‘What Christmas means to me’
THE FESTIVE SEASON IS A TIME FOR JOY AND FOND MEMORIES
That wonderful time of year is fast approaching and I am so excited to spend another Christmas with a house full of excited children. I have always loved Christmas, the build-up and the day itself, but having little people to share the joy with makes it a magical time.
I will always now have a tinge of sadness that my beautiful dad is no longer with us to celebrate the season as it was his favourite time of year. He did everything on a big scale and Christmas was no exception, so I know that he would want us to keep going with our traditions – and as he would say, “Go overboard” with the celebrations.
It always starts early for us, getting our tree and decorations up and awaiting our yearly visit from our Elf on the Shelf. She really helps by keeping an eye on everyone and reporting to Santa. It’s amazing how well the kids behave when Santa is involved!
One of my favourite traditions is our Santa photo. Matt and I started the year we had Sam and from then on we have had a family photo with Santa every year. It is getting hard to fit us all in now and quite often someone is crying, but I love it as a record and to look back at how the kids have grown and changed. I’m glad Matt and I go in the photo as well, so at least we get one shot all together for the year.
Another tradition I love is Christmas Eve when we take the kids to the family mass and watch the Nativity play. We then head home to organize snacks for Santa and the reindeer, and once the kids are asleep Matt and I settle in for a long night of wrapping our presents while watching Carols by Candlelight.
My family tradition now is to go to a Chinese restaurant for lunch which began when my Nan passed away and we needed a change. We have been going ever since. It is quite wonderful not having the pressure of having to cook, but we do have a more traditional turkey dinner on Christmas night once the day has settled down. We then continue to eat turkey sandwiches for what feels like the next month!
Our pudding is also something I look forward to every year. It is made by Mum’s friend and she has been making it for us for 40 years. We all seem to fight over the last piece but it is worth it (and the extra calories). As much as I love Christmas and all that goes with it I know it can also be a sad time for many who are missing loved ones or for people who find themselves sad or alone. It’s important for us to teach the kids that it is about more than just presents – it is the perfect time of year to think about other people and look at ways we can help others.