Late to the (Christmas) party

December 23, 2016

Late to the Christmas party

Ages and ages ago, far back in the swirly mists of time, I wrote a post called late to the party about the things everyone has loved for ages that I’d only just started to like. Now Christmas is a time of traditions and is made up of doing the same lovely things over and over every year, year after year, but I’ve recently realised that, in a similar vein, there are some things about Christmas I’ve always avoided but are, actually, brilliant.

Shhh! Don’t tell anyone, but I’m totally late to the Christmas party about all of these:

Strictly: Has anyone ever watched this, it’s a really unknown TV programme about…oh, wait. I know this technically isn’t a Christmas thing, but it’s on around it so it kind of counts, right? I must have been the only person never to have seen it, possibly because I used to think it sounded dull and also I have no idea why. But my mum thought the girls would like it so this year we’ve watched it all the way through and were hooked.

The sparkle diminished slightly when our favourite of all favourites went out; telling my daughter Ed Balls had gone was one of the things they definitely don’t tell you about in NCT classes. The horror! The heartbreak! But 14 whole years after everyone else started watching, we’ve loved it. And were thrilled when our next favourite (after Greg…and Judge Rinder…) ended up winning.

Mince pies: I’ve never liked these, shunning them for Christmas delicacies like yule log, entire selection boxes in one sitting and just about anything else. But it the spirit of sharing, I had a mince pie this year and it was actually amazing. Is my mince pie taste bud tide beginning to turn? Stay tuned for the next update in Christmas 2017.

Mulled things: I was never that keen on mulled wine for many reasons, encompassing a) It was always a massive faff to make b) it seemed to live in the category of ‘novelty alcohol’ so I always avoided it like a festive plague and c) it seemed like other things would get you drunk quicker, which is of utmost importance in your 20s.

But now life and Christmas party season has changed, I’m totally on board with a nice glass bottle of mulled wine. Especially the ready-made, zero effort one (M&S is the best, I reckon).

Baileys: Another one for the ‘novelty’ Christmas alcohol category, in my head this was always coffee-flavoured (urghhh) and also had a thick, soup-like consistency (fine for soup, grim for drinks). How wrong was I?

However – Christmassy things I’ll never be on board with  – desert wine, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding. Any more?

Have a wonderful Christmas – with as less stress as possible, lots of prosecco and a few late starts (hahaha, here’s hoping). Or a joyful sneaky lie-in somewhere along the way.

Some Christmassy posts…how to make easy Christmas decorations, brilliant children’s Christmas books  how to toddler-proof Christmas and looking back – your first Christmas as a new mum and an alternative gift guide for new mums – and we’re back in the home of my old Fisher Price Little People figures, hence the photo.

1 Comments

  • Sarah Rooftops

    December 23, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    There are definitely good and bad mince pies. The in-laws dropped off TWENTY-TWO mince pies at ours last weekend – for two grown ups – so I’ve sampled both categories and all the shades in between.

    I’m with you on Christmas pudding (like eating a slightly mouldy bowling ball) and Christmas cake is only edible in tiny portions.

    As for things I’m late to the Christmas party on: Ferrero Rocher (oh, shut up, spellcheck), stuffing and bothering to celebrate it as an adult.

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