It’s Christmas!

Hello everyone and welcome to my December blog! December for me automatically screams one thing… CHRISTMAS!

The last few years I’ve been in pantomime and this year is no exception! Although this year is slightly different as I will be in Vietnam. You can follow my journey via my vlogs on YouTube!!

We will be home before Christmas though which is unusual for pantomime as normally they can go right through into the new year. With so many shows around Christmas time, the Christmas build up feels different as you get to enjoy seeing so many happy faces in the audience but you are normally based away from home so you don’t get that time surrounded by family to go Christmas shopping and have that real build up before the big day in that way.

I spoke to some of my incredible Patreons to find out about their traditions and favourite foods at Christmas so I wanted to share them with you all now. Roslyn opens the smallest present at midnight and always makes sure they start Christmas morning with a visit to church followed by croissants! She remembers fighting over trifle with her sister

Elizabeth makes sure there are green olives available to snack on when she’s watching the football all day on Christmas Day! Nicola saves an Easter egg so that she can eat it on Christmas Eve with her brother Christopher and there are always pigs in blankets around on Christmas Day to snack on Jackie’s go to Christmas snack is marzipan balls.

She remembers when the Christmas cake was made the excess marzipan would be made into balls and that tradition has stuck. Jackie has a lot of self control as she waits until after lunch to open presents!!

Susan likes to eat mini pizzas on Christmas Day and always makes sure she gets her turkey dinner with her mum! Darleens Christmas treat is a dark Christmas cake and remembers the kids stuffed animals, the polar bear and puppy with stockings in their mouth. She also makes a fruit salad on Christmas Eve which is enjoyed by the whole family. Mary makes sure she opens the biggest present first and always has a tangerine, mixed nuts and kids games (like tiddly winks) in her stocking. She enjoys sugared almonds as her treat on Christmas Day.

Gwen remembers the kids opening their stockings but had a rule that no one was allowed to open presents until daylight. Father Christmas would even leave footsteps so the kids knew he’d been! Gwen also has been making christmas pudding as long as she can remember, using her grandmas recipe which is over 100 years old!

Thank you all for sharing your traditions and treats - I love the tradition that my mum has of making personalised crackers which is so lovely as then everyone gets a present specifically for them inside! For me, any chocolate snack is good. I do always associate Christmas with a lindor ball! I remember they have the ones you can put on the tree but they were always eaten before Christmas!!

Wherever you are and whoever you’re with, I hope you all have an amazing Christmas!