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Good morning Forum Land, 
Just in case you didn't know, it is two weeks until Christmas. I'm super excited!!! Christmas can be SUCH a hard time of the year. As many of you know, I have no family or friends, and consequently I will be spending Christmas day alone, just like I spend every other day of the year alone. However, this will be the twentieth Christmas that I have spent by myself and I kind-of have the hang of it now. It used to be excruciating, but over the years I have developed my own way of navigating the day. I have created family Christmas traditions...just without the family bit. 
To all those Forumites who superly duperly struggle with Christmas, I get it. I really do. For many years it was a truly horrendous time of the year for me. But now I've learnt to make it a fun time in my own quirky way.
This is my first Christmas in Forum Land and I am super looking forward to counting down the days to Christmas here. I totally understand that this thread will not suit everyone. There are threads here and here, which focus on the challenging aspects of this time of year. My hope is that this thread can be a space where those of us who want to enjoy the fun parts of Christmas can do so. Christmas can be oh-so-hard...but despite my muddles and my social isolation, I choose to make Christmas fun. I superly duperly hope you will join me. 
@Queenie @CheerBear @Shaz51 @Faith-and-Hope @Zoe7 @Mazarita @Former-Member @Catcakes @Bubbles3 @TheVorticon @Adge @greenpea @Former-Member @outlander @NikNik @Lauz @Rockpool @Acacia @Scout @Pebbles @Lunar @River9 @Chamomile @Amour_Et_Psyché @Former-Member @suzanne @Former-Member @frog @MDT @utopia @Maggie @Former-Member @Former-Member @Owlunar @Former-Member @Sans911 @Former-Member @Former-Member @TAB @Former-Member @PeppiPatty @soul @Former-Member @Appleblossom @24601 @isos @Jen1561 @eudemonism @Former-Member @sjpersonal @Mountbeauty @BlueBay @Teej @eth @MoonGal @Alone2 @Former-Member @Former-Member@FrailBirdPoet ...and all the people I just know I've missed tagging!
@greenpea I can totally relate to that pitying look that people give you! I've had that over the years. And I've had people who are basically strangers to me (e.g. my hairdresser) invite me to their place for Christmas day. Yeah, right, because being in a crowd of people I don't know sounds like so much fun - NOT!!!! 
That's why I started using the line "I have my own family Christmas traditions...just without the family bit." I've found that it makes the person laugh and then I can shift the conversation back to talking about them.
@Phoenix_Rising I have a thought - yep you read it correctly I HAD A THOUGHT lol....
Could we do the Twelve Days of Christmas before christmas - starting on the 13th and ending on Christmas Eve - where everyone adds in their own version eg....
On the first day of christmas
My forumites sent to me
A turtle in a calm sea
....then have a really BIG party on Christmas Day with all the things we have 'collected' over the twelve days together 
Whatcha think?
@Zoe7 Oooh I love the idea of the 12 days of Christmas...I nominate you to keep track of that!
@greenpea I know, right! Who the heck would want to spend Christmas day with the family of someone who you really don't know, just because they felt sorry for you!
By the way @Zoe7 and @greenpea, did the video work ok on whatever device you are using?
It certainly did @Phoenix_Rising - sooooooooo adorable - well done you
Would it be ok if I started a new thread called 'The 12 Days to Christmas' to keep track and then we could copy all our 'presents' over to this thread at the end of each day?
