Holly, ivy and mistletoe were originally used in pre-Christian times to ward off evil spirits—and are often used nowadays to decorate homes for Christmas.
Who hasn’t heard of the custom of kissing under the mistletoe?
But perhaps you also have a Christmas cactus, poinsettia (Weihnachtsstern) or amaryllis in your home. They’re Christmas favourites, too.
I mentioned Christmas carols not long ago. Do you remember? Those special songs only sung at Christmas?
Listen to the 30 greatest Christmas carols of all time.
One of my favourites is number 9, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”.
Listening to them all brings back wonderful memories.
Do you have a favourite carol?
Looking for a Christmas story?
Have you read the charming “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens?
I presume you’re very busy with Christmas preparations. But perhaps you have 12 minutes to spare to watch A Christmas Carol.
It doesn’t take long, and it’s beautifully illustrated.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Customs and traditions vary from country to country, but an elaborate meal is part of the Christmas celebrations wherever you look.
When we talk about Christmas dinner, in the UK we mean the meal served on 25th December. That’s on Christmas Day.
A lot of people prepare a stuffed turkey and serve it with roast potatoes, root vegetables and greens.
If you want to know how to stuff a turkey (something my mother always did), take a look at how Martha Stewart does it.
What about preparing roast potatoes? They’re quite easy to make. I love them, but to keep them special, I only prepare them at Christmas.
And if you like the idea of preparing Brussels Sprouts, add toasted almonds to the vegetables to make them special. It’s a favourite of mine.
Have you started planning the food for the holidays?
If not, and you need some inspiration, take a look here.
German-style Christmas markets with their little wooden chalets are relatively new in Britain. And are great places if you’re looking for a wide array of artwork, crafts, decoration and food.
There’s even a Frankfurt Christmas market in Birmingham, would you believe? It’s the “largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany or Austria.” Offering schnitzels, bratwursts, pretzels, stollen, Berliner doughnuts, gluhwein and even weissbier.
Here are some of the UK’S top Christmas markets. Or if you’re in London for a bit of sightseeing, you might like to pop into one of the markets here.
Do you love Christmas markets?
Have you thought about how you are going to set the table at Christmas?
Could your list look anything like this?:
Looking for ideas?
Be inspired by Ramon, The DIY Mommy or Kinwoven—and a lot more creatives on YouTube!
PS I must confess that I love looking at beautifully laid tables. But with four adult children, four partners and two boisterous grandchildren visiting over the holiday season, our Christmas table never looks quite as spectacular as the ones in the video. 
