I’ve just arrived back from an amazing family break in Oxfordshire. We come from all over the UK, meaning we don’t often see one another. Therefore, every summer for the last 3 years, my extended family meet up for a few days, chatting, relaxing and discussing what we are all up to. With an age range of 4 to 76, the catch-up is enjoyable and insightful for nearly everyone who attends. Each year revolves around a different theme: previous years have been built around surprise birthday parties for family members reaching a milestone age or wedding anniversary. This year, we decided to celebrate Christmas….in August. Given that we never see each other in December and a Christmas theme could last the whole catch-up, it appeared the perfect idea. Everyone loves Christmas, right?
Given that I live nearly 100 miles away from the family meet-up location, the journey gave me a chance to practice my map skills. What’s a map, you may ask? Well, though we are in a digital technology age (for better or for worse), I wouldn’t touch a sat-nav with a bargepole (or any other pole for that matter). Both the voices and the accuracy of its navigating are poor, to say the least. Also, why would I miss a chance to be navigator in chief, guiding our family 100 miles, avoiding the fast, dangerous motorways? Admittedly, at various points, I would have rather slept or read my political books, but navigating for 3 hours did allow me to enjoy the beauty of the British countryside. Thankfully, we only got lost once, turning off at the wrong exit at a roundabout increasing our journey by 8 miles. With a satnav, the satisfaction of directing and a smooth, swift arrival would be non-existent. Following the initial stories and revelations about what each of us got up to over the last year, the fun truly began. A clear highlight of the holiday was an alternative raffle, like no ordinary raffle. In this version, people who had their ticket pulled out would be able to steal items that had already been claimed. This means the items someone had at the start of the raffle may be different (even all gone!) by the end of the raffle. I experienced that many times. The most popular items people fought over were: a can of gin, a scratch card (turned out to be worth nothing) and a Dove box of beauty products. The fast pace, constant swapping and transferring of items meant the game lasted for over 2 hours and everyone was involved. A far better version than the light, passive round of applause in a normal raffle, when it’s done and dusted in 5 minutes. Thankfully, though I won neither the gin nor the scratch card, we managed to pinch the film ‘Still Alice,’ based on the superb book by Lisa Genova. Christmas Day itself, the finale and highlight of the holiday, couldn’t have been better. All the elements of a typical Christmas Day (though Christmas is never normal) were in place: Christmas songs playing gently in the background; knitted woolly jumpers showing Santa, elves, snow and reindeers on everyone even though it was boiling; a general mood of excitement about Christmas coming early. As I’m a pescatarian, I couldn’t have the turkey, the food seen as the dinner’s main element. This was fine, as, personally, the turkey isn’t my favourite part of the dish and I instead had a wonderful pastry vegan alternative, as well as all the typical vegetables, stuffing and gravy. We were all given small knitted Christmas decorations, along with decorated Christmas glasses containing a delightful champagne cocktail. People had organised the seating plan, so any arguments about where to sit didn’t happen. Crackers contained paper crowns and jokes so awful that we all, well…cracked up! My grandma especially recorded our own Queen’s Speech, reflecting on the last year within the family, around the world, and the challenges and excitement ahead. She played the role so well that I’m sure anyone would accept her as a Queen Elizabeth II impressionist. It was a perfect occasion, uniting us together. It was only after all the presents had been unwrapped, all the alcohol had been consumed and all crackers had been pulled that I realized: the magic, enjoyment and beauty of Christmas is always there. Whenever it takes place, be it August or December, the atmosphere is always upbeat and positive, the mood relaxed. It was like all my worries had just vanished, with the traditions of Christmas allowing me to unwind and forget about any difficulties. I’m sure this was the case for other family members; after all, we all have busy, stressful lives. The holiday allowed me to speak to different people who each have their own stories and wisdom to reveal, allowing me to hear snipets of advice, rarely heard at other points in the year. Getting in the Christmas spirit united everyone, of all ages and gender, behind Augmas: ensuring it would work and be a success to look back in Christmases to come. Well, we did it. Christmas is always a special occasion, because of the interesting traditions and the fact it’s only once a year. More importantly, Christmas gives people a purpose, allowing them to meet old friends, have fun and simply forget their problems. Just for that festive season, the biggest issue is whether you have enough wrapping paper. If Christmas allows people to unwind and destress in an era of constantly working to the extreme, why can’t that joyful feeling be experienced twice a year? It certainly worked for my family – bring on Augmas 2018!
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