Sunday 7 December 2014

Festive rituals


I've decided that all the usual posts which I write in some kind of series or theme - well, this month they're going festive. I love this time of year and make no apologies for it. The tree's up, the mince pies have been opened and I'm hoping to get some cards written by the end of the week.

Yesterday we went to Hebden Bridge and it was Christmassy in the extreme: a hard frost, bright skies and pretty window displays everywhere. So this post will be accompanied by a selection of the photos I took whilst there. No point trying for atmospheric shots indoors - the sun was short-lived and today we've got leaden skies and sleet showers.


Of course, this Christmas will be bittersweet. My mum won't be with us and there will be moments of sadness, of wishing she could see Joe enjoying it all. But this year he'll have a definite awareness for the first time: presents, treats and special things to eat. And that's something we're excited about.

So, rituals. A modern tradition for the three of us is the festive visit to Hebden Bridge. We set off early and look around the shops and galleries picking up little gifts as we go. We eat somewhere cosy and thaw out for a little before heading back out into the cold. And we drive home over the moors feeling like our Christmas has well and truly begun.


Another ritual (and one Jay isn't too keen on): Christmas music. I usually indulge whilst dressing the tree, baking and writing my cards. I'm more into the Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin type of stuff than Slade or Wham! Although they have their place - usually in shops if I have anything to do with it.


Each year I like to bake things like cinnamon biscuits or biscotti. Maybe this year I'll be a bit more adventurous. I'll be writing a whole post on Christmas food as part of my Food Memories series, probably next week.

Speaking of food: I've written a (long) list of what we'll be buying. That will be split down into supermarket staples and the posh stuff. And the latter will be purchased from Booths*. It's an indulgent time of year so why not?

*Kind of like Waitrose but for us Lancastrians.


The Baileys is on standby throughout December and I'll have a measure tipped into my coffee of an evening if I'm feeling that way inclined. It's also a time for cherry liqueur and prosecco and all that lovely stuff. Oh, and mulled wine of course.


I do like to indulge in a cheesy film or two on a cold afternoon. You know the type: American, straight-to-TV stuff. Fancy lawyer returns to their childhood town after a failed engagement and learns the true meaning of Christmas etc. I think it's known as Schmaltz. Best viewed whilst eating copious amounts of chocolate-covered marzipan.

More credible (to me, at least) favourites: The Box of Delights (the special effects are charmingly primitive) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. So silly but I just can't help myself.


Of course, it can't be the run-up to Christmas without plenty of walking and peeping into lit windows to see decorated trees. Gloves, hats and scarves and the hope of a snowfall. Almost as good: coming back home to warmth and something stodgy to eat. Creamy rice pudding would be my bowlful of choice.


It's not all smooth sailing. Each year there are the same little hiccups: posting things off at the last minute (having lost various addresses), panicking when parcels ordered online don't arrive promptly, agonising over those people who are difficult to buy for.

But they're all small things and more often than not these problems sort themselves out. And if they don't, so what? It's Christmas.


There was, however, one sad little ritual I carried out last week. My mum always, always bought me new socks at Christmas. Sounds silly but it was just one of those things. On Friday I went out and bought myself some and intend to wrap them just the same. You see, some traditions must be continued. Like opening one present on Christmas Eve 'It's a Polish tradition'. Of course, we all knew the truth: it was because she couldn't bear not knowing what lay under all that wrapping paper. The excitement was too much. We'll still be doing that.


Well, maybe one person won't. This year new traditions will begin too, like coming downstairs even earlier than usual (read: some ungodly hour) and laying out all Joe's presents, switching the fairy lights on and watching his face when he sees it all.


I'm hoping to attend a little carol service around the tree at the parish church - no, it's nothing to do with the mince pies and mulled wine - and to spend time relaxing with friends and family.

But mostly it will be us three. Family tradition for us is always a quiet Christmas. That doesn't mean sad or dull. It's just how we like things to be.


22 comments:

  1. Hi sarah,
    I loved every word and photo in this post.
    It's great to hear about your traditions old and new. Joe looks so cosy and festive.
    Jacquie x

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    1. Thank you Jacquie! I do envy Joe his snuggly clothes and that footmuff... I'd love to travel in comfort like he does!
      S x

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  2. Beautiful Sarah, I've read this at a time when I needed the warmth and Christmas-ness that it's laced with. Post-operation and groggy and hoping desperately to be back in our own home finally by next weekend I've not been able to do much about Christmas at all yet but thanks to lovely reads like this I am already really feeling the spirit of things.
    Your photos are amazing Sarah and make me want to step into them and make them part of my Christmas too xx

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  3. Hi Annie. I really hope you're doing OK after the op. Glad you enjoyed the post (which on re-reading isn't written as well as I'd hoped: the TV was on very loud and my concentration was severely impaired 😠).
    Anyway, wishing you a speedy recovery and a gentle run-up to Christmas. Oh, and I saved some pretty pics for Folklings too 😊
    S x

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  4. Such a lovely post Sarah, you always capture the delights of your life beautifully. I remember my first Christmas without my dad, my oldest was Joe's age exactly. It was sad and wonderful at the same time. I'll be thinking of you. Oh, and I do love a schmaltzy Christmas film: today I took the little ones to see Elf, it is so sugary sweet and yet always brings a tear to my eyes. Have a lovely week. x

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  5. You're doing Christmas so beautifully. Your little man will no doubt have the most wonderful time, and in turn so will you as you get to enjoy him enjoying everything. CJ xx

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  6. this post has sealed the deal....im joining your family!..

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  7. Oh what a lovely post Sarah. Full to brimming with Christmas. Gorgeous photos as always and I've loved reading about your family rituals. Baileys features a lot here in the run up to Christmas too. Bee xx

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  8. So looking forward to hearing all about your Polish trads!!

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  9. Love this post. You've captured beautifully what Christmas means for us, preparing and celebrating in the way our families did, with some touches of our own incorporated over the years (like the purchase of the chocolate log which no-one eats but there would be an outcry if it didn't appear on the Christmas Eve table).

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  10. This is a beautiful posting. I too make the traditional Christmas;the mince pies, cake and puds, which I seem to eat most of,but it wouldn't be Christmas without them. I encouraged the children to give hand made gifts, when they were small this might just be a picture they had drawn. Small but hours of concentration. I make socks for the family every year and one year when I hadn't been knitting much there was an outcry of 'where are the socks'! At the moment I am knitting as many pairs as possible and putting them aside, so that after I have popped my clogs my adult daughter will still have new socks to look forward to, so yes, buy yourself a pair every year to remember the love of your mother. You present a lovely blog with good photographs...thank you. Lisa

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    1. Hello! I'm glad you like the blog and photos. And it's nice to read about other people's Christmases too.
      S

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  11. Such stunning photos. I'm feeling very Christmassy now :)

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  12. We're entering the holidays with a loss in our family too and it seems so difficult at this time of year especially, but I suppose the happy memories are what keep you going and focused on enjoying the present moment with those you love.
    Lovely images, I particularly like the soaps!

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    1. I hope you manage to find lots to enjoy this Christmas Eleanor. I'll just be taking it as it comes.
      Glad you like the pics. That soap shop is lovely, I always get a bit snap happy in there!
      S x

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  13. Such a beautiful post Sarah. Were the soap pictures from the Yorkshire Soap Company? LittleR likes the bubbles that disperse from the door of the shop in Leeds. We have Booths here too but I'm not sure I'll make the trip to Ilkley before Christmas. Such lovely traditions for you. And a beautiful way to remember your Mum. Those firsts are always, always hard but it does get easier. Take care xx

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    1. Hi, sorry - I dropped off with my replies to this post! Yes, the photos were taken at the Yorkshire Soap Company. I love taking pictures in there, it's just made for beautiful images! So bright and sparkly x

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  14. Such lovely words thoughts and pictures. I hope that you have a good Christmas and enjoy the traditions of the past and make some new traditions for the future too. xx

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  15. your Christmas traditions sound wonderful x wishing you every happiness as you carry them out xxx

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  16. I love your choice of Christmas music! It's great to have your own Christmas traditions that you go through every year. I'm really looking forward to Christmas - as always - for I love it. Our tree is up and all the preparations are under way.

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  17. I enjoyed this post SO much. I enjoy nearly all of these traditions too. I love the sock ritual, and it's totally right that you should continue it. X

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