Christmas in Our Family - Part One

Stain Glass art made by the Princess a few years ago

Traditions
Like my Mum and my Granny I absolutely love Christmas, not so much for the Christian significance of it but for what it means to us as a family.  It's a time when we come together to celebrate Christmas Day as a family and exchange carefully chosen gifts and eat wonderful food we have communally prepared.

Our family Christmas traditions are very much taken from the traditional English Christmas my Granny brought with her from the UK when she emigrated to New Zealand many, many years ago.  We don't decorate for Christmas until 1 December.  The tree is not to be taken down until a certain day after Christmas (which I have forgotten, need to ask Mum!).

Traditionally Christmas Eve involves playing Christmas carols, maybe having friends over for drinks, stuffing the turkey (we have our own family recipe for the stuffing), finishing off last minute gift wrapping (in my case all my wrapping is almost always last minute!) and going to mid-night mass. Before going to bed we bring out the Santa presents, leave "Santa" bite marks in cookies and milk in the bottom of the glass that has been left out for him.  The Wasband started a new tradition in our home, we leave a carrot out for the reindeer, on Christmas morning there are always spat out bits of carrot over the lawn, messy reindeer!

Christmas Tree - Castle 2012

Christmas Day starts off with Santa present opening, champagne, delicious breakfast, family members arriving if they have not stayed over night, more present opening, more champagne and nibbles, Christmas Dinner about 2pm, always turkey but as years have gone by we have evolved the rest of the meal, more champagne (a pattern here), dessert that always included trifle and fruit salad although this has evolved as well and more often than not we are still be at the table until the early hours of the evening.

Boxing Day is lazy, left over Christmas Day food, looking at each others gifts, going to the beach for a swim and beach volley ball or touch rugby on the lawn or last year playing board games around the outdoor table at my brothers and more champagne!

I love Christmas!

Rachael xo