A Santa with a wobbly nose? Twiglets? Whatever next?
Those Christmas traditions – we love them and we hate them, don’t we? There are the sparkly ones, the ones of our choosing, the ones we inherited and hung on to because they were our favourites, and the ones we started ourselves. Then there are the grotty ones, the ones that really cheese us off, like going to Great Aunt Muriel’s every Boxing Day morning… (I don’t have a Great Aunt Muriel… I’m just saying!)
Let me tell you now, we don’t do traditions in our house. In our house, I am responsible for Christmas and I like change. Nope, none of this tradition baloney for me! Well, except for ONE tradition – Christmas tree decorations! We
have baubles that used to be my Grandma’s and that I gave a home to after she died. We have baubles that were my mum and dad’s, before they moved to live on their boat. We have odd hangy things that I have taken a fancy to, and we have the children’s decorations – I have bought them a Christmas tree decoration every year since they were born… well, I suppose that’s a tradition of sorts. As a result, our Christmas tree is a mish mash of all sorts of prettiness – none of this colour co-ordinated malarkey but meaning and memories that dangle and shimmer.
Then there’s our old Santa, passed on to me by my parents, whose nose becomes more unattached from his poor old face every year… I’m convinced he’s been on the whisky, as the bottle is emptying at an alarming rate! In fact, we had to ram it back into place (his nose that is) this year. But Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas if our old Santa wasn’t perched at the top of the tree.
Obviously, we have to leave Santa (the REAL Santa!) a mince pie and a whisky, and Rudolph a carrot… every year. Well, it would be mean not to, wouldn’t it?
I suppose there is ONE other tradition, and this relates to Christmas presents. Santa leaves a stocking full of goodies at the bottom of my son and daughter’s beds, and every year, they sit at the bottom of our bed and take turns to pull out a pressie – and we all look and go ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ and marvel at Santa’s fantastic pressie choices.
Then of course, we all head downstairs, gathering around the pressies and around the mish mash of prettiness that dangles with meaning and memories, for the Grand Opening… Well, I suppose that’s a sort of tradition too… I guess. And this is not just any old Grand Opening you know. Oh no! Each of us opens our presents one at a time, so that we all get to see what each other has got and can go ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ and marvel all over again. Then, well, maybe there’s ONE more tradition: bacon sandwiches cooked by hubby… Christmas just wouldn’t Christmas without a bit of Christmas Oink!
Oh, and there are the bells. Did I tell you about the bells? There are two, one of which is placed close to the top of the tree. Why? Because when it’s knocked the angel gets its wings, of course! Have you not seen ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’? Then there are the Christmas crackers… well you have to have Christmas crackers don’t you? It’s tradition!… and some special Christmas doggie treats for Molly (our greyhound)… we can’t leave her out can we?
Then we watch films in the afternoon – with Twiglets. I suppose that’s a kind of tradition. We have to have Twiglets – at no other time of year, but at Christmas, yes! Then we have bits for tea – bread and crisps and cheeses and cold stuffing and mince pies and cream… yes, every year. But honestly, that’s all, no more traditions.
No, we don’t do tradition in our house.
What traditions make your Christmas special?
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