This is how I get into the holiday spirit.
1. Wait until the day after Thanksgiving to get busy on the Christmas stuff.
2. Day after Christmas, start planning for the Secret Santa party, the office party, and each of my groups' parties. Mostly, what I am going to wear, what dish I am going to take, and what kind of present I am going to bring.
3. Start filling out Christmas cards to be in the mail by the 10th day of Christmas.
4. Start planning my office decorations to go up by the first weekend in December.
5. Start planning the decorations to go up in front of my house by the first weekend in December.
6. Start shopping for Christmas to be finished by the 20th.
7. Enjoy the days before Christmas feeling like I've accomplished much and partying like its 1999.
8. Realize on Christmas Day that there are at least two people I forgot to shop for or that I don't have enough butter, or rolls, or whipped cream, or forks, or something.
9. Vow to learn new Christmas songs to play on my violin or mountain dulcimer next year.