so, it's christmas eve. and it's a strange one. mainly because back in the days when we were kids we'd always have a house-full of people over on christmas eve night. the place would be packed with people, food, drink and stupid christmas games. during christmas eve day we'd all be up at the crack of dawn making little pastry contraptions and there would even be an oven-rota for fear of not getting everything cooked in time for the evening.
this year, for the first time, we're not doing anything like that. instead, in just under an hour i'm going to watch my fair-lady on the telly. we've had a christmas party of sorts on saturday where i drank a lot too much wine and ended up with a bad head yesterday, so it's not as if christmas is entirely cancelled, it's just... different.
people don't like change (and change is one of my favourite blog topics after all) but change at christmas is probably even worse than change at any other time of the year. christmas is when you want everything that is old and familiar around you. but change is a part of life, 'things change, people change' as a friend once said, and so i'd better start getting used to it.
i've just had a call from my friend who now lives in germany and they are celebrating their christmas today. i don't really understand that one, to be honest, because i'm not sure what they do on christmas day, but hey. she's really missing the english way of doing christmas and she was saving up all of her presents for tomorrow. i've also just had a text from another friend who is working in a shop today, telling me she 'doesn't feel festive at all' which made me think...
exactly what makes us feel 'festive'? here's my list:
1. mince pies in the oven
2. cold, dark nights and christmas lights
3. mulled wine
4. black and white films
5. the drive to my nan's on xmas morning (my turn this year)
6. the smell of the attic (where we keep the christmas decorations)
7. parnsips and cranberry sauce
8. some sort of luxury stilton
9. trivial pursuits
10. massive boxes of assorted chocolate biscuits
so, i suppose, provided i surround myself with all of the above, friends and family, it will be nice and festive tomorrow.
merry xmas everyone
x
