Exeter, Devon UK • Mar 29, 2024 • VOL XII

Exeter, Devon UK • [date-today] • VOL XII
Home Comment The joy of Christmas spirit

The joy of Christmas spirit

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I love Christmas. I really do think it is the season to be jolly, to deck the halls, and tell all your family you love them, just because. I will accept no scrooges at this most wonderful time of the year.

The biggest Christmas we’ve ever had was 21 people squeezed around a table

For me, the stereotypical view of Christmas is my Christmas. Family? Check. I have a large family, and Christmas has always been a pretty big affair for us. The biggest Christmas we’ve ever had was 21 people squeezed around a table, and a ‘small Christmas with the cousins’ is still at least ten of us. For many people, that seems daunting, but I can’t imagine anything better than a house full of family, even if it does mean I get kicked out of my room and have to share with one of my siblings. At Christmas dinner it would feel odd if I didn’t have to shout down to the opposite end of the table to “please pass the gravy.”

Presents? Check. I have family all over England as well as in South Africa, so we always put their presents under the tree until they can be delivered to them – usually by sending them via other family members. It’s always great to find something you just know someone else will love, even if they might not receive it until after the new year. Who doesn’t love seeing someone’s face light up as they unwrap a present?

we walk our dog around the fields so we feel like we’ve done a little bit of exercise that day

Food? Double check. There is nothing better than the spread that is prepared on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For us, the turkey goes in the oven on Christmas Eve. Why? Because then it’s ready for when we get back from midnight mass. Hot turkey sandwiches in the middle of the night is something everyone should experience at least once. Then, the main event comes the next day: we have a turkey and a goose, plus all the trimmings, and chocolate pudding and Christmas pudding for afters. After all that, we walk our dog around the fields so we feel like we’ve done a little bit of exercise that day, which is always nice. I live in a village so it’s a walk with frequent stops to wish people a merry Christmas.

So yes, my Christmas is very much like a Hallmark Movie, and I love it. When there’s fairy lights and tinsel everywhere, it’s not hard to believe in the magic of the season.

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