I can remember that magical feeling to this day.  The decorations going up, music playing – especially Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, which reminds me of Christmas to this day. If anything, Christmas day and thereafter was an anti-climax, since it involved driving down to grandparents in Coventry and staying there in draughty old houses for days with nothing to do but be with relatives, eat and play with toys.   But the sense of anticipation building through December up to Christmas eve – nothing like it! 🙂