Tuesday 15 October 2013

My ABSOLUTE favourite time of the year...

The most wonderful time


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Christmas has to be my favourite time of year, it's the one of the only celebrations that the majority of the world share together. I get so excited on the run up to Christmas, the twinkling fairy lights, Christmas trees, Christmas smelling candles, finding the perfect presents for loved ones and wrapping up warm to hit Christmas markets countrywide! Just writing about it makes me so excited, who else is like this?
Christmas festivity!
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Sledge
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Christmas is a strange one though, almost the whole world might celebrate Christmas yet every single family/person will have their own spin on how to celebrate Christmas. What I thought was a 'normal' way to enjoy the festive period is very different to Tom's families way. Going to university (which a lot of you may have done recently - honestly it's such an amazing time, you'll love it!) was the first time in my life when I came across such a variety of people from so many different backgrounds. I have learnt so much from the friends I made and just the people I spoke to once or twice. For instance I didn't know you could cook peas in the microwave! Just simple things like that really do build you as a person and made me realise how small our own little worlds are. After enjoying three Christmas' as university, I learnt so many different ways people celebrate Christmas, I found it really interesting.
Clips Advent Calender
 
Christmas for me starts on the 1st December, as we have an advent calendar that has mostly chocolate but does have the odd small present! As I love buying presents I also buy everyone in my family the odd gift throughout December too, just little things like Christmassy socks. About three weeks before Christmas Day we will buy and decorate our Christmas tree. We always have a real tree, as we love the smell! The decorations aren't matching or even in particularly good condition but they tell the story of our lives. A smartie wrapper decoration I made at Brownies, a salt dough Santa my brother made at school and the angel my youngest brother loving made one Christmas. The angel did used to be one I had made but over the years it lost its head, then a wing and was relegated to the Christmas decoration suitcase!
 Stars
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Xmas Fireplace
 
Then the next big event is Christmas Eve, we always watch Polar Express and enjoy wrapping any last minute presents. When I was younger I learnt to play the piano, nowadays I can't even remember how to read music but I can still play Christmas songs. I'll always have a little play on Christmas Eve to get everyone into the festive mood. Even though I'm 23 now I still go to bed really early on Christmas Eve, so that I don't disturb Father Christmas! Someone's got to keep the magic alive!
Christmas Stockings
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FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE: It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...
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When we wake up on Christmas morning (at a prearranged time - usually 9am) we go into my parents room and open our stocking presents. I love this time, it's like being a child again - dragging our stockings down the stairs and then into my parents bedroom. They would always want to make a cup of tea before we started opening presents, which as a child I didn't understand at all! I now take the opposite approach, I'd prefer to stagger present opening across the day even more. We will open all of our stocking presents, which usually contain clothes or make-up that I can then use on Christmas Day. We'll get dressed and have a special breakfast - a lovely time to chat about our presents so far. Again, as I love giving presents so much I also give my parents a stocking each too! Any excuse to buy presents and I'm there!
beautiful decor for Christmas
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After breakfast we'll go into the lounge, make sure we've checked when The Snowman is on TV - that's a Christmas Day must! Then we'll dish out the presents that are under the Christmas tree - creating a pile for each person. We don't usually have guests over on Christmas Day, so it's one of those rare family days together - perfect! We have taken various approaches to opening presents, sometimes we'll take it in turns, other times we will all open the present from one person and so on. Depends how we're feeling on the day I think.
Christmas dinner near an open fire, defenatley doing that this year!
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Christmas Dinner is always my Dad's responsibility and it's an all day job isn't it?! At about 3pm we'd sit down and have a roast dinner, as a vegetarian I'll usually have a nut roast with all the trimmings - yummy! After lunch used to be the time we'd play with our new toys but now we're older this a funny time of the day. We'll probably watch some Christmassy tv or go for a walk and finally finish the day with a snack tea.

Personalised Burlington Christmas Sack by Harrow & Green

(Photo Credit)
 
However Tom's family do Christmas day COMPLETELY differently - their stockings have chocolate and an orange in, they have most of their presents in a 'sack'. His parents give him a sack and his Grandparents also give him a sack. I'm also lucky enough to receive these too now! There are loads of little presents in, so they take ages to open. He'll have loads of family over on Christmas day, so it's busy and everyone is merry! His parents are very 'precise' with their Christmas decorations - there is always a colour scheme, a fake tree and decorations in every room in their house! It's so lovely to now be part of Tom's families Christmas, although we don't spend Christmas day together, I'm there on the run up. I'm sure that if Tom and I have a family we'll take aspects of our families Christmas' to create our own way of celebrating, as I'm sure has happened over generations.

The aspect that is the same for a lot of people in the United Kingdom is where you go shopping for your presents. I have to admit I'm one of those annoying people is always buying Christmas presents - if I see something I think someone will like in March, I'll buy it! I already have a fair amount of presents ready for this Christmas, especially as we're having to move house just before Christmas I'm having to be even more organised. There are a couple of places that I always love shopping for presents from the comfort of my living room - dotcomgiftshop is one of these. It has such a diverse range of vintage inspired gifts, there's also a lot of items I've asked for from there!
 
I absolutely love Christmas - the memories you create, giving and receiving of presents, yummy food and so much laughter :)
 
Who else is so excited for Christmas?
 
Feel free to leave me a comment :)

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5 comments

  1. I love Christmas so much and this is the firs Christmas post I've seen!

    Ho ho ho! xxx

    www.squidgymoments.ie

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  2. Ive been trying to hold my Christmas excitement because I thought it was too early, but after reading this I no longer care. I cant wait now. Great little post, people really do celebrate Christmas in different ways. :D
    RumbieLove.blogspot.com xx

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    Replies
    1. It's so exciting isn't it? I also love that we all celebrate it together :)

      Helen xx

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  3. Yep, in my office at work we've already organised our annual Christmas meal in town, plus our Secret Santa, and after our students leave (I work in a uni), Christmas tackiness explodes everywhere with a Christmas Coin Hunt (like an Easter Egg hunt but much better!) and a Festive Pass the Parcel!

    We've even had a Christmas countdown on our office noticeboard since March! :-) x

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    Replies
    1. Wow that sounds like my kind of office!! I also love the sound of a Christmas Coin Hunt, I've never heard of it before - will definitely be introducing my family to that this year :)

      Helen xx

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