11th December, 2024
It’s that time of year again. The tree is decorated, Maria Carey is on the radio and we’re all ready to loosen our belts after eating one too many mince pies.
We reached out to the team to discover their favourite Christmas traditions.
We found that, often, our favourite Christmas traditions can be found through our stomachs!
“We have Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve lunch time, followed by watching films chosen by our boys, they eat popcorn and drink hot chocolate. Then, in the evening they have their Christmas Eve boxes. On Christmas day we have hot and cold party food as and when anyone is hungry, but this gives us the whole day to have quality time as a family.” Family Matching Administrator, Tanya’s day is all about good food and good company.
Christmas certainly wouldn’t be Christmas without enjoying a festive film, as Supervising Social Worker, Samantha told us. “In my family, we have to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation every year with a hot drink and Christmas chocolates. We’ve been doing this for years, and although we know the film inside and out – we still laugh our heads off each year!”
While Recruitment Manager, Lucy’s Christmas’s sound fun filled with a snowman full of goodies! “Always new PJs on Christmas Eve! Then we have a big snowman and the head comes off, and gifts magically appear inside him after dinner for everyone!”
And for Marketing Officer, Jamie, the Christmas magic is alive no matter your age. “As a child while we were having our Christmas Eve hot chocolate downstairs, my dad would sneak upstairs and put a little present onto our beds and then make Santa noises. We would all run upstairs to catch Santa (I don’t know how my dad would manage it without getting caught but he never did). It would always be our Christmas PJs wrapped up from Santa. My Family still do this now even though we are all older and do it for my nieces too. My nan started this tradition, once we are all sat round the table just before dinner, she would say ‘Santa accidently left some presents at mine’ every year… but it would always be a smaller gift that we would all open round the table. My dad has now taken up this tradition and says, ‘Santa asked me to post this, but he forgot.’ He’s a post man so story kind of makes sense!”
We’re definitely spotting a theme that new Christmas pyjamas are a must have tradition! While Area Family Matching Manager, Sarah has a tradition that has spanned the generations. “A lifelong tradition in our family is to read The Night before Christmas on Christmas Eve together just before bed. It’s a lovely festive poem that is certain to get everyone in the family ready for the big day ahead.”
Of course, Christmas is a time for fun and festivity, but it can also be a hard time of year for others. So, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on what we have and think about giving back or remembering those who are no longer with us.
A supervising social worker, also told us about some of her previous altruistic foster carers. “They bagged up some old toys and books into a gift bag and left them under the tree on Christmas Eve. They would tell their children that Father Christmas takes these away and fixes them up and makes them look shiny and new with the elves to give to other children next Christmas, to make sure there are enough presents to go round for everyone! (And would then take the old items to the charity shop). I thought it was a nice sentiment, but also encouraged their little ones to help clear out the old items and encourage recycling and putting old toys and books to good use to ensure all children got presents.”
While one of our team also shared her poignant and very personal Christmas tradition. “Since my daughter died, I actually find Christmas very difficult. In the morning, we always go to the cemetery to think about her and pay our respects to all the people in our lives who are no longer with us. I have a good cry and then go home feeling a little lighter, looking forward to a glass of champagne and present sharing. It's a difficult way to start the day and I always feel sad when we see so many other people at the cemetery but there's also something cathartic about it. Including her in the day feels important for us.”
Christmas traditions both merry and more thoughtful remind us that the festive period is all about the people we love and celebrating them.
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