Happy Christmas Eve Eve

It seems that a lot of the things we do at Christmas are traditions. We are creatures of habit, we like things that are familiar and things that remind us of good times past. So here are some of our family’s Christmas traditions:

-David and I go Christmas shopping separately with Dad in Belfast. This started when we were little. My mum would put us on the train in Whitehead and Dad would meet us in Belfast. Although when we were teenagers we’d walk down to his office and sit there while he tried to get things cleared up.
-The Christmas tree goes up on a Sunday afternoon (usually the Sunday before Christmas). If there’s nothing good on TV a film is put on and Dad and I decorate. Mum is in charge of covering the wooden box thing it sits in and tinsel. In the days when David used to live here he’d lie on the sofa only putting on the occasional decoration.
-Our decorations box is full of stuff we don’t put up, decorations made at school and the like – although plenty of these do make it up. Each time one is discovered Dad asks whether David or me made it. It’s usually me, I more crafty than David. Except he made the ‘bell’ which is actually part of an egg box wrapped in tin foil and the plane made of felt. I think he was sucking up to my dad.
-When we are taking the decorations out of the box we come across a wooden axe. This always causes us much amusement as we have no idea where it came from let alone why it is in the decorations box.
-The Christmas tree is called Cecil. I named it years ago. I think it was the funniest name I could think of.
-The turkey is called Seamus. Mum must take full responsibility for this one. I have no idea why the turkey is called Seamus.
-We get a big tin of Roses that cannot be opened until the Queen is on.
-Silence must be observed during the Queen’s speech.
-Chocolate coins must be Cadbury.
-My presents sit on the right of the tree, David’s on the left.
-I used to have a brussels sprout with my Christmas dinner, until a few years ago when I realised I didn’t need to anymore. I now have exactly no brussels sprouts during the year.
-The selection pack we get must have Santa on it, otherwise how do you know it’s from him? Again, this is from my mum.
-Mum makes me a Pavlova on Christmas morning because I don’t like Christmas pudding.
-Everyone else eats my Pavlova.
-Meals from Christmas night to New Year’s Day are on an ad hoc basis and usually consist of ‘picky bits’ (cold turkey and ham, cheeses, crackers, crisps, dip, cocktail sausages etc).


Spot the ones I made. In my defence David was older than me. I especially like the detailed eyes on the Robin.


There are no decorations too sad for our tree, bald tinsel even has its place. The trumpet thing is from Central Station in the good old NIR days. They were going to be thrown out - I can't imagine why. Everytime my dad sees them (oh yes, we have more than one) he cries 'ah a relic of auld dacency'.

The wooden axe that is now as much a part of Christmas as turkey.