My festive spirit is missing

I may have been imbibing spirits over the past few weeks, but my festive spirit is missing.

I haven’t even … gasp … put my Christmas tree up.

And I’m not … gasp … going to …

I checked with the kids and they’re fine with it. The youngest reckons she’s probably allergic to the dusty old thing anyway.

Since my teen years, I’ve been the queen of Christmas shopping, kicking off around October. When I got my first job, I carefully sewed Christmas stockings for my family, which I’d lovingly fill with trinkets.

But I’ve barely scratched the surface of shopping this year.

I don’t have a clue what to get the eldest. Not a single thing has come to mind.

I don’t know what’s gotten into me.

I haven’t sent any Christmas cards, or received any.

What’s going on?

Just a few years ago I was dragging the kids to Carols By Candlelight and insisting that a Christmas-themed soundtrack play throughout any festive events.

Now, not so much. In fact, my teeth were grinding a bit over Christmas songs being on high rotation in the Pinot Pit in Queenstown.

I think my lack of festive spirit may be because I’m a bit worn out by 2019.

Even my recent holiday hasn’t revived me. It was so frantic getting all the kid and work stuff done before I went away, then equally panicked when I got back.

Fortunately, it will be a very quiet lead up to Christmas after all the frenetic functions this week. My diary is relatively clear.

DD heads off on a family holiday on Saturday until Christmas eve and I have nothing much planned while he’s gone.

On Christmas Eve, my family will do our traditional fish and chips at the beach, then I’ll head over to my sister’s place on Christmas Day. Mum and Dad will be down from Newcastle and we’ll sip Champagne on the back deck.

It’s my Christmas to have the kids, but my ex asked if he could take them to visit their cousins in Melbourne on Boxing Day, so it’ll just be me and a big paint brush after that, giving my house a spruce up for potential sale.

Hopefully it’s a chance to reboot and begin 2020 refreshed.

Have you ever not put the Christmas tree up? Do you still send Christmas cards? How do you feel about Christmas music? 

Song of the day: Band Aid “Do they know its Christmas?”