This article explores the author's decision to opt for a smaller, more intimate Christmas celebration with just her immediate family. She reflects on previous years with extended family gatherings and the pressures that came with them, ultimately choosing to prioritize relaxation and making the holiday enjoyable for herself and her son.
We’ve started building up our own yearly rituals, and asking what we really want to get out of the festive period this year, I’ve been replying, with not a little bit of glee, that we are “going nowhere and entertaining nobody”. The almost universal reaction is one of wistfulness, if not envy. Taking the pressure off the festive season and choosing to please only yourselves is something many people fantasise about.
Some people feel so hamstrung by responsibility to others (and dare I say it, perhaps are so used to that well-established feeling of Christmas martyrdom) that they never get the Christmas they secretly want. Thankfully, my husband and I have no such qualms, and for our son’s third Christmas, we’ve decided to do what makes him happy and have it just the three of us. For his first, we hosted my mum, and his second was spent in my husband’s home town at a huge gathering of grandparents, aunties and cousins. Both were lovely, if not entirely stress-free. During the first Christmas, no one was sleeping; during the second, which included a potluck for which I made two massive nut roasts for more than 25 people, only my son was: outside in the pram, being pushed by me, while the food was being served. My sister-in-law took a photo of me through the window: I am standing in the rain, parka over my nice dress, holding a flute of champagne. “I know it’s not funny now, but you’ll laugh at this one day,” she said, and she was right, I did. Eventually. Despite the challenges of parenting a small child, I have wonderful memories from these Christmases, and we are still seeing loved ones over the festive period, just not all in one go. In a way, this makes it easier. I know some people are heavily invested in everything being on the 25 December, but it’s never been that way in my family, and there’s something about a movable feast that makes everything a bit looser and more relaxe
Christmas Family Celebration Relaxation Intimacy
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Importance of Choosing Safe and Elegant Christmas DecorationsThis article explores the significance of selecting appropriate Christmas decorations, particularly focusing on the safety and beauty of tree ornaments. It advises against using flammable materials like PVC tinsel and recommends white lights for a more elegant look.
Read more »
Murdoch family Christmas this year: I’d buy tickets to thatThe stakes have almost certainly changed in the battle between warring factions of the family over who will control the empire of Fox Corporation and News Corporation.
Read more »
Family Spends Christmas 1300km From Home House Sitting a Cattle StationA family from Brisbane is spending Christmas over 1300 kilometers away from their suburban home, house sitting a 200,000-hectare cattle station in outback Australia. Lucy Michalakellis and her family chose this unique Christmas experience to escape the stress and exhaustion of a traditional holiday.
Read more »
Family Trades Christmas Chaos for Outback AdventureA family from Brisbane, Australia, has chosen to spend Christmas in the remote outback instead of the typical holiday festivities. Driven by a desire for experiences over material possessions and influenced by past tragedies, they embrace the serenity and vastness of the Australian landscape.
Read more »
Murdoch family Christmas this year: I’d buy tickets to thatThe stakes have almost certainly changed in the battle between warring factions of the family over who will control the empire of Fox Corporation and News Corporation.
Read more »
Major Royal Family update as key figures’ Christmas plans revealedPrincess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will not be attending the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham this year, according to a new report.
Read more »