The Ghosts Of Christmas Past

Apologies for the late Xmas post, but I did one some days ago but I must have accidentally deleted it!
Here are my seven ages of Christmas;

1)Being a kid, there is nothing like the anticipation and the actual thrill of Christmas morning, is there? New pressys, good home cooking and then we would always walk round to my Aunty's for a big family get together, Beatles music playing and one year on Boxing Day all watching the Magical Mystery Tour (1967 for you completists). It was always my latest night of the year to stay up.
2) Early teens, difficult age but pretty much the same as above but I did work one Christmas Eve until 3 in the morning washing up in the Bedford Hotel. a nice little earner.
3) Teens - And I had discovered alcohol, so pretty much drinking from Xmas eve morning through to New Year's day. Can't remember much else about (must be the alcohol).
4) Early 20s much the same as 3), except now we had the famous (or infamous) New Years Eve's parties courtesy of DC Smart whose birthday fell upon that day. It was round the pubs of Brighton and then back to the Smarts, always in fancy dress - themes were Stockings and Suspenders (worn by both sexes, but strangely popular with both), Hawaiian night, Roman, Heroes and the Arts.
5) Mid to late 20s, now beginning to become more adult (sadly, I'm still not all the way there) so no clubbing but pubs and then a traditional Xmas eve curry, although the fancy dress parties did carry on for a few years in this 'age'.
6) Aah, the kids. Almost full circle now, except it was now my kids with the high expectations and presents to open. I spent most of Xmas day, which started far too early for my liking, putting things things together and putting batteries in things (no, not those things). Not much socialising though due to lack of babysitters.
7) And here we are, up to date. Kids now don't get up at 5:00am as they have been out on the razz until some ungodly hour. We can do what we like but we're usually too old to bother although New Year's Eve is still fun, especially when you are with people that you spent much of ages 3, 4, and 5 with. Bad hangover on 1st Jan though, but doubt that I was alone in that given the amount drunk.

Happy new year to all of my readers, yes both of you.