It’s 12th December, 2012 (12-12-12) which is a pretty cool date since it will not re-occur again this century. In case nobody had noticed it’s the festive season, so it’s time for my pesky lists again, but only this time comprising twelve items with a Christmas theme:
Twelve Christmas movies:
- It’s a Wonderful Life (about a man contemplating suicide because he is facing financial ruin.)
- Love Actually (chance to see the Hobbit naked.)
- White Christmas (Danny Kaye is flaming, but Bing sings “the song!”)
- A Christmas Story (“Ralph, you will shoot your eye out.”)
- Miracle on 34th Street (great performance by a very young Natalie Wood.)
- About a Boy (is Hugh Grant really a plonker?)
- The Bishop’s Wife (original version is best with Cary Grant and David Niven.)
- A Christmas Carol (1951 version starring Alastair Sim as Scrooge is classic.)
- Elf (included this one because my son’s girlfriend likes it.)
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Hysterical!)
- The Shop around the Corner (stocking filler.)
- Holiday Inn (another stocking filler. I was struggling to pick twelve that I liked.)
Twelve Things I have enjoyed at Christmas
1. Roast turkey and all the trimmings. Turkey is available the year round but there’s something about the aromas emanating from the kitchen combined with the pine smell of a Christmas tree ably supported by a log fire.
2. My children and now grandchildren manically tearing the gift wrappings of their Christmas presents.
3. My wife’s trifle is filled with an effusion of fresh fruit (raspberries. blackberries, blueberries strawberries, bananas, whatever is available) and she only makes it at Christmas.
4. My mum’s homemade mince pies, and her Christmas cake coated with marzipan and icing.
5. I received my big green egg grill last Christmas as a surprise gift from my wife. It’s quite awesome and I can cook anything on it, but I’m not quite ready to grill my Christmas turkey on the big egg.
6. Two years ago on Christmas morning I was sipping champagne with my wife in the hot tub surrounded by a thick layer of snow.
7. I enjoy eggnog and mulled wine, and Christmas is the only time we have them.
8. Creating Angels in the snow. My wife gave me a demonstration on a cold, dark, crispy New Year’s Eve when I was living in Swansea.
9. I like cracking nuts (excluding my own of course) and attempting to prize out the nut whole. There was always a variety of nuts in the bag: hazelnut, walnuts, Brazil etc. It’s funny that shelled nuts are available the year round, but they don’t present the same challenge.
10. I enjoyed going to the pub with my dad on late Christmas morning where we would enjoy a couple of pints and a fat cigar before staggering back home for Christmas dinner.
11. The BBC TV Christmas specials were not to be missed. Morecambe and Wise closely followed by Only Fools and Horses were my favorites. In recent times Downtown Abbey follows a great tradition.
12. Pantomime in which cross dressing is rife and audience participation is actively encouraged. My son was a performer’s dream. He lived and loved every minute of the show.
Twelve Christmas Songs ( not necessarily in any order.)
1. A Fairy Tale in New York: The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl
2. White Christmas: Bing Crosby
3. All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth: Spike Jones and His City Slickers
4. Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong with Velma Middleton
5. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (if only in my dreams): Frank Sinatra
6. The Night Before Christmas: Louis Armstrong
7. The First Noel: Frank Sinatra
8. The Little Drummer Boy: Bing Crosby and David Bowie
9. Santa Claus is Coming To Town: Bruce Springstein
10. All I want for Christmas is You: Mariah Carey
11. Only You: The Flying Pickets
12. Do They Know it’s Christmas: Band Aid
Merry Christmas Everyone.