A simple Christmas

This year I'm avoiding the holiday slog for a more carefree day

- ELEANOR CRIPPS Home wellness expert

Every year, around the middle of November, I feel that familiar hum of seasonal pressure begin to build.

You know the feeling, it starts as a faint murmur (“I should probably buy the Advent calendars before they sell out”), which then escalates into full-blown, chest-tightening panic about gift lists, online shipping cutoff dates, and the amount of money we're about to spend for a day that will be over before we know it.

I adore the idea of Christmas - the nostalgic tunes, the gathering, the sense that time slows down over summer, but somewhere along the way, it's started to feel more like a logistical marathon rather than an enjoyable family experience.

Perhaps it was when I realised I was no longer the child, but the adult with four children of my own to uphold the magic. Despite being someone who lives by small, intentional daily rituals, the truth is our family doesn't have many Christmas traditions of our own well, not the impressive ones that seem to define other families, anyway. There's no annual pavlova competition, no matching pyjamas and no choreographed Christmas Eve carol singalong. Yet, each year, I feel drawn to the idea of starting something just for us. Simple rituals that feel honest and low-pressure. Not Pinterest-perfect, but a gentle way of celebrating the season.