Freya talks festivities
The festive season is my favourite time of year, great food, time with the family and finding the perfect present to light up someone’s eyes!
Like most of 2020 this year will be different, but thinking back, I don’t think I’ve had two Christmases the same in a long time. One year we had a basketball training camp that ran over most of the festive period, or I’d often work at the Taxi rank, as Christmas day and the lead up to it is the busiest time of the year. My mum is a midwife and works over Christmas, so we celebrate all together a few days before to exchange gifts and spend time together, but with too many households, gathering this year wont be the same.
Thinking back on Christmas as a child and how magical it can be, reminds me of one of my all time favourite presents. One year my grandparents got me my first ever proper bike! As the youngest to 2 brothers and a sister, it was huge for me to have a grown up bike like they’ve had. I remember them wheeling it in from the hallway and what was so perfect about it, was the fact it was blue (having tried for many years with bright pink things and girly dresses) It was a proper bike, in my favourite colour and I honestly rode that bike everyday until I was physically unable to ride a bike anymore. So when I think of Christmas and giving gifts, I try to remember how 9 year old Freya felt that day, with every gift I give.
I'm always far more excited to give gifts than to receive, seeing their face when they open it, but keeping what's inside a secret until they've opened it feels like hardest thing in the world! I love getting gifts that people don’t know they need or tickets as something to look forward to in the new year and of course the silly annual presents that just become tradition! I don’t know how it started, but every year I get my sister-in-law carpet shaker and my Nan will always make sure we have silly or traditional presents, and gets t-towels and sponges and tiny things that remind her of us when she saw them, those are the presents we’ll treasure the most. One year I got my niece her first basketball hoop, or the hip flask I got engraved for my step-dad the year of mum's wedding in Greece (his present this year is the one I’m most excited about). The best has to be mum’s present last Christmas, Mamma Mia the party at the O2, the treat for my mum, that I didn't know we both needed, perfect company, great music and of course the obligatory sing-a-long in the car home!
It’s great to be able to celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah, on the first day of Hanukkah I put up the Menorah and light the first candle, visit and place a stone down for my grandparents, (In the Jewish religion you don’t give flowers at the graveside you place a stone. I pick one up from the places I’ve travelled to, there’s stones from Israel, Texas, Spain, Vienna, Czech republic, all over!) as there’s been no sport this year and we’ve not been able to travel too far, I’ve got one from a beach in Norfolk.
Although this year will be strange, and in some cases virtual, we can still be with our loved ones, decorate the house, give that perfect gift and eat a ton of great food. I’ll still leave the Christmas shopping until the absolute last minute, fill the dog’s stocking (like he has any idea whats going on) my partner will make a cracking roast, and BBC will show Cars! There’s still plenty we can do that make you feel close to your family and traditions, those little things, that get you all giddy and festive this time of year.