I LOVE Christmas! Who doesn't? Marketing focuses on giving and receiving gifts but what's left when you take that away? Christmas can be difficult when your bank account isn't cooperating. I'm lucky to come from a family where traditions are paramount and fortunate that I get to see distant relatives more often that most. These are the things I get most excited for - not the presents that vary each year - the silly traditions that will always remain the same. Each family has their own traditions at Christmas time and they vary around the world (which you can look at using the link at the bottom) here are my family traditions:
1. 'Fill it yourself' advent calendar. These have become more popular in recent years but we have had them for as long as I can remember. Each year, my parents secretly fill our advent calender and when we wake up on December 1st (which also happens to be my birthday) our advent calendars are hung up - our first Christmas decoration! The best thing about having your parents fill your advent calendar? You get more than just the one chocolate! It doesn't happen every day - usually on special days like birthdays and anniversaries - our December is full of them! ...not forgetting double/triple chocolate on Christmas eve.
2. Christmas Eve cinema. My parents probably started this to stop us from getting too excited on Christmas Eve but it's stuck with us and every year after a morning of cleaning up, our family takes a trip to the cinema to watch this years Christmas film. As me and my sister currently work in retail, this has been more difficult in recent years but we always make sure we watch a film together when we get home.
3. Reindeer food. This is a Christmas Eve tradition that started thanks to a creative mum who made a sachet for all the Brownies. Every year after, Mum makes our Reindeer food and at 21 years old I still go into the front garden in my pyjamas to scatter Reindeer food for Rudolph.
4. Stockings on the door. My sisters and I each have 2 stockings - 1 hangs above the fire place on our stocking holders and the other hangs on the handle of our bedroom door. The stockings on our door have our name on so Santa knows whose bedroom is whose. He checks if we are sleeping (because if we're awake we don't get any presents) and fills the stockings with presents for us to open on Mum and Dads bed first thing on Christmas morning.
5. Chocolate hamper. This is one gift that stays the same each year. Santa fills a hamper with luxury hot chocolates (like the Whittard of Chelsea one from yesterdays post) along with a few accessories to decorate them with: marshmallows, chocolate flakes and coffee stencils. My favourite gift each year and the perfect antidote for those cold January nights.
These are just a few of my family Christmas traditions and ones I plan to pass down the family for generations to come. What are your Christmas traditions?
Christmas traditions around the world:
http://www.ibtimes.com/christmas-traditions-around-world-2015-how-they-celebrate-germany-france-mexico-other-2230757
Slovakian Christmas: My best friend who comes from Slovakia posted this today all about how they celebrate Christmas.
http://www.slovakcooking.com/2010/blog/christmas-in-slovakia/
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