Redbrick’s writers share their time-honoured Christmas traditions – from Hallmark movie marathons to unorthodox presents under the tree
Merry Birthday / Happy Christmas – Caitlin McGraw
Christmas Day has looked very similar for as long as I can remember. Although I no longer sleep fitfully, buzzing with excitement about potentially seeing Santa Claus and opening my presents, it is still my most anticipated 24 hours of the year. One tradition I look forward to is the King’s (formally Queen’s) broadcast at 3pm. Not because I have any affinity for the Royal Family, but because as soon as those 15 minutes are up, it is officially my birthday for the remaining 8 hours and 45 minutes of the day. I have the (mis)fortune of being born on the 25th of December. That means double everything: two lots of presents, two plate-filling meals, two indulgent desserts, all fit in into one extravagant day each year. There’s nothing I love more than watching whatever animated Pixar movie is on TV and tucking into a ‘picky bits’ dinner, whilst wearing a Christmas cracker crown and spending time with my happy, relaxed family (probably because they all get gifts and a day off work too). I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Driving Home for Christmas – Emma Gilland
My grandparents’ house has always been the best thing about Christmas
Growing up, my grandparents’ house has always been the best thing about Christmas, the way that it transforms to encapsulate the cosiness of the season; the feelings of warmth, familiarity and solace that Christmas is so often expected to represent. My grandparents live in a Georgian cottage house, on the outskirts of a town in Shropshire, nestled in woodland trees and surrounded by holly bushes. My tradition is, unusually specific. Every year, on Christmas Eve, my parents, my sister and I go on a four hour drive, from our town house in the South East, up to my grandparents’ house in the West Midlands. We often watch festive films in the car, or enjoy a Christmas sing along and stop for a hot chocolate on the way. All in order to get to Shropshire for Christmas Eve dinner. We typically arrive as the sun has set and there is nothing more exciting than stepping out of the car, into the cosy Christmas bliss of my grandparents’ house at dusk. Unloading the presents from the car, arranging them under the tree and setting up the fireplace for Santa, my sister and I are always caught in a ramble of excitement and nostalgic haze. We carry the excitement from the wonder and joy we experienced when we were much younger. Although my sister and I may not believe the same stories we did ten, or even fifteen years ago, the rituals remain the same. We are still the youngest in the family and our grandparents’ house remains magical to us. The magic has simply changed from the fantasies of festive stories, to nostalgia and bliss, through the time we are able to spend catching up and reminiscing back to the time before we grew up and drifted into more separate lives.
A House-Hopping Christmas Party – Fisayo Balogun
For as long as I can remember, every year my extended family rotates who hosts the annual Christmas party. Whether it is my grandfather, uncles and aunties, or my parents, someone invites the whole family and sometimes friends to their home for delicious cultural and continental meals.
The person hosting is usually in charge of main meals and everyone else in the family is assigned various things to bring. Sometimes, we bring things outside of the list just for a treat and some people are known for bringing specific things. My parents always bring or have small chops and chicken. It is a standard for us. One of my aunties always brings drinks she makes, especially chapman and one of my uncles always brings desserts.
This tradition has been in my family for years and each year we are all excited to know who is hosting and what type of food we will eat.
A Sweet and Cosy Christmas – Asha Rajoriya
Without these family traditions, Christmas for me would not feel complete
With Christmas upon us, I have been reflecting on past festive fun I have experienced with my beautiful family. We have a few fun traditions to create excitement for each family member around the Holidays.
The first and, I have to say, my favourite, is my Gran’s unwavering dedication to all her 11 grandchildren, which takes place on Christmas Eve. This is a tradition that has happened for as long as I can remember and I hope it continues, even when I become a fully-fledged adult! She gifts us amazing, fresh new pyjamas, which in my earlier years would all be matching with my cousins. The gifting on Christmas Eve makes the anticipation of Christmas Morning so much more intense, as we snuggle up in new PJs to watch a Christmassy film.
The second sweet tooth tradition has remained consistent every Christmas Day. No matter what variation of family on my mother’s side that is present, there is always, without a doubt, a tremendous trifle. Maybe some competition at moments to see whose trifle makes the best ‘schlurp!’ upon the first scoop. Without these family traditions passed down from my grandparents, Christmas for me would not feel complete.
The Magic of Christmas Adverts – Devina Sharma
Each Winter, amidst the festive celebrations, one aspect I always look forward to is the Christmas adverts, lighting our television screens with festive joy. I wonder if you have seen this year’s selection? – Keep your eyes peeled for one of my favourites: Sainsburys’ ‘Big Christmas’ with their magical and altruistic interpretation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG. But whether it’s Aldi’s ‘Kevin the Carrot’ or Michael Bublé’s feature in Asda’s 2023 ad, these seasonal adverts have become a beloved and highly anticipated part of English festive culture. They promote their brands in a warm, wholesome way, appealing to all ages and, in doing so, imbuing our living rooms with nostalgia and festive cosiness. They never fail to remind us of the fairy-tale magic, the family connectedness, the act of giving, that Christmas is all about.
An Homage to Hallmark – Libby Anderson
Have you become repulsed at the thought of watching Home Alone for the millionth time this festive season? If so, I have the perfect solution so that you can still enjoy snuggling up on the sofa and soaking up those festive vibes, without being able to recite every word of the script. Every year, my mum and I have the tradition of watching mind-numbingly predictable Netflix and Channel 5 Christmas movies together. A personal favourite of mine is Angel Falls Christmas, which is so unbelievably awful and yet I am undeniably obsessed. It is full of typical American Christmas soppiness such as reflecting on photo albums, Christmas tree shopping and finding the true Christmas spirit. However, it has the absolutely absurd plot of a mysterious angel ‘Gabe’, who attempts to help workaholic surgeon ‘Ally’ celebrate Christmas, whilst trying not to fall in love with her. Random bursts of music and pretend ice skating (where the budget has obviously ran out) make this a firm Christmas favourite for me. Devoid of all real emotion, this movie is so robotically festive that it is unintentionally hilarious. I urge you to watch one this Christmas and dive into the mesh of red trench coats and endless references to eggnog. These movies are a highlight of the festive season for me and my mum and I hope they soon will be for you too!
A Box for Christmas – Ash Sutton
The magic of the Christmas Eve Box never fails
Underneath our tree every year is a box, well it used to be a box, now it’s just a little pile of wrapped gifts. A Christmas before Christmas per se. These are placed before Santa drops off the rest, these aren’t for Christmas. Every year, the little pile gets divvied out to each of us on Christmas Eve, just before dinner.
It was a tradition that my Mum stole from Instagram which we donned ‘The Christmas Eve Box’ (even when we lost the box). This little pile of presents consisted of the same things every year: a pair of pajamas where the girls match and the boys do too, a pair of fluffy socks for each of us, a board game and a DVD. Okay, maybe sometimes the board game will just be one wrapped up from under my brother’s bed and the DVD stopped when streaming became popular, but the magic of the Christmas Eve Box never fails.
We put on these pyjamas, eat M&S party food, play the board game and the rest of the collection we keep under my brother’s bed before watching the film, which recently has just become an annual rewatch of Arthur Christmas.
And it is absolute bliss.
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