Christmas Joy

It is Christmas Eve here in London, and I could not be filled with more joy. After weeks of working up a frenzy in the political day job, it feels utterly glorious to have at last collapsed into the giant marshmallow-squishy sofa at my English family’s place right beside the big Christmas tree (complete with pine smell, fairy lights and vintage ornaments from generations of the family) as the lights of West London twinkle outside behind me.

Although Christmas as an expat will always evoke bittersweet nostalgic memories of loved ones who are either no longer here (my darling Mama) or on the other side of the world in Australia, there is something so very exciting about a northern hemisphere Christmas. Whereas in Australia Christmas, falling in the midst of the Southern Hemisphere summer, was always celebrated with lunch and cocktails and games in the garden outside, here I can happily indulge all the Christmas traditions that, due to the heat, one simply can’t enjoy with quite the same enthusiasm in Australia.

And so I plan to spend the next few days doing the following in as high a dose as possible (in no particular order): sitting beside the fireplace with the scent of Christmas candles burning, baking gingerbread men and roasting chestnuts, eating chocolate for breakfast (because Christmas is the only time, aside from Easter, when this is permissible behaviour as a grownup), going for long walks along the Thames to avoid a state of food-induced coma, going to watch the Nutcracker and the great British pantomime with the family, wearing all the sparkles in my wardrobe, attempting to work my way through my stack of as yet unread magazines, and cramming in as many Christmas movies (the cheesier and more childlike, the better) as the family and Clever Boyfriend will possibly allow me.

So, to each and every one of you, whether you celebrate Christmas or another equally precious set of traditions, I send you love and joy and good wishes from London. I am so very grateful for all your kindness and support and sweet comments, tweets and emails which make me smile every single day of the year.

Love, Miss B xx