Yes, I realize it is still 110 days till Christmas. No, I do not act like Will Ferrel in Elf and run around in tights the day after Thanksgiving either. However, I do enjoy playing Christmas music in July - the subsequent looks from people around me adds to the joy of the music for me.
My birthday is 4 days after Christmas. Typically, the Christmas gifts under the tree were never gone when Christmas Day was over. My parents mixed in my birthday gifts with the regular ones.
To date, my favorite Christmas gift was actually not something I received, but something I helped to give (yes, you are allowed to choose something you gave as well).
My dad was a huge Pete Rose fan growing up and styled his game much like "Charlie Hustle." My brothers and I decided to pull our resources together one Christmas, and bought our dad a signed bat of Pete Rose.
That may or may not mean much to some folks, but it meant a lot to my dad. What me and my brothers didn't know was the email correspondence from the eBay seller was going to our dad's account as well - he knew weeks in advance what his present was. Thankfully, he didn't spoil the surprise for us, and let us know after we gave him his gift on Christmas Day. Note to self, check all the details.