My husband thinks I’m a bit ‘bah humbug’ because when asked to decide between goose or duck, I replied that I’d be happy with chicken. The Christmas meal to me is about being together with family. It’s about sitting down together and relaxing, not rushing off to work afterwards or thinking about that To Do list.
Since we had children a few years ago, a few new traditions have crept in. When it was just me and my husband, we would always celebrate Christmas Eve with nice food and something sparkly to drink. Now typically Christmas Eve is spent wrapping presents! In our local church, Christmas Eve is the day for their Christingle service and that is now a fixed part of our family’s Christmas traditions. It is magical when we stand all around the church with our lit Christingle candles, the church lights are switched off, and we sing a beautiful carol. The next day on Christmas morning, there is another family service, when children are positively invited to bring in a Christmas present to show to the congregation. The Christmas Day service has a lovely atmosphere.
Two years ago, we visited central London to see the Christmas lights. I loved that and I’ve been urging the family to do it again this year, especially after seeing the amazing display at Claridges when I was there for my business mastermind a few days earlier. So we visited the lights yesterday afternoon. We left home around 3pm so that we arrived in central London as it was starting to get dark. The recommendation on The Confident Mother Facebook group was Sloane Square and Sloane Street, so that’s where planned to head. Before we left, I checked out the TimeOut website and loved the look of the peacock feathers in Bond Street. The girls were keen to see the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square so we started there as our train terminated at Charing Cross.
Then we jumped on a bus – top deck of course – to travel up Regent Street and along Oxford Street. Beautiful lights. The crowds as we crossed through Oxford Circus were amazing.
We stopped to dance to a steel band outside House of Fraser which was smothered in a curtain of lights.
The lights in Bond Street are so pretty. South Molton Street was great too, and also James Street. The crowds are SO incredible.
As we walked up Oxford Street, we walked past John Lewis – every window was full of penguins. By this point we were very close to Selfridges so we decided to check out their window display too and this was definitely the highlight – every window display represented a different fairy tale. Here are a few of my favourite photos:
In the end, we didn’t make it to Sloane Square. We stopped for a hot chocolate and made our way home by which time it was pretty late, so tea last night was a bag of chips. Yes, I know, not ideal nutrition, but so what, it’s Christmas.
What about you? What are your family’s Christmas traditions and how have they changed since having children?
Lovely post! I loved walking with you as you saw the lights and festivities! I think one of my favorite family traditions is filling our tree with all of our homemade ornaments. I love talking with my family about each one and the stories never get old of how each came into existence.
Interestingly enough, ornaments have been a huge part of tradition for us. Even before kids, we bought a unique ornament to hang on the tree and every year we would remember the story of going to purchase it!
We love our Christmas ornaments too. I’ve got lots of lovely ones – lots made by the children too. They get put up every year … though some of the very first salt dough decorations have been retired.