Week 48. The Festive Season

19 Jan

Santa`s coming.

There is something about the festive season that has a way of slowing everything down, at least in our minds, if not always in reality. The year begins to soften at the edges, routines loosen slightly, and we collectively allow ourselves a moment to breathe. For me, Christmas has always carried a strong sense of warmth and excitement, built not around excess or perfection, but around people, tradition, and the simplicity of being together.

Growing up, Christmas felt almost cinematic. Like many families, we had our unofficial festive soundtrack of films that seemed to appear on television every year without fail. Home Alone and Jingle All the Way were staples, the kind of films that, even now, instantly transport you back to sitting too close to the screen, wrapped in a blanket, full of anticipation. They were never about realism; they were about fun, chaos, and that unmistakable sense of childhood excitement that December brought with it.

I was incredibly fortunate at Christmas as a child. Christmas Eve was spent at home with Mum, my stepdad, and my siblings, a night filled with fun. Sleep eluded me!. Christmas Day itself meant heading to Dad’s, where my stepmum and brothers would be waiting. Moving between households never diluted the experience; if anything, it enriched it. Parents, grandparents, and extended family all played their part in making the season feel special. That sense of togetherness, of people showing up for one another is one of the most beautiful things the festive season brings out in families, and, of course, there was always the hope for snow. It rarely arrived in the way we imagined, but that never stopped us. If there was even a hint of frost, the local school embankment became a makeshift sledging run. Actual sledges were optional; anything remotely sledge like would do. It was cold, chaotic, and endlessly entertaining, one of those memories that seems brighter precisely because it was imperfect.

Now, Christmas has gently shifted its focus, as it naturally should. It is no longer about being the child waiting for the day to arrive, but about watching the next generation experience that same feelings for the first time. This year will be spent at my brother’s, who now has his own young family. Watching the little one grow, seeing their anticipation build, and sharing Christmas dinner with them as the years pass is something truly special. For me, these moments matter more than ever. Time feels faster now, priorities shift, and life has a habit of pulling us in different directions. Being present, really present, during moments like this is something I value deeply. Even for someone who doesn’t often venture far from home, this rare appearance is one I would not miss for anything. It is a welcome change, a reminder of what matters, and a quiet celebration of continuity, family, and shared tradition.

The festive season may look different as the years go on, but at its heart, it remains the same. It is about warmth in all its forms: shared meals, familiar laughter, old stories retold, and new memories quietly taking shape. And for that, I remain deeply grateful.

Beyond the personal traditions,

Christmas itself sits within a much longer human history of marking time, seasons, and shared experience. Long before it became associated with any one faith, late December was recognised across multiple cultures as a period of gathering, reflection, and renewal, closely aligned with the winter solstice and the gradual return of longer days (Hutton, 1996). Historians have widely documented that many customs now associated with Christmas, such as feasting, gift-giving, decoration, and time away from work, evolved over centuries, shaped by social practice, cultural continuity, and the adaptation of earlier seasonal festivals rather than originating from a single moment or belief system (Nissenbaum, 1997; Roll, 1995). Viewed in this way, Christmas can be understood as a cultural constant: a recurring human response to darkness, uncertainty, and the desire for connection, regardless of individual belief.