Joanne Woodhouse-Roberts: Why I love Christmas!

As I sit down to write this article. I’m scrolling through apps on my mobile phone to find the Christmas countdown app, we currently have 4 days to go!

Are you someone who enjoys Christmas? Do you enjoy the festive preparation, the gifts, decorations, along with the soppy movies and indulge in the food and drink? What does Christmas mean to you? Can you see the point, or does it feel it’s commercialised, expensive and a waste of time, does it bring sorrow?

There is no doubt last year’s Christmas was very different for many families. In other words COVID restrictions changed Christmas. Has this changed your attitude to Christmas this year? Will you have a bigger celebration on the 25th to make up for lost time, or have you realised having a small affair at home is really what you enjoy after all?

Christmas can be traced back to the Roman Emperor Constantine, back in those days it was a minor affair. Charles Dickens’ book takes much of the credit for giving us the Christmas we have today due to ‘A Christmas Carol’ (1843) which became incredibly popular and likeable for its focus on kindness, charity and family.

The Victorians introduced the Christmas tree and Christmas cards and over the years Christmas has become a bigger affair, the occasion it is today.

For some families Christmas can be a sad time. They would rather let Christmas pass them by without celebrating perhaps due to religion, living alone, bereavement, stress or expense, which can have a negative impact on mental health.

Some question why we have Christmas at all, when the world is dealing with serious issues such as COP26, COVID, Omicron and poverty, as someone recently said to me, our country is going down the plughole!

Equally for some, Christmas is something to look forward to, it lifts their spirits and it’s good for their soul. Some lead such busy lives and our world affairs are often full of sadness. Christmas can be an escape for families at the end of the year, to rejoice, recharge during the festive season and mentally unwind, gathering round the tree with loved ones.

There is no doubt there are some serious issues in the world today but some could argue that makes Christmas even more important and perhaps needed even more today, especially with COVID.

The commercialisation of Christmas can be seen across the globe, mostly in towns and capital cities and there’s no doubt special events like Christmas are a boost for the economy but arguably can mask the true meaning of Christmas. As a parent I’m acutely aware that items such as consoles and mobile phones are becoming the norm on Santa’s list.

I am pleased as a society we’re becoming more accepting of pre- loved and up-cycled items from Gumtree or eBay for example. I’m believe that one can make a present just as special with a pre- loved item. A bit of ribbon and wrapping paper goes a long way towards making something look pretty and special.

My favourite Christmas memory is of Roman Road Market (London) where the stalls would have their lights in, to allow them to trade later during the festive season.

Londoners would be standing around holding tan paper-bags filled with warm roasted chestnuts amongst the hustle and bustle of customers, families and stalls holders. I recall being thankful for a moment of warmth walking past the hot chestnut cart on a cold wintery December day, the aroma of chestnuts was delightful

My parents made Christmas. I say my ‘parents’ between you and I, it was Mum who made Christmas. She was Santa, decorated the tree, organised the presents, cooked the Christmas lunch and read the complicated instructions on how to build/play children’s toys/games for instance, Dad was an expert at finding the sweets and Christmas movies!

My memory of Christmas morning is waking to the aroma of turkey filling the house, ironically I love the smell but didn’t eat meat and still don’t. Traditionally we had a Christmas tree, and chains of decorations hanging from the ceiling; we would buy the Radio Times, a tin of Quality Street and dates and watch movies such as A Christmas Carol.

I absolutely loved it, who am I kidding? I still love it!

Christmas for me, is thinking about others. It involves charity, kindness, goodwill and gifting those you love. It allows us time to hunker down with our families and enjoy quality time together, close our doors to the busy lives we lead and the sad world out there and go back to the basics, to the things that can be good for the soul and our mental well being.

In short, I feel Christmas brings people together.

I enjoy decorating the house with fairy lights, greenery and candles, I find it therapeutic. The tree takes centre stage in front of the window, sparkling to us, the neighbours and beyond. Our view of the trees and wintery scene outside, often coupled with frost and mist from the river nearby just looks so special, it gives me a feeling of warmth, festivity and romance, but most of it all, it’s magic!

In truth, the real beauty of Christmas is it can be anything you want it to be, however big, small, festive, low key or dramatic. There are no rules (COVID excepting!) no pressure and there is no such thing as a perfect Christmas, it can just simply be a time to reflect, relax, and take comfort in doing what you love. It’s what you make it.

Merry Christmas everyone wherever you are. I send love, light and blessings to you all.

Joanne Woodhouse-Roberts