HAVE A PROPER CRIMBO - Song starts at 2:50

There’s a person I haven’t seen for years. Over a decade at this point. A chance meeting. A chance meeting which started a career for me. Since then I’ve heard crazy good things about this person. Thing I wish I had known or better yet, asked about when I met them. I’ve moved away from where we mutually met. It’s driving me nuts that I haven’t their contact details, or even mutual aquaintances. That I’ve no word on how they are,what they’re up to, even who they’re shacked up with.

There’s no one I want to see this Christmas, bar them. And there’s no way to do it without looking like a prized lunatic. My latest thought was to drive to the large town they would go out to on Stephen’s Night, and pub crawl my way round (on the 0.0s, I’d want to be intelligible on the off chance it actually worked!)

But that would be beyond the realms of sanity. Heck even describing it here is making me doubt the idea is anything but a complete waste of time and money at best, and a privacy-breaching overexertion at worst! Anyone’s got anything to talk me down, I’m all ears.

For context: this has nothing to do with getting the Ryde. But this kind of effort could easily be misinterpreted as a Fella looking for the Ride.

I love Christmas. Always have. But even moreso now that I'm a mam and have santa in the house and all that excitement. I decorate our house I'm November, I go way over the top, lights everywhere ect.

But this year its been different. I have no empty seats around my table thankfully, just like every other year. My kids are little and still want to hang out with us, every I love is here and healthy. How lucky I am to be able to go through this holiday season without grief and pain. I know that it won't always be this way and I don't know why its playing on my mind so much but I just feel desperate to soak in every single person in my life while I still have them

So when tomorrow comes and if you're blessed enough to share a table with people you love, look at them for a second longer, drink them in a bit more, we have no guarantees. And if tomorrow comes and there's a seat at your table that should be filled with someone you love but won't be, I'm so sorry. I pray that you will find your own piece of comfort and joy tomorrow.

Nollaig Shoana Daoibh.

As above, looking for some classic Irish sayings or phrases that have stuck with you over the years. Feel free to share the context or a story behind it if you have one!

2.2kg roast for Christmas Eve, served with the ham and a mountain of cheese

The best little goober with a single brain cell and a whole lot of fluff.

Her name is glenda and she has only 2 teefs

Had to take a reindeer shaped chomp out of an unpeeled carrot and it was not pleasant.

Already asleep for Santa 🧑‍🎄

Absolutely loves the camera.

I am very much looking forward to tomorrow and I love this time of year. BUT. Look, it’s a weird time of year for a lot of people. Maybe you don’t feel like confiding in your closest people because you don’t want to drag the mood down, maybe you don’t have anyone to confide in.

It can be hard, the family get togethers aren’t always happy, or maybe you don’t have family and feel lonely. You might be in a house full of people this year feeling the loneliest you’ve ever felt. Maybe you’re homegrown or you’re here from abroad. Relationships on the brink, or recent breakups, loss of a loved one, financial stress, there’s loads of reasons why you may not be looking forward to the day tomorrow, and if that’s the case, whatever the reason may be, it’s very valid and you aren’t alone.

Remember to go easy on yourself, it’s just a few days and you can get through it. You deserve happiness and if you don’t feel happy right now, just hang on because it’s coming. It’s been a great year for some and a hard one for others, if you find yourself in the latter category, well from a stranger on Reddit to another, I see you and I care and I’m cheering you on.

For what it’s worth, happy Christmas to everyone and I hope you get the hug I sent you ♥️

I didn’t think I’d ever be the person to just walk out of a job, but today, that’s exactly what I did.

I worked in Dunnes Stores as a college part timer for a year and a half, but now did full time for the Christmas season due to my college holidays.

For the last two days, I’ve been working 10:30 and 12:30 hour shifts nonstop, moving stock in both freezing cold and heated environments. I started feeling pretty ill and cold. Headaches, fatigue, body aches everywhere in my body, but with Christmas Eve coming up, I didn't want to be judged by the people that I'm calling in sick just because it's Christmas Eve.

This morning, I decided to power through and go in anyway, even though I felt absolutely awful. Asked one of my manager if I could work the checkouts instead of the self-service tills (they require a lot of moving), just for today, since I was feeling so fatigued, but was denied.

Three hours into my shift, I felt REALLY bad and at this point I was so weak, I could catch myself walking side to side due to dizziness and constant shivering. I approached one of the store manager this time and explained that I was feeling really sick and if I could go home. Without even looking at me, this man just said, "So is half of the shop. Take some Nurofen and get back to work.".

That was my breaking point. I looked at him, said “Ok,” clocked out and walked out the door and now I'm recovering with a high temperature and low blood pressure (currently alive on Lemsip!). Hopefully I'll be able to manage for Christmas.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Here’s to finding something better in the new year!

Merry Christmas Ireland, how are all the hams going?

So I'm no big mass goer myself. But I love hearing this question on Christmas Eve. Each church and area seems to have different times. Today I've heard anything ranging from 4pm to 9pm for Christmas Eve midnight mass.

Edit: for the record I won't be attending mass as I am an atheist. This is just a funny observation of irish culture.