Christmas-y Rhythms & Rituals
Christmas for me, when l was growing up, was characterised by the decorating of a tree so big it touched the roof (image below) while listening to old fashioned carols (my mum loves these much more than the ‘new’ versions), drinking mulled wine on Christmas Eve despite the often pushing 40 temperatures, and eating mashed potato, pickles of all kinds, red cabbage, and cold ham with a cup of tea on Boxing Day. Rather English, but given we moved to Aus when l was five, that’s to be expected.
For the years that my dad was a pastry chef, the season always began with a handmade gingerbread house that he would fill with sweets and l would take to school, much to the delight and joy of my classmates, to be completely and brutally destroyed and enjoyed.
Those were the rituals that stitched together festivity in my childhood home. We knew the rhythm and it was comforting!
I’ve talked about the difference between ritual and tradition, and shared a list of food related rituals before because, to put it simply, l find the topic endlessly fascinating.
Now, as an adult, l am in the lovely position of thinking about what rituals l want to establish for my own growing little family. Rus and l started some of our own when we first began dating and l carried some over from my childhood. Every Christmas we:
We put up and decorate our tree (image below) with found objects we’ve collected that year while we listen to carols. Our tree features decorations made from banksia pods, big shells, pine cones, and dried orange.
l always make Christmas spiced orange marmalade to give out as gifts. The recipe is here.
We watch Jingle Jangle Christmas and Klaus while we picnic on the floor eating a platter of delicious bits and pieces.
I listen to the two Christmas episodes on hilarious history/comedy podcast You’re Dead to Me every year l love it even though l’ve heard them numerous times before.
Eat leftover ham, potato and pickles.
Read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, or watch a version of it.
I find it an exciting prospect to ponder what other rituals we can adopt to bring the magic of the season alive for Hazel ✨.
Some I’ve been considering are:
New book and chocolate for Christmas Eve, in the jolabokaflod tradition of the Icelanders.
Bake gingerbread biscuits — not sure l am up to carrying on the tradition of an entire house like my dad!
Sewing a nature/craft/giving advent calendar and making cards to go in it.
Christmas has, yes, become commercialised, but if we look a little deeper, the magic was always, and will always be, in the simplicity of shared activities and connection.
Do you have Christmas rituals or would you like to start some?
I’m excited to watch Klaus (one of my absolute favourites — l cry every time) on a picnic rug. Well, watch part of it because my daughter is not old enough to sit through a whole film juuusssttt yet. Until then, we will watch it once a week in bits. And that’s okay too! Rituals are responsive — they grow and change with us.
Warmest,
Rachel x
