Monday

It's beginning to look a lot like....

My favourite time of the year. Honestly, there just isn't another time or month or season I love as much as Christmas. The lights, the scarves and hats, the nip in the air, the cosy nights in.


Now we're somewhat settled from the move, I've slowly been letting Christmas seep into the house. At the weekend, I put up a little DIY branch/fairy light installation (after pinning a stupid amount of branches on Pinterest and finally lumbering one home from the park). Today I made a rosemary wreath with the abundence we have growing in the garden.

{The branch in all it's glory}
{Rosemary wreath}

Then we decided to venture out and investigate the city's Christmas Markets. Now to be honest, I didn't have high hopes for this. I've never been to a really great Christmas market. Sre they always look pretty and smell nice, but beyond that? Not that it's bothered me after drinking down 6 mulled wines in the interest of 'keeping warm'. But Manchester? They know how to do a Christmas Market. The finest French cheeses, some really good sausage, the best Baklava I've ever had. Not to mention an abundance of alcoholic drinks. Hot burnt sugar rum, anyone?


Yesterday I played the first Christmas tunes. Sachin loves music, and he can actually sing snippets of songs now. I can't wait to teach him a Christmas song and take him to a carol concert. I know he will find it magical. 


And then I saw this. And I can't explain it, but I am actually a little bit in love with it. You know the bit in Bridget Jones, where she goes to her Mums Turkey Curry Buffet, and meets Mr Darcy for the first time wearing his Christmas jumper? No? Hmm, well that's what I thought of immediately. I just need to find a much, much, cheaper version. Or is it, ya know, hideous?


{Cashmere Jumper by Antoni and Alison}

What I most love about this time of year, is how it takes on a new meaning now I have my own family. M and I have started traditions to pass on to Sachin, that hopefully he will continue. Every year S gets that little bit older, he understands a little more. This makes me think too. What do I want him to learn about this, what shall we teach him about why we are doing what we're doing? We're not religious, although my Mum is Catholic and so as a child I spent every Christmas in church. I want him to experience that too when he's older, to know and see why others celebrate.


We're not big on presents, that's not what it's about for me, but we do give gifts on Christmas day (and a tradition from when I was little is to open a sneaky gift early on Christmas Eve too). I wanted to come up with an explanation of why we are giving each other gifts. I thought about Christmas and what it is that I love, and for me it really is a celebration of the year that has passed. A time to slow down and be thankful, grateful, and reflect before the coming New Year.


What does Christmas mean to you? What traditions do you have? Genuinely interested as I think it varies a lot...


We will be reflecting whist huddled up in wooly jumpers, drinking mulled wine and surrounded by twinkling lights and family. Let Christmas begin! 

8 comments:

  1. Wow, I love your branch light thingy! I am pinteresting it and possibly stealing it wholesale. Just so you know.

    I have a Fair Isle jumper thing. That Ruloph one doesn't have a flashing red nose? What gives? (actually, i heart it)

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  2. Your branch light is so pretty! Also that reindeer jumper... cute and in cashmere! (I daren't look at the price!!)

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  3. I'm in love with your twinkly branch. It's gorgeous.

    My family always gathers on Christmas Eve to sing carols, and my grandfather always reads the Christmas story from the book of Luke. Except last year, after my gran died, when he made my dad read it. We grand-kids do a Secret Santa exchange (speaking of which, we still need to draw names...), which is always fun. I'd definitely like to carry on the Secret Santa with our kids and their cousins.

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  4. Oh - and the reindeer jumper is adorable. If the eyes were a little higher up, I'd have issues with it (ha).

    And I totally know the Bridget Jones scene you're talking about. :)

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  5. I do love that branch!

    For me Christmas is about spending time with my family who I only see a few times a year because of distance. It's about simple things like long chats with my Mum, walks with my sister and nephew, watching a movie with my brother or cooking with my husband... A little bit of time to just be together.

    That and brandy in hot chocolate too :)

    Hope you have a lovely Christmas in your new home x

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  6. I have had my eye on that jumper too and can't decide...hit or miss?

    As its just me and my husband and we alternate Christmas between our two famillies it seems we just slot into their traditions. But we are trying to start some of our own, well hopefully.

    We each go to Libertys and buy some decorations and spend far too long deciding; we have a real tree every year; and we make lots of edible goodies and we try and visit a church at some point; and spend time with the ones we love.

    But hopefully they will grow with time especially when our familly grows.

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  7. Your installation is so lovely! And I like the idea of a rosemary wreath. I have bushes of the stuff in my front yard. Hmm.

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  8. Hot burnt sugar rum! I'll be there in a MINUTE.

    As much as I adore spending Christmas with one or other of our families, I wouldn't mind another solo year to work on our own traditions and meaning. It's such a wonderful time of year, no?

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