THe was in 2020, and Christmas itself was in jeopardy. We've been in and out of coronavirus lockdowns for the past nine months. Initially, we were all united in fear and sadness, responding as best we could. But then we were in a never-ending mess of going out and back in, going out a little bit, and going back in a little bit. The compulsory Scotch egg was a particularly low point. In the winter, the rules became more confusing and I often felt like I couldn't follow them.
Still, hope prevailed. We hadn't seen our extended family for a long time, and we hadn't seen the government either. promised Don't let Christmas be cancelled. Christmas always feels a bit “all-or-nothing” even in normal times, but this time it was scheduled for 11 o'clock. Since our family was away for a long time, we missed them all little by little. Also, my son is 5 years old and was the perfect age to enjoy the Christmas business. I co-parent my son's father (my ex) and luckily it was my turn to have him on Christmas Day. We were due to stay with my parents in Dorset and it felt like had May it be good.
I'm a planner at heart, so any little anxiety was making me uncomfortable. I supported the horses as best I could and waited until mid-December to buy presents for everyone I was going to meet. I also started emptying my fridge of fresh food and preparing for my big adventure.
In fact, it wasn't until December 20th that it was announced that none of us were going anywhere. Reader, I was furious.
After a brief discussion about how best to honor the next week's “special day” for the child in our lives, me, my son, my girlfriend, and my ex-lover, we I decided to spend Christmas at home. All together, in the same room, all day long, just us. It felt similar to throwing a packet of Mentos into a 2 liter Coke bottle. My ex lived locally and was already in my coronavirus “bubble” – this wasn't our own private party gate – but “with her, not him” The dynamics of the relationship lasted only a year. The setup was still a work in progress. What could go wrong?
But to everyone's surprise, we all got along like the house was on fire. It felt liberating to know that we could spend Christmas our way, without relying on the whims of our elders.
At Christmas, my family usually likes to drink a lot and eat late. Sounds great, but if your dinner time gets smaller and smaller at 4pm, 6pm, 8pm, you're already hungover by the time the turkey shows up. After a day full of snacks, booze, and anticipation, trying to enjoy a big party in a fugue state is almost impossible. Add the kids into the mix and you're guaranteed to shed a tear too.
My ex-husband was the complete opposite of Christmas traditions. His day was one filled with extreme formality and military precision, and it remained the same year after year. Dinner at 1:06 p.m. was followed by 1 hour and 47 minutes of brutal parlor games. Add the kids into the mix and you're guaranteed to shed a tear too.
They used to play Pass the Parcel, but instead of prizes in layers, they had dares. One year, I witnessed an aunt deliberately pausing the music to give her son-in-law the courage to “walk around the table like a dog.”
Left to our own devices, we have abolished these traditions. Instead, we created something new like this: Cook slowly, easily and with a team effort. Board games and gifts, and more board games. A break for fresh air, exercise, a bath, or any other needed solitude time. I also made a chestnut soup starter with high spirits. We all said we would happily eat this every day for the rest of the year.
In short, it was perfect. I mean, I went to get the turkey that was resting in the kitchen and realized that one of the cats had gotten there first. To make his point, he was dragging it around the kitchen floor. But I still felt far less anger at cats than I did at Boris Johnson. He never promised to behave well in the first place.
We emerged from a last-minute mess with real success and changed the course of Christmas traditions forever. Now, instead of taking turns taking my sons to their respective parents' homes, I repeat this every three years. We will spend Christmas at home. It's just us. A crazy, modern, mixed family together. So Christmas 2020 turned out to be a successful year.
