You will be visited by three ghosts....
(Please don't be scared I'm 99% sure that you will not)!
Morning all, Sam here wishing you a big hello to December and the festive season! Has anybody started watching the many many Christmas movies yet? I certainly have! My excuse is that I have a Christmas movie quiz coming up in the next couple of weeks so have been binge watching so much more than my usual 4-5 yearly movies!
Funny thing though... when you binge watch ALL of the movies a pattern starts to emerge and they can start to feel like one or two mega movies! Many of the newer Netflix-era movies are typically your usual rom-com just set to a Christmas background... easy watching but ever-so predictable - we love them! Many of them involve some form of trouble, maybe in the north pole, or closer to home that means that Christmas is going to be ruined and so there is a race against the clock to sort it out before the big day. Fortunately 99% of the time Christmas is saved! In a number of the movies there is a villain and hero situation, or "loss of belief" where someone is trying to sabotage somebody or something but by the end they either gain the Christmas spirit, or they get their comeuppance - Hurrah!
I am not trying to ruin any of these movies, many of them are classics that stand the test of time! With their ultimate feelgood factor, we love to watch them year after year, but when we look a little closer they do tend to paint a similar picture of what a "typical" Christmas should look like. The big family gatherings, the "ideal" family, the luscious plentiful food, the mass of gifts, the abundance of love and happy endings. But, for many people this "typical Christmas" can really put the pressure on. Add the huge effect of clever marketing and social media and it is no surprise that the idea of Christmas can be overwhelming for some of us! Fortunately many classic Christmas movies also have an underlying message of hope, of being thankful for who and what we do have in our lives and the power of sharing the joy.
There is one particular story that shares this message the best and its probably why both Ash and myself share the same favourite Christmas movie!.... A Muppet Christmas Carol! The original story itself by Charles Dickens was written 176 years ago! It is the novel with the most adaptations into film (as well as many adaptations into TV and theatre) and for good reason! If you do not know the story there may be some spoilers coming! A Christmas Carol showed how hard life could be was in Victorian era England, showing the differences between the rich and the poor which still is very easy to relate to in the 21st century.
Ebeneezer scrooge is a money-obsessed selfish old man, who had the power to make the poor even poorer. He is visited by the ghost of his equally nasty business partner who tells him how terrible the afterlife could be if we do not show kindness to others in life. Scrooge is told that he will be visited by three ghosts, showing him his past, present and future, painting a very bleak picture of what his life could be. Fortunately he has the opportunity to change and begins immediately in one of the the most heartwarming endings to a movie (or book) - add to this puppets and an amazing musical soundtrack and it makes the Muppet's version one of the best movies of all time!
So what can we take from the movie? It may be a great time to meet our ghosts:
The ghost of Christmas Past...
Have a think back to a Christmas that sticks in your mind of being a really good Christmas. Think about why it was so good? Is there anything from that particular Christmas that you can channel into this year?
The ghost of Christmas Present...
We talk in mindfulness about being as present as you can be. No matter how your year has been and what your Christmas looks like this year, there are many things we can be grateful for. Some of us (Ash) may be getting a tan with his husband in Miami! Some of us (me) will be spending it alone by choice and having some much needed "me" time. Many of you will be around family or friends who may or may not drive you crazy! However we choose to spend this festive season, remember that we do have a choice to do what will bring us and others happiness, and that what is seen as the "norm" is not so normal any more!
The ghost of Christmas Future...
Planning for the future can take a lot of time and energy. One of the main messages from Dickens is to ask yourself whether you are on a path that you feel you are happy with? Consider any differences you see for yourself this time next year. Is there something small that you can change now, today, that might affect your future for the better? It may be that a bigger change is needed in your life, or it may be a change in mindset or a habit! Try not to obsess over the future but check in with your desired path occasionally to ensure it is as clear as you can make it!
In amongst the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, cooking and organising remember the ultimate spirit of joy (for yourself as much as others), happiness, contentment, sharing and gratitude. Enjoy your movie marathons and sorry for the spoilers!! Have a great weekend
Sam and Ash
Want to know more? Check out ALL of our previous emails!
PS for those that may be curious, here are my Christmas movie lists!
Still to watch list (and available on streaming services or DVD!)
Muppet Christmas Carol (I've been saving it for this weekend)
Last Christmas (off to the cinema later!)
Elf
Arthur Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street
Its a Wonderful Life
Die Hard
Gremlins
Home Alone 1 & 2
Edward Scissorhands
Nativity
Watched
Love Actually
Disney's A Christmas Carol (Jim Carey version)
Scrooged
The Family Stone
The Holiday
Jingle All the Way
Deck the Halls
The Polar Express
Fred Claus
Bad Santa
Get Santa
Trading Places
12 Men of Christmas
Anna and the Apocalypse
The Christmas Chronicles
Klaus
The Princess Switch
Let it Snow
