I don’t know what it is really, but I’m feeling unnaturally Chrismassy and I know it’s far too early for it. Far far too early! It’s literally just turned November, but something is telling me that it’s Christmas soon or something is giving me that Xmas feeling.
I’ve tried narrowing it down to a few things, and so far my list is pretty short, but it has a few items:
- Dark afternoons – The clocks went back, making the mornings lighter (so I have to get up earlier for rowing) and the evenings darker, though the whole change is clearly putting off the inevitable. It WILL just get darker, this is the Northern hemisphere after all. Depressing? Yes it is, but festive it is also, in a fun way.
- Red cups – Utterly superficial and consumerist, but Starbucks do have red cups back again. Red cups (in the Starbucks sense) do only mean one thing, Xmas, and their Christmas blend, which is pretty exciting. Gingerbread lattes here I come.
- Plaid – Pretty American as far as Christmas things go, but plaid can be totally festive, especially red, with some green. Like Christmas tartan, but worse. Offensively festive. After being in Boston last week it turns out a lot of stores are disturbingly set up for the holiday season, with music, jumpers and that festive plaid all on show. It was a matter of time.
- Sufjan – (Stevens). This last one is probably just me, but for some reason, listening to Sufjan Stevens makes me all wintery and think festive thoughts. Especially the quieter more mellow albums, like Seven Swans, and now recently once I finally bought it, Michigan. Excellent, so hauntingly beautiful. I’ll need to find something else to listen to soon. I don’t want to overdo it.
There’s still a long way to go, but these little things are great to take comfort in.