This is not about Christmas but to most people is seems that it is, and so that's why I've gone with this title.
At the start of December I start to make my to-do list; clean the windows, jet wash the drive to clear away the moss, clear out the old and make space for new, clean the cupboards and the fridge... to the untrained eye, it would appear that I am reading me and the house for Christmas and so I often get the eye-rolling response of 'why does it HAVE to be done now?'
Well, what I am actually doing is all to do with Yule and nothing to do with December 25th.
Yule, which usually falls on the 22nd December, marks the shortest day of the year - the Winter Equinox. After this, the days start to get longer (massive hurrah) but it is also the start of winter. And with winter brings cold frosty weather and sometimes snow none of which is conducive to lots of window cleaning or moss removing...so it's best to do it beforehand!
Seems simple really, but it is just logic for me. It's awesome to have a clean and tidy house for Christmas, but in reality it is just one day, whereas winter lasts a whole three months (though it feels like longer to those who live in the UK)
Do you have any pre-winter rituals? Anything which you strive to get done before the cold snap? I'd love to hear that it isn't just me!