As a family, our traditions are more unspoken. We’re emotionally stunted like that.When December decides to roll around, we have a beautiful fabric advent calendar that we fill with sweets of our choice. We’ve had it as long as I can remember and I’m not sure where it came from but it’s a solid childhood memory. It hangs at the bottom of the stairs and makes me smile in the morning – especially when I’m late for work and pegging it round the house.
Putting up our tree is a group effort; we do it on a Sunday usually whilst listening to the uk top forty and arguing about which baubles will make it onto the tree. My goal this year is an all silver tree and mother and I pre-bough some fancy tree ornaments in the January sales last year. Whilst decorating Ma and Pa like to bust out the handmade creations from childhood. Examples of these include a clay candle holder painted gold and a wreath made of cardboard and sequins. Works of art.
More recently I have become the head present wrapper in my house. Now this is not a job I have a problem with, wrapping is weirdly the best, but the only drawback is mother likes to pre-buy all her wrapping paper and cards in the sales so I’m not allowed to pick a theme. I sneakily bought some red and white candy cane striped ribbon and tags the other week though, which brought me a lot of joy.
We also spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day with my Nan and Grandad – one day at our house and one day at theirs. I enjoy this part of Christmas a lot, because even though we live really close and see a lot of each other, it makes the day a bit more special to be all together. It feels a bit like a who can make the most food competition sometimes between my nan and my dad, but really, who would complain. My nan’s roast potatoes are better than my life.