A non commericial christmas

[contadina]

Oops, didn't notice the remit of the publication that you are writing for...substitute any evergreen foliage that looks vaguely Christmasey for the olive branch and any country wine for the cherry grappa.

[Meredith]

I love Christmas and I'm not even a Christian. I just love the whole thing of midwinter and celebration and the darkness and light returning. I make my own homemade gifts where appropriate but I have been known to buy something plastic, pink and very Barbie because I knew that somebody would like this more than anything else.

[chadspad]

We used to have a big get-together in the UK and present buying was a nightmare and a huge expensive so we all agreed to only buy £1 gifts from the junk shops or charity shops. The gifts were much more fun as they were silly.

Its all a lot smaller here in France now and therefore a lot cheaper too. Having become more practical and more self-sufficentish I made most of my presents for family members - chilli-oil & homemade biscuits went down a treat!

I too love Xmas. Theres something about the darkness & feeling of excitement on the morning of xmas day that sends me back to being a child. My son is 6 and loves it too so I still see it all thru his eyes. We do spoil him dreadfully I have to admit!

[mrsflibble]

for the last two years mr F and I have celebrated xmas thusly (oh, and it's anual gift day to us)....

the first thing is; giftday is spent naked.
and secondly we watch as much of a battlestar galactica* series box set as is humanly possible. 2 years ago this was A LOT of battlestar; it was our last xmas before sophie. last year, someone else who is small and blonde took priority. the DVD box set is our xmas pressie to the house. last xmas we watched series 2 from giftday right through jan, then went back to series 1 in the feb by nov this year, series 3 box set should be affordable rather than extortionate.

as for a keeping costs and waste down thing, we only buy a turkey crown, use stuffing mix from my storecupboard and the only extravagance i guess is packet roast potatoes I know they're crap, but they're a tradition in his family and I don't want to get rid of his traditions just because I was brought up differently.

We do want to start something with soph which is from our sister in law's family: sitting and saying what you are most thankful for from the last year. giftday 2006 I said "my life"**. James said "sophie" and soph blew her minced turkey out of her mouth with a raspberry.

We also intend to celebrate "anual chocolate day". and next year I'm determined to spend the summer solstace on stone henge. possibly naked, I'm not sure yet.

*the modern battlestar, not the 70s ones. sorry to battlestar purists but the remakes are sooooooo goooooood.
**2006 was a big year, i nearly died having sophie but blessed be we are both in one piece; i suffered terribly with PND and got to the point of nearly killing myself- but I got help in time and I'm "fixed" to a point; and finally james survived severe appendixitis and compilobactor food poisoning...but we all lived to tell the tale.

[Millymollymandy]

Our Christmasses are extremely uncommercial and we don't spend a fortune on presents because we hardly buy any!

The last time I decorated, because the outlaws were coming, we were in the process of turning a load of overgrown Leylandii trees into a hedge. The top 5 foot of one of the Leylandii made a splendid Xmas tree, it looked lovely decorated and doesn't drop any needles. I highly recommend it!

[Andy Hamilton]

Well there is certainly a 1000 word article there, I felt a bit cheeky asking so thank you everyone!

I always go home for Christmas so it is generally out of my hands when it comes to the food. I did state last year that any relatives that I had not seen for a while could just donate to charity. I think I had two presents on Christmas day to open. For a second I wished I had kept my mouth shut, but then when I am doing a clear out I realise why I said it. Home made gifts are a great idea, I have loads of homebrew on at the moment and guess what people are getting for christmas. (Damb it I know my mum reads this forum so I hope she did not read this!)

We did make a wreath last year out of holly, ivy and fir tree branches it look good and the beauty is that it is now compost!

[Milims]

For the past 2 years we've moved more and more towards a greener Christmas and this year wll be the greenest yet!

From foraged hazel withies I've already made the wreath base, and it's been wired together with waste wire from the building site (courtesy of Helen, well she is a sparky lol).

From material samples, cloth shopping bags which will be used to hold some of the nicer items in christmas hampers to family and friends.

Home-made bath salts scented with essential oils

Lavender drawer scenter pouches made again from cloth samples and home grown lavender.

Dried orange and clove pomanders, again a good one for the kids to do, once completed put into the airing cupboard or over the boiler to dry slowly till chritmas.

In theory, we will be making soaps, something we have discussed for a while but have now got a real interest in doing thanks to Fee Fairy and her amazing products! Good one Fee!!!

Fruit liquers are in process (Strawberry, Kiwi and Raspberry Vodkas with some Plum gin and Sloe gin soon, picking the sloes next weekend!)

A selection of jams and preserves from foraged fruits (Plum, Bramble and Apple jams, plus Mint and Lavender jellies in addition to Rosehip and Bramble syrups).

Making our own crackers and putting old-fashioned games in them such as 5 stones (with real stones), cats cradle (suitable length of string), French skipping (enough elastic bands to make a skippy - I'm a bloke and Helen knows more about this, but I can remember the girls at school doing something with a long length of eleastic!), French or dolly knitting (courtesy of me again- I eventually got my lathe set back up again and will be turning a couple of rounds for these plus 4 brass glazing pins and a length of wool and a turned needle), Tiddly winks (in 2 minds about this - could either use appropriately shaped buttons or can turn some disks using a variety of timbers I have about the place from wind fallen trees)

If the basket weaving comes out reasonably well, will be making hamper baskets (just simple round ones- I'm not that profficient yet!)

Fudge, or as Helen calls it "Tablet" which is a hard form not the soft one.

Peppermint creams - Gonna get the kids to do these and can half dip some in fairtrade chocolate.

Will be making christmas puds and christmas cakes soon, and then lacing with loads of fruit left over from the liquers!

Plus other stuff I can't remember atm!

Phew think we'll need to test the liquers after doing at that!


A tradition I introduced Helen to and she has embraced whole-heartedly is to use a new special decoration as a tag for a main present, this then goes onto the tree after it is opened so that each year you can look at the tree and have a momento of each christmas.

Contemplating growing a bay tree as a pyramid so that we have a growing tree as our christmas tree and it's handy for cooking too lolol

Phew - guess that just about covers it!!

[mrsflibble]

mmmmmmmmmmmm I looooove tablet.
and to Meredith; my little one is 19 months old and can already say Barbie. how sad is that?!

[Russian Doll]

our xmas varie...depending on wether or not the girls have to go to there dads for the day...but this year we have a xmas all together as a family and i cant wait...the girl make paper chains and snowflakes etc....this year were going to colect pine cones to decorate...most of my xmas presents for the kids come from charity shops and the zach will only get a token gift this year as lets be honest at a year hed be happy with a box lol....the girls will get one big present which is bought in the jan sales..im very lucky to have two girls that never change..hannah loves animals and amy is a dotor who fan..i ask people not to buy pressies for the kids...they will send money which goes in there bank accounts..this year my mum is adopting a animal for hannah which she will love

[the.fee.fairy]

and next year I'm determined to spend the summer solstace on stone henge. possibly naked, I'm not sure yet.

If youd o, i'd suggest you leave little flib at home - we went last yeqar and it was enjoyable, there were some great parts, but there were lots of local drunkards...and so much cannabis smoke that we were glad to get on the coach for th fresh air!

[Martin]

thank heavens there's a fellow "I hate clothes" boarder!
My only regret about the BGG this year was not joining in with this........

roll on next year!

[red]

naked does not worry me in the least.. naked on the celebration for the longest night does.... I would be cold, which isn't something I particularly celebrate.

My idea of a perfect thingymas eve is wearing a nice thick wooly jumper, drinking mulled wine, in front of a roaring fire, maybe cracking open some of the hazel nuts we gathered earlier in the year, or eating a homemade mincepie... with my OH and son. - all nice and cozy.

[Annpan]

OH and I got married on the shortest day/ longest night, and I'll tell you this much red... neither of us were wearing jumpers that night

[mrsflibble]

Fee: miniflib would be at her Granny's house in Trobridge
Red: i said SUMMER solstace lol!!!

[red]

for the last two years mr F and I have celebrated xmas thusly (oh, and it's anual gift day to us)....

the first thing is; giftday is spent naked.

sorry it was this that I was referring to.