On traditions and family.

A little film about Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtZjz20ZqTs

This festive season has really made me appreciate my family, and the closeness between us, the way we spend boxing day playing hysteria-inducing games such as ‘reindeer-hoopla’ (which involves the family wearing antlers and throwing paper rings at each other’s head) and Musical chairs, which my 82-year-old grandfather still delights in. It always end with us collapsed on the sofas with tears of laughter running down our faces while the Christmas music still plays softly in the background.

I love how we always dance around as we decorate the ‘tree of horrors’ and then revel in its horrific nature when we are done. It’s a tradition that we decorate it until it nearly topples over just to make it as tacky and gaudy as possible.

I love how Christmas morning is always spent with our closest neighbours catching up with chat and nibbles as the girls show us their gifts and we all feel merry in each other’s company. 

 I love how we always take silly family photos much to Grandma’s dismay – ‘you young people, always taking photographs.’

I love how we always go to Somerset House to ice-skate, (we’re pretty sure it was our 11th year this year) a few days after Christmas with our favourite friends-who-are-like-family, it’s a time for catching up, a lovely skate and a walk back along the north bank of the river followed by a feast of a dinner back at our house before funny party games are played late into the night. I love these people. Here’s to another 10 years of skating.

Merry Christmas indeed. Hope all your Christmases were wonderful, and that New Year is good to you.