You don’t need expensive gifts for advent magic
So much of Christmas is built on nostalgia. If we are fortunate, then our Christmases as a child are filled with the kind of excitement that we never experience as an adult. The kind that goes beyond being unable to sleep at night, but that falls more into the category of believing in pure magic.
Memories are triggered by the scent of Christmas, the twinkle of lights and the melody of particular songs.
As adults, any of these can trip our brains into feeling Christmassy – but it’s never quite the same.
We have been tainted by life, tainted by the realisation that magic most definitely does not exist, and that curve balls and stress most definitely do.
Having children does mean one gets to relive many of one’s own childhood memories.
One of the things that I have passed onto my children is the simple joy of a traditional advent calendar.
The kind without chocolate and with a little window in which lies a tiny festive image, counting down the sleeps until the 25th.
My kids get enough chocolate, especially over Christmas, and I like the traditional aspect of the old-fashioned calendars.
As must plenty of other people, judging by the queues of folk who line up to purchase them from the Chichester shop that we visit annually for ours.
The traditional style of calendar, that began in 19th century Germany, was of course eclipsed by the chocolatestuffed variety by the 1980s. I have a suspicion these may have started in the USA.
But over recent years, it appears that even these have been overthrown by the kind of calendar that costs upwards of £100 and is filled with full-on giftage. Why? Are we so obsessed with material goods that we also need something bestowed upon us on every day of December in the build-up to the presentfest that is Christmas Day?
I love my children getting gifts, but I’m glad that they don’t clamour for one every day of December. The novelty of the 25th should remain, wherever possible, with a little spark of magic.