There have been so many defining moments of 2020, and I so don’t feel prepared to rethink all of them yet. Just think about where we were at the New Year’s Eve parties in 2019, compared to where we’re standing right now. It hasn’t even been COVID, there were the Black Lives Matter marches, the Australian fires – remember when there was even a threat of Murder Hornets. It’s been crazy.
But, this is not the time, nor place, to be ‘reminiscing’ about all that yet. This is the time to be thinking about the festive season, and doing our best to save Christmas. Hey – we deserve it, we’ve earned it! So today’s post is about the rituals I have for the month of December. What are yours?
1. A Christmas lights walk
I like to take a walk around the town, usually on the night of the Christmas lights switch on, or after that if I’m not free, and take in the Christmas lights and decorations. There’s always something gloomy about a town after the festive season, so I like to get the most of it, and it’s a great excuse for another evening out – and without spending too much money too.
If I’m wanting to make more of an event out of it I might try and head to somewhere that’s making more of a show of it. Our local light events are Longleat, and Stourhead, which I’m booked in for after Christmas. If we’re just heading for a walk around the town I might also suggest a stop off at a bar for a Christmas cocktail, or out for a dinner afterwards – obviously a little harder in 2020, but see you next year, cocktail bars.
2. Christmas movie day
I fall back on my go-tos every year – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Muppet’s Christmas Carol, The Holiday, Home Alone, I could go on all day. It’s nice to make a day-event of it. Get cosy with a furry throw, stock up on holiday snacks, and settle in for a day of Christmas movie watching. What Christmas movies are on your list?
3. Christmas jumper day
Usually this is the charity-based day organised as a work thing, but either way I like to make at least one day of December a Christmas jumper day. A particular favourite with this one is teaming it up with a Christmas shopping day.
4. The Christmas card delivery walk
Every year my mum comes into my room at some point with a stack of Christmas cards in hand, and I know it’s time for the annual neighbourhood card delivery walk. It’s not a big deal, it’s just me, her, and Bob walking around the local neighbourhood posting the cards through the doors of people that we know. But it’s something that happens every year and has sort of become a ritual for us.
5. Christmas music playlist
I know some people are full-on Christmas fans, and start getting ready for the festivities in November. But I’m strict, and I make myself wait until December 1st before I even let myself listen to a carol. But when I’m ready I load up the Spotify, and I set myself up a new Christmas playlist. I know it’s easy enough to find a ready-made one, or just use one from last year, but making the playlist has sort of become a tradition in itself.
6. Switch on to the Food Network
It’s felt like the Food Network has been trying and struggling to hold itself back from going full blown Christmas mode this year, dropping in the odd Christmas special here and there. But this month it’s fully gone for it. There’s Christmas baking challenges, inside our favourite hosts’ kitchens, Christmas cooking advice – it’s my favourite place to be right now.
And a few for 2020 only…
7. Fakemas day
News flash – this is my first ever Christmas with a boyfriend, at the age of twenty eight. Do you remember the first Christmas with your partner, and there’s the drama of what to do with your Christmas – and then throw in a pandemic, and it quickly becomes a very challenging question. Do you see each other on the actual day, do you spend it separately with your family?
To get over the question, we’ve decided to host a little ‘Fakemas’ for ourselves. We won’t be doing the presents or anything just yet – it feels far too soon for that – but we will be having a Christmas dinner. If it goes well I’ll share it as a post, if not check my Instagram.
8. Private shopping experience
Shopping wasn’t a particularly appealing thought this year, and I didn’t really fancy close-contact shopping as it used to be in heavily packed shopping malls – and I won’t lie, the idea of all the queuing to get in places and whatnot put me off as well. So, this year, as a little shopping event I went to a private shopping experience in one of our local shops, called The Emporium.
They gave us a totally private shopping evening, including a glass of Prosecco and mince pies, and it was a totally relaxing experience. Plus, it’s a great way to support local businesses, so it’s something that’s definitely worth looking into in your town if you can.
9. Post Office Trip
I don’t usually have much need for the post office at Christmas – most of my present-receivers live locally, or I make a big enough trip to go and deliver them in person. But this year I found myself in the queue for the post office a few times.
This post was originally scheduled for yesterday, but after the weekend’s announcements I held off an extra day – it just didn’t seem right to talk about all the fun things about Christmas just yet. I’m so lucky in that my plans haven’t been affected too much – we’re a very small family, and so we fit below the limit number of households anyway. But I totally appreciate, after talking to a lot of my friends, just how hard this has hit them.
But, remember, it does suck and it is a big blow to the jolliest time of the year, but we’ve made it this far, and we can get through it! Stay positive, keep talking, and reach out to anyone who needs it this year. Love to you all!
xx
