Christmas Countdown - 2018

[CGYager]

I'm not sure if I posted any photos of the inside in last year's countdown, so here is the main tree and where I placed all the cards received...

 

[chrimbo_bear]

Here we go again! happy new year all :-D

 

[graywolf70]

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year and you had a beautiful Christmas with those you love.

 

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

Fresh socks!

Fresh everything - shower, Christmas/wintry p.j.s and fresh countdown.

 

[ballcoach]

Get up sleepy heads!

Dilliards is having their HUGE sale...off to get my work clothes for the year! LOL. True story. The year....unless I put on more weight...

 

[CGYager]

Get up sleepy heads!

Dilliards is having their HUGE sale...off to get my work clothes for the year! LOL. True story. The year....unless I put on more weight...

Morning Ballcoach. Sorry, but it would have to be a lot warmer for me to brave the elements for any sale (currently -21 w/windchill of -42). Be safe and have fun...

 

[RachRon]

Here we go again seems so far away but the milestones keep it in perspective.

 

[HomemakinGirl]

I'm not sure if I posted any photos of the inside in last year's countdown, so here is the main tree and where I placed all the cards received...
View attachment 41863 View attachment 41864

Beautiful!

 

[HomemakinGirl]

Happy New Year dear friends!
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2018!
xoxo

 

[Bradmac]

Happy New Year, Christmas friends!

 

[Edge612]

** OFFICIAL THREAD - CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN 2018 **


Greetings, Folks!
For the 12th consecutive year here at My Merry Christmas (and the 15th year overall) it is time once again to begin another Countdown!

Here are the statistics since we began the Season Countdown idea 14 years ago:
2004 = 1,217 posts (Christmas.com) = 3.3 posts per day.
2005 = Over 2,700 posts (Christmas.com) = over 7.4 posts per day.
2006 = 3,756 posts (The Christmas Place) = 10.3 posts per day.
2007 = 1,957 posts (My Merry Christmas, where the thread was not launched until July) = 12.1 posts per day.
2008 = 5,103 posts = 13.9 posts per day.
2009 = 8,231 posts = 22.6 posts per day.
2010 = 16,226 posts = 44.5 posts per day.
2011 = 31,091 posts = 85.2 posts per day.
2012 = 39,183 posts = 107.1 posts per day.
2013 = 59,747 posts = 163.7 posts per day.
2014 = 63,096 posts = 172.9 posts per day.
2015 = 56,859 posts = 155.8 posts per day.
2016 = 58,288 posts = 159.3 posts per day.
2017 = 18,080 posts = 49.5 posts per day.
(Interestingly, we had a huge drop off in 2017. Not sure why, but the quality of our posts is still quite high. And that's more important than volume any day!

So, here we are ready to go again, at the start of 2018.


A word of explanation. We are running a dual countdown in this thread - one for Christmas Day and one for the start of the Christmas Season (November 13).
There seems to be general agreement that we look forward to the entire Christmas Season rather than just to Christmas Day itself.
But why November 13?
Well, it just seems about the right time to regard the season as arriving. That date is exactly 6 weeks before Christmas Day and is around the time the public at large is beginning to really get into the holiday spirit. Many of the malls and stores have decorated. And starting the season then gives us exactly 50 days (Nov 13 through Jan 1) to enjoy being "within" the season, giving it a depth that is lacking with just the Christmas Day count by itself.

We also enjoy noting special "Milestones" along the way (see the chart below).

And there is one date you CERTAINLY do not want to miss! Many of us gather here on the evening of November 12 for our annual hour by hour and then minute by minute countdown to the start of the Season at midnight Eastern Time. It's something we really look forward to and is truly great fun!

OK then, Everybody.
Climb aboard once again to enjoy reading the posts and following the count, which begins today at 316 to the Season and 358 to Christmas Day.

Here is a list of our Christmas Season and Christmas Day countdown milestone markers:

CHRISTMAS SEASON MILESTONE MARKER CHART
January 17 = Day 300
February 12 = 1/4 mark
March 15 = 1/3 mark
April 27 = Day 200
May 15 = 1/2 mark
July 14 = 2/3 mark
August 05 = Day 100
August 14 = 3/4 mark
October 07 = 90 percent (The Home Stretch begins)
November 13 = THE CHRISTMAS SEASON ARRIVES!

CHRISTMAS DAY MILESTONE MARKER CHART
February 28 = Day 300
March 26 = 1/4 mark
April 26 = 1/3 mark
June 8 = Day 200
June 26 = 1/2 mark
August 25 = 2/3 mark
Sept 16 = Day 100
Sept 25 = 3/4 mark
Nov 18 = 90 percent
December 25 = MERRY CHRISTMAS!


- CROWN

Thanks Crown! Happy New Year!

 

[Edge612]

The view from here is great! We can see 4th of July, CIJ, the special posts, The Season, Christmas 2018...wow...and it will all be here before we know it!

Something about these last 6 days was weird "looking back" at everything. It's exciting to now look forward and see everything we love on the calendar. No rush to get there.

 

[Edge612]

Happy New Year MMC! Hope everyone has started 2018 on the right foot. I went to bed right at midnight. I actually barely made it this year. Rollins started barking at the fireworks he heard at midnight. I wish you all a great year ahead. I'm excited to spend this year with you here in the Countdown. It's exciting to look forward to everything we have ahead of us this year. Now if only we could get the temperature here above 5 degrees that it's at right now! Hope you all have a great 1st day of the year!

 

[Crown 84]

Happy New Year once again, Folks.

Cold here this morning where we started off in the upper teens and are not supposed to get above 30 all day. At least it's sunny and calm.

Have a Marvelous Monday and a Jumpin' January First, Everyone.
Our regular count commences again tomorrow!

 

[SnowflakeMom]

I'm not sure if I posted any photos of the inside in last year's countdown, so here is the main tree and where I placed all the cards received...
View attachment 41863 View attachment 41864

Love these pics...very pretty!

 

[SnowflakeMom]

Happy New Year! Looking forward to another great year on MMC in 2018. Hope everyone has a blessed and healthy year!

 

[CGYager]

Happy New Year dear friends!
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2018!
xoxo

View attachment 41872

Good morning HMG and the same back to you. Hopefully you will not have to brave the cold this 1st Day of January 2018...

 

[Edge612]

Happy New Year once again, Folks.

Cold here this morning where we started off in the upper teens and are not supposed to get above 30 all day. At least it's sunny and calm.

Have a Marvelous Monday and a Jumpin' January First, Everyone.
Our regular count commences again tomorrow!

Thanks Crown! Looking forward to the normal count starting all the way right to Christmas Day!

 

[CGYager]

Happy New Year! Looking forward to another great year on MMC in 2018. Hope everyone has a blessed and healthy year!

Greetings SnowflakeMom. Hopefully your NYE was relaxing as we all ended the 2017 run. May all your desires and expectations for 2017 exceed your dreams. I'm thinking Hawaii would be nice right about now...

 

[Martine]

Happy New Year everyone! We didn't make it to midnight, as is our tradition. It's a beautiful sunny but COLD Winter day. David is working, I'm doing laundry, it's life as usual. Wishing all a great first day in 2018 and all the best all year long.