I would just like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas, wherever you may be. May your Christmas wishes come true, and your New Year be a happy and healthy one! As I write this on Christmas Eve, it is a typically gloomy winter’s day here in the UK, therefore we have been keeping our spirits high with some Christmas music and a good ol’ tidy up. Since we will be hosting family on Christmas Day this year, today is very much a day of preparation for the big day – getting the last few “bits and bobs” for the day, and making sure that the house is in a presentable condition!

Christmas for my family consists of a busy day getting the house prepared and some of the food pre-prepared on 24th, followed by our family gathering and big meal of roast turkey with all the trimmings on 25th, and a quiet “Boxing Day” on 26th. It is traditional in the UK to go for a walk on Boxing Day, so we may end up going somewhere nice for a walk with the dog, weather pending! I would say that my Christmases are relatively quiet and uneventful in comparison to some – many will get together with family and friends on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day! We will mostly be eating and relaxing together on the day itself, with the exchange of some presents and a watch of the king’s speech (another UK tradition) later in the afternoon.

One thing that I will do this year which I haven’t for the last few, is to set a couple of New Year’s resolutions for myself. My first resolution is going to be continuing to build on and improve my website and blog here, whilst my second is going to be to travel more again. The pandemic and then my financial situation put paid to my travels for the last three years, and I am finally getting back to a place now where I can resume this again. I honestly cannot wait to get back into it, and I will be sure to book up my first trip as soon I am able to!

For those who celebrate, what are your Christmas traditions? Do you celebrate on 24th or 25th December (or another day/month entirely?) And what will your New Year resolution(s) be for this next year?