Watski got there before me but I have to tell you, Christmas had already crept onto the High Street, the TV, the media...just about everywhere.

I love Christmas. Really, I do. Even though I wasn't really brought up with Christmas celebrations and we had Dasain and Diwali instead, Christmas always held a twinkly charm for me when I was a young 'un. Father Christmas, snow, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the Baby Jesus and the nativity, Elves, presents, the smell of mulled wine, Christmas dinner. Mmmm.

When I was 22 I got my first ever stocking. My buddy CT and her family had taken me in for Crimble as I couldn't afford the flight home to visit my folks. On Christmas Eve I helped out with last minute decorations, wrapping pressies and preparing the feast ahead of us. After a night of copious amounts of wine, delicious food, Christmas TV and Trivial Pursuit, I went to bed content as a child. The next morning we woke up early, climbed onto CT's folks' bed, like the early twenties children that we were, and we spent the morning opening pressies from our stockings in our pajamas. It was ace. The best Christmas ever.

But for the last five years, Christmas has lost its charm. It has become the bane of my working life (retail marketing) because every year I have to start working on the Christmas campaign in August. By the time Christmas actually arrives, all my festive good cheer and Christmas enthusiasm has been sapped! This has earned me the nickname Scrooge because usually at this point of the year I've had enough, banned any Christmas music from the office and cancelled Christmas.

But I don't wanna be like this anymore. I want to get excited, and be happy and Christmassy and jolly.

I want some ho ho ho this year.

Is that too much to ask for?

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