Capital Summertime Ball 2024

[Viv]

I just thought I'd put this out there.

Basically, there's a French cinema forum I belong to - www.premiere.fr, and this morning I see they are saying that British & American people celebrate Xmas excessively and our Xmas trees basically break all boundaries of taste.

Do you celebrate Xmas on a big scale? Do you agree with that? Do our decorations break all boundaries of decency?

[Rob]

It's just their point of view based on the way their society works. I don't celebrate Christmas over the top, we have a tree and one modest set of fair lights on a tree outside then the family gathers at Christmas. So really, I'd say I celebrate it to an average extent but some French people may say I go mad.

[Lucinda]

I think Christmas trees are fine. France is a Catholic country though, so they have generally different views about what religious festivals are about, often more Orthodox. I have been in France at Easter a number of times and it is more church-oriented than how most people in this country celebrate religious festivals, although I am talking from experience only of rural France.

Some people seriously overdo the Christmas decorations with lights and moving Santas and stuff attached to their houses, that isn't cool. Christmas lights in town/city centres are warming and pretty, but on people's houses it is just annoying for the neighbours.

[DelDalek]

I swear to -insert deity- that this is not me, but an acquaintance of mine has an artificial cheesy white tree that is decorated completely in various pink flamingos. Um, I would say that qualifies as over the top...

[Rob]

I swear to -insert deity- that this is not me, but an acquaintance of mine has an artificial cheesy white tree that is decorated completely in various pink flamingos. Um, I would say that qualifies as over the top...

Pink flamingos? How are they themed?

[DelDalek]

I have tried not to look too closely, but I think there are all kinds. Flamingos in Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses, maybe drinking cocktails, etc... Maybe I'll try and get a picture sometime.

[Viv]

I swear to -insert deity- that this is not me, but an acquaintance of mine has an artificial cheesy white tree that is decorated completely in various pink flamingos. Um, I would say that qualifies as over the top...

Sounds great.

[KingTutsWWH]

I'm a bit of a Christmas decorations snob. Much to the chagrin of my lovely gay ex-window dresser godfather. Poor thing, he's been doing all the family decorations beautifully for years and years, but I will never allow him to use any other colours apart from red, green, silver and gold. Anything else is just naff. We have had some pretty heated debates on the subject! I'll miss him very much this year as I shan't be with my family in Spain. Mind you I'm still very much looking forward to Christmas day with the boyf and his family here in Britain.

I can't stand ostentatious displays of lights on the outside of houses either. Apart from annoying the neighbours, I feel they are environmentally unfriendly. Aren't we supposed to be conserving energy?

[Viv]

One of my neighbours has a star shape outside the door, and it flashes from blue to silver. Attractive at first, then annoying.

This year, I don't even have a tree. I've put lights in a plant.

[Timsk]

There's a house up the road from here that's almost as bad as this, how do they afford their energy bill?!?! (and I wonder if they have a clue about their carbon footprint, or pointlessly make efforts to recycle or cut energy usage during the rest of the year when they blow it all like this at Christmas). Nothing wrong with a few tasteful lights on a tree outside, but I do think some people really go way too far...

[Lucinda]

I can't stand ostentatious displays of lights on the outside of houses either. Apart from annoying the neighbours, I feel they are environmentally unfriendly. Aren't we supposed to be conserving energy?

I totally agree, it's a complete waste of energy and very very annoying for their neighbours.

There's a house round the corner from here that has millions of gnomes, model windmills and other junky ornaments in their front garden all year round. It just looks stupid. Housemate and I went for a walk earlier around some residential areas and this house had Christmas bunting all over their front garden, it just looked silly.

[Rob]

There's a house up the road from here that's almost as bad as this, how do they afford their energy bill?!?! (and I wonder if they have a clue about their carbon footprint, or pointlessly make efforts to recycle or cut energy usage during the rest of the year when they blow it all like this at Christmas). Nothing wrong with a few tasteful lights on a tree outside, but I do think some people really go way too far...

There was a house not too far form me that was almost that bad last year. I'll go up some time with a camera to see if they've done it again this year.

[Kelly]

Ours aren't too bad. Lights in a few of the windows and around the big mirror in the living room and a couple of trees. The trees have blue lights and silver tinsel, so they aren't traditional, but they're pretty.

They have been up for almost a month already though, because my mother is a Christmas freak.

[Guest CancerForTheCure]

In my experience Christmas in England is celebrated to a much greater extent than in Poland - although I mean it in a commercial sense rather than a spiritual one. It's not just about the excessive tastes but also the amount of presents, the value of them and most of all - everything starts so bloody early.

In terms of decorations, my mum is a freak when it comes to style - last year we had a black Christmas tree and it was indeed very stylish. She wouldn't allow more than two colours and red is usually a necessity. Alas, it turns out I am just like her.

[Rob]

Heh, mother just bought a santa on a rope that climbs up and down singing "rockin' around the christmas tree" It's pretty OTT but ace non the less!