Christmas windows

I'm a bit of a grinch when it comes to Christmas. I love the day itself, at home with the family, champagne, a beautiful tree with decorations collected over the years, an eventful walk, time cooking and eating traditional (and untraditional - sushi on Christmas Eve has become an exotic family ritual) fare, the odd carol here and there, buying and receiving presents, and the slight flutter of excitement (yes, still) when I wake up on Christmas morning.

But the rest of Christmas angers and irritates me. The shopping, the endless adverts everywhere (with the exception of the John Lewis one), the lights and decorations going up before the Halloween ones have been put away, the excessive build-up, the pressure on everyone to achieve that 'perfect' day which just doesn't exist in the way society wants us to believe it does, the plastic toys and naff tinsel... I could go on, but I won't.

Christmas still feels very far away from where we are in mid-Novemeber. I'm a firm believer that nothing Christmasy should happen before the advent calendar month begins. However, the Selfridges' Christmas windows that we passed by on Sunday morning managed to capture my imagination, my excitement, and my breath. Every little snowman, penguin, Santa Claus, Christmas tree, drop of snow and piece of gingerbread had been used to create several windows as vivid as a child's dream. Behind the glass panes, Selfridges has ensnared the essence of the mythical elements of Christmas, as well as adding splashes of humour with pink play-doh snowmen, Santa Claus being taken off in a stretcher after a skiing accident, and partying penguins.

If you happen to be passing by (I recommend a Sunday morning before the crowds come out to ruin the magic), spare a few minutes and remember why Christmas 'is a time for joy, for every little girl and boy'.