Today has been our first day at home after almost a week away for Christmass and sorting through photographs has given me the opportunity to think about the fun we had.
The first thing I think is how lucky I am that I’ve never had to plan Christmas as we’ve always been invited to other people’s houses. However, I think it may not be that much longer until people expect to be invited to our house and I admit I feel a little bit worried about it; maybe it is a reason to delay the work on our house so it is not guest friendly!
The second thing I think is how lucky I am that my husband says he’ll manage the Christmas day dinner when it is our turn so I will have the role of helper and will be responsible for other things around Christmas Day. Here are some of the things I’ve picked up that I would like to replicate in a way that fits our house:
- catching up with lots of people – over the holiday season we saw three Aunts and Uncles, three sets of cousins and their children, my husband’s Granny and Great Aunt and two sets of friends and their children
- watching Christmas films and TVs – this is something we’ve been working on, but our supply of DVDs is still small and apparently we are missing some classics
- listening to music – this has been a highlight this year as we were invited by my husband’s Aunt to sit in a box at the Albert Hall to watch Jingle Bell Christmas which was brilliant and the children loved having room to dance as you can see in the video below
- magic – we saw Santa’s sleigh for the first time this year and he made a real mess after coming down the chimney which the children loved
- doing silly things – it was about headwear this year, but previously we’ve had photo props, party cannons and one year I got a pair of pants as a cracker prize
- lots of decorations – its not just about having a tree, its about having decorations in every room from natural greenery to tinsel and strings of wooden beads, and we seriously need to start a collection of Christmas candles and serving dishes
- plans – having plans either side of Christmas Day extends the anticipation and excitement, so we need to investigate what happens in our local area as well as the walks around us to find a good one that passes a pub for Boxing Day
- food – it is not just about Christmas Day dinner it is about having a plan for interesting food over the last week we’ve been munching into home cooked ham and beef for breakfast and home made pate and sausage rolls for lunch – certainly different to the normal day.
One more thing to remember is to look after myself and not feel overwhelmed. Christmas is meant to be fun for everyone.
What do you do for Christmas? If you are in control do you follow a plan, do you have a Christmas recipe book to help? Do you have activities you do every year?
Ours is fairly traditional each year – all the family go to the pub on Christmas eve. Spend Christmas morning taking presents to the in laws and sister/brother in laws. And new year’s day at one of our friends’ houses. In between we don’t do much because every day is still a working day on the farm.
Happy new year
Yes, I guess you don’t have many options to get away with the farm. Does that mean you always cook Christmas dinner? We used to go on our walk on Boxing Day and finish at a pub, but the last few years we’ve just done the walk without the pub.
Usually it’s me cooking now. Well the past 3 years. The inlaws always go elsewhere and the sister in laws usually have family the other side invited so we never get invites anymore. That’s fine, but this year I want to have everyone round to us so we have a nice busy Christmas day instead of a boring ‘just like a weekend’ one with the 3 of us and my brother.
I love busy Christmases, but I’m not sure I will if I’m the one organising it! Good luck, I hope your plans come together
I hosted Christmas for the first time this year. Only a week or so after moving house. I couldn’t remember which box had the other half of the Christmas decorations, an unfamiliar oven overcooked the potatoes and one of my dining chairs was broken in the move. But the family didn’t care and voted unanimously to have Christmas at my place again next year. In part because of my little disasters. We laughed at them together and everyone felt relaxed, included and loved.
It sounds like you did a great job Robyn so soon after moving house. That is the sort of story that goes into family folklore to be brought out every year “Do you remember the year when …” What more do you want from Christmas than for everyone to feel relaxed, included and loved.