I’ve read lots of posts recently about what makes people feel festive. I think that Christmas feeling is a bit like a drug. As a child, the mere mention of the word is all it takes, but as you get older, more and more effort is required to get that same feeling! This year is the first year that both of my children really understand the idea that this is a special time of year, so I think for me, I’ve managed to get back some of the festive spirit by sharing their excitement!
As a young child I got so excited about Christmas, and distinctly remember seeing Santa in the sky on my way home from the children’s Christingle service on Christmas Eve one year. That’s probably my most magical Christmas memory. However, as I got older, my very small family didn’t really ‘bother’ with Christmas, and some years we didn’t even have a tree, so it lost that special feeling, and consequently, I lost my excitement. I craved those huge family get togethers that everyone else seemed to be having, but they never happened, so by the time I was a teenager, I used to work on Christmas Day. Triple time wages, while being surrounded by lots of people enjoying Christmas in the gorgeous hotel where I worked was something I genuinely enjoyed!
But for me, there’s 2 things that get me into the Christmas spirit more than anything else, year on year. Visits from Santa and Christmas Carols! We couldn’t believe it the other night. It was about 7pm, the children were fresh out of their baths, pyjama’d up and ready for bed, when all of a sudden we heard loud carols. Very loud carols. At first, I thought we had some local youth showing off their new stereos. Then it clicked and I realised they probably wouldn’t be showing off their systems with the likes of Little Donkey or Away in a Manger! Just as this dawned, came a knock at the door. I looked out of the window to see a beautifully lit up sleigh, and answered the door to find none other than Santa himself standing there!
My daughter assumed he naturally had to check he had the right house, since our move. Santa assured her that this was indeed a reason for his visit, but didn’t leave without dropping some chocolate based treats in all the children’s hands, reminding them to be good. It was such a wonderful thing to do, and see, especially when all the children came running out into the streets on a dark and wet December night, all in their dressing gowns to excitedly speak to Santa! I’ve heard that the Westbury Lions Club were behind this, but it was an amazing surprise visit!
Yesterday, at my son’s toddler group, we got another visit from the man himself, we’ve been to see my daughter’s Christmas Nativity and we have my daughter’s carol service on Friday too!
For the first time ever, I am so so so excited about Christmas, and with potentially 12 people sitting round the Christmas dinner table this year, I might also get to experience the big family get together too! Woo!
itsamumsworld 