Reasons I Love Christmas and Yule

Here is just a random list containing some of the reasons I love this time of year, in no particular order:

1. Christmas music. I know it’s cheesy but there are some songs I can’t help but sing-along to.
2. Christmas movies and their feelgood messages. They are all over television, Netflix and even though they can be sappy I love a good Christmas movie marathon.
3. Gingerbread houses and people. I never used to like ginger or gingerbread, but over the years I have come to love the taste and crave it around this time of year.
4. Vlogmas. Even though for most of Christmas-time I don’t have wi-fi, I really enjoy watching all the vlogmas videos on YouTube when I get back from my holidays.
5. Blogmas. There are so many creative posts that people come up with and I love seeing the dedication that inspires me to continue writing, even when I just want to lay around reading instead.
6. Giving thanks to the earth and the universe for the change of seasons and another year that has passed.
7. Spending time with family. We may not always like each other but there is a love that runs deeper than most.
8. Tree decorating. We don’t do it every year, but when we do it is so much fun seeing the result of our creativity glittering in the corner of the room, keeping watch over the gifts we carefully placed underneath.
9. Swimming. As you know by now, I have a summer Christmas and we spend a lot of December in or around the pool. I know it’s not really Christmassy exactly, but it’s also a big part of our gatherings and braais whenever we have people over during this time of the year.
10. The food. Throughout December our house is full of delicious treats and fresh summer fruits, and on Christmas day we go all out especially when the extended family is involved.
11. Desserts deserve a number of their own. There is nothing like the home-cooked desserts and puddings in South Africa.
12. Harry Potter. When I was younger I used to reread the books around this time of year because it was the longest holiday. This year I finally reread them again and watched all the movies too. The Wizarding World is full of Christmas fun, from the Christmas Sweaters from Molly, to the Yule Ball.
13. Secret Santa. A few times at work and now with friends we have done Secret Santa and it is a lot of fun trying to figure out who bought your gift for you.
14. Hygge. Even though it’s summer, there are thunderstorms her in summer and I love cuddling up with a book, pancakes and hot-chocolate when it rains. You can be cosy in summer too!
15. The stories. It’s the time of year when everyone gets together and shares tales of what they have been up to during the year and you always learn something new.
16. Games. When everyone is off from school and work we play a lot of games to keep ourselves entertained. 30 Seconds, Singstar, Monopoly, and card games are some of the favourites in my home.
17. Wrapping presents. Getting the presents wrapped before anyone sees them is always a fun challenge.
18. Christmas Eve. This is when my family gathers together and we exchange gifts and spend time together.
19. Christmas Day. We spend time with extended family and have Christmas lunch together.
20. The memories. I always find myself looking back at the years that have gone by and remembering my childhood.
21. The future. It is also a time to look forward to the New Year and plan for adventures to come.
22. The Magic.

There are many other things that I love about this time of year, and this was just a taster.

What do you love about December?

Happy Holidays

Binx