and of course my family. Always miss my family, but more than ever at Christmas - and no-one coming this year to bring me any of the food.

I should start a thread about the things that most surprise you about living here at Christmas, like the whole tree coming down thing. Mine would be salad served up with roast turkey. Who does that???

Good luck to the ex-pats here for their first Christmas - and be prepared!

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Family, first and foremost

Special programming on TV/Christmas specials, and by extension ...

Perusing the double edition of the Radio/TV Times to circle my viewing choices (do they even still have the RT/TVT???)

Boxing Day

Christmas crackers

Mince pies

Carols, sung in an old church by small boys; not 'holiday' songs sung in school auditoriums by students, to pre-recorded music. :thumbdown:


What wouldn't I miss from here? Snow!!! I live in the Rocky Mountain area, and will have a ceremonial breakng of all our snow shovels before we leave!! :rofl:

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Oh no you don't......;)



Sorry, couldn't resist!!

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Indeed they do - the one and only time I buy the Radio Times each year is to do just that. I know it's a bit pathetic, but I sit down with a cup of tea and a mince pie and ring things I want to record.

:o

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I was wondering who would give in to temptation first.... :p

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I used to do that! It was at a time when you didn't have Netflix and On Demand and huge vudeo libraries, so seeing their big Christmas fortnight of films was great fun! And of course, you can't forget all those Christmas specials... :)

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

You can get all the UK Christmas stuff (well most of it anyway) from Costplus World Market. If there is one near you.

But anyway I think the importance of Thanksgiving really makes Christmas less of a deal in the US. Which is fine by me because I really like Thanksgiving because it is less commercialized plus my birthday is near Christmas...

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Here in Ireland the computerised radio playlists all automatically change into Christmas mode on December 1st.
You wake up that morning to hear The Fairytale Of New York for the first time and everything seems warm and fuzzy and Christmassy.
By the end of the day you're heard it another five times and suddenly it becomes a bit of a drag.
By Christmas Day you positively hate the song, especially the bit where every dickhead in the pub joins in with " You scumbag, you maggot,you cheap lousy faggot "
I hate Christmas with a vengeance.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I'm such a sad act I have my family send me copies of the M & S, Boots and Radio Times Christmas magazines and sit and read them all with a glass of wine. Living in Boston there's a few British/Irish shops so it's easy to get the required crackers/tins of Roses and cocktail sausages that make for an enjoyable Christmas but I still miss being at home for all the reasons everyone else has mentioned. It's over far too quick here which makes me sad. It was a complete culture shock when I first arrived here a few years ago and colleagues were scheduling a meeting for Dec 26th and I realised I was going to be at work.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

It's over to quick for most of the Brits but look at the flip side we get a TG and then a full month of Christmas build up, the tree goes up earlier the festivities office parties etc etc

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Absolutely!!
I thought I was the only one who remembered n missed that ;)

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

Family:(, pigs in blankets made with "proper" butchers sausages and dare I say in..............SNOW!!!:)

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

It's 25 degrees outside. I miss the weather, it doesn't feel like Christmastime at all :(

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

I've realised that I miss Boxing Day but possibly because I miss paid holidays! I have decided to bring it to the US this year and am encouraging my friends to have the day off and eat leftovers with me ;) May even make them watch British TV on the Slingbox.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

:goodpost: I like this idea a lot. Have a great holiday season.

Re: The Christmas what do you miss thread
 

*sigh*

In no particular order:

- Christmas dinner. The one day of the year my ma arsed herself to cook more than sausages and chips, but well worth the wait.
- Christmas pudding
- M&S desserts. Mmmm.
- Christmas Eve piss-up with my mates down the local
- Getting more than one ****ing day off work
- Christmas songs that aren't that godawful 1950s rat pack shite
- Carolers (though you probably aren't allowed to hear Christmas Carols anymore, lest we make a Muslim cry ...)
- Work Christmas dinner/piss-up combo in mid December
- Christmas crackers
- TV Christmas specials and the double issue Radio Times
- Christmas tree spotting while driving around in December and not seeing bloody awful inflatable Santas, massive plastic raindeer or that kind of stuff.
- My old house
- Dandering over to my mate's house on Boxing Day to get pished
- Belfast City Centre all decorated and lit up.
- Selection boxes and 1kg bars of Dairy Milk :blink:

I shall stop now :(