Last Updated on 12 December 2023 by Colette
*In collaboration with Expedia*
Christmas is all about traditions isn’t it? Those little things that you do each and every year, in exactly the same way. Be it the food you eat or the little rituals you follow before bedtime, they’re what makes it feel like Christmas.
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| We have a special plate we leave out on Christmas Eve for Father Christmas & the reindeer |
When we were kids my Grandma H used to attach a little foil covered mouse from Betty’s to our presents – one year she didn’t do it as she thought we’d grown out of it . . . Nic and I soon told her how much we’d missed our mouse and she never skipped a year after that. Right up till Christmas the year before she died when, in her 80s, she had taken herself off into town on her own to buy said mice and added two as she didn’t think she would be able to do it again. It’s almost 6 years since she died and I still miss my chocolate mouse on Christmas morning.
This year we’re having Christmas in our own home for the first time – and I’m torn between being excited about creating some new traditions and worrying that it won’t really feel like Christmas if I haven’t done all the things I usually do in York! I’m definitely going to miss snuggling up in front of the big open fire on Christmas night and my Mum and Dad’s enormous real Christmas tree.
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| Mum & Dad have THE best fire ever. |
Expedia have been researching some of the rather more unusual Christmas traditions from around Europe and have put together a bit of a quiz so you can test yourself!
Much as I was laughing out loud reading some of the traditions – hiding brooms so witches can’t steal them?! – It made me think that some of ours are pretty daft too really like hiding a sixpence in the Christmas pudding to bring a wish to the person who found it (erm choking hazard?!) or more recently the Christmas Elf which seems to have been adopted from America. I really like the idea of the German tradition of hiding the Christmas pickle in the tree for the children to find – though I’m not sure I could cope with them rooting around in my beautifully decorated tree to look for it! I think by far the most bizarre though is the pooing Christmas log . . . oh yes you read that right, apparently in Catalonia children “feed” the log fruit, nuts and chocolates and it rewards them with Christmas gifts on Christmas day . . . there are no words for that one!
What’s the most peculiar thing your family does at Christmas?
We do all have funny little traditions don't we – and I think they're more striking when we have children.
I love this – all so very meaningful
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You're right – having children does make it all the more important x
Yes some of those traditions are pretty strange!! Ours aren't too strange (although some say that elf on a shelf in strange!) but we do elf on a shelf daily in december, an activity advent and then the traditional mince pie, carrot and milk on christmas eve along with a scavenger hunt from the elves leaving them new PJ's, new hot chocolate mugs, a new DVD and a new Christmas book! And of course the panto on Christmas Eve too – I have more traditions than I thought I did!