Given all the eating and drinking, it probably won’t surprise you to
hear that I LOVE Christmas. I love it so much I’ve been known to buy
decorations in June (I do have a strict rule that festivities can not begin
until December, but I was on holiday and there was a Christmas shop – I
couldn’t help it).
Everyone has their own idea of what Christmas must contain or ‘it’s just not Christmas’ and my passion is such that I have a
slight tendency towards the Christmas Commandant (note the reference a ‘strict rule’
above. There are more.) I have very clear ideas on what is and is not
Christmassy.
Colours, for instance. Red, green, silver and gold
(and white – especially of the snowy variety) – yes. Blue, pink and pastels of
any description – NO. And as for matchy-matchy blue or pink (or purple)
Christmas trees - HELL NO. This year we accidentally bought coloured lights for
our tree (clear lights look much nicer, I’m sure you’ll agree. If not I have
ways of making you agree…) While I could make my peace with the red and green
ones, they are, after all, permissible Christmas colours, the blue ones had to
go. And by go, I mean get duct taped up, one by one, until their non-Christmassy
glow was obliterated. What? It’s perfectly normal. *ahem*
NO |
But it’s not just about the colours and the gluttony,
it’s also about the presents. Not just the receiving (I like diamonds and ponies, in case you were wondering…)
I am a big big fan of the giving. I get very excited about giving people presents,
especially when I think it’s something they’ll really like. There’s a reason
this is my favourite Christmas ad ever:
All together now: ahhhhhhhh… Now that we’re feeling all warm and fuzzy, let’s turn our thoughts back to food (you didn’t think I was going to leave it at one brief mention of gluttony, did you?) This is perhaps the area in which most people (myself included) get the most militant. For some it’s mince pies, for others it’s trifle. I’m not bothered about either (‘what?!’ I hear your inner radical Christmas elf gasp ‘no mince pies?!’) But my Christmas must (MUST!) include my Nana’s stuffing. It is, without doubt, the best stuffing recipe in the world (it contains potatoes) and I defy you to say any different.
Christmas traditions are many and varied it’s always
entertaining to see the clash of customs when families come together. As the
youngest in the family, I got to look on as my older sibling’s partners were
introduced to our family Christmas. Their varied reactions to my mother’s
annual Christmas wobbler were always fun to watch (the pressure of catering and
general emotional high doe of the season tended to culminate in an episode of some sort, usually involving one or all of; a sudden outburst, a
tea-towel flung dramatically to the floor, a slammed door, tears). I
particularly remember the looks of horror when new boyfriends or girlfriends were told we didn’t open
our presents until everyone was fully dressed and had been to mass (mass - and
yet my father never appreciates our singing ‘Happy Birthday dear Jesus, Happy
Birthday tooo yooouuuuu…’ It’s disrespectful apparently). The belated presents tradition
was nothing but cruel if you ask me, and I was in full support of the mutiny
led by my eldest sister’s husband the year we stormed the living room in our pyjamas
and let rip under the tree.
This year we’ll be taking it one further and opening
our presents on Christmas Eve, because that’s how they do it here in Sweden. Yes, we get to share a whole new set of Swedish traditions with our friends which
essentially means TWO Christmases. Excited does not even begin to describe it.
See? Lovely Christmassy colours. Much better. |