Coming home for xmas
Confession: I am a total Xmas fanatic. I LIVE for the holiday season. While my usual taste can best be described as austere and intellectual, come Christmas, I’m into kitsch. Big time. Bring on the glitter, the glühwein and the sentimental songs!
And because I like to stretch my favorite time of the year, I start unpacking my huge collection of Xmas paraphernalia – a lot of it designed by myself – at the beginning of November. I have my regular florist come over with some fresh cut, divine-smelling greenery and enlist my daughter Zilver as Santa’s little helper. Let the decorating begin!
Absolutely crucial in all this, is the right soundtrack. Growing up, we had one LP that we absolutely treasured: Silent Night. Since then, I’ve built up an extended catalogue of Xmas tunes. From 2000 Miles to Jingle Bell Rock; anything goes. A few years ago, my iPod with all my Xmas-music on it stopped working! Complete panic! My then-husband had a full-time job restoring my collection (interesting detail: this was mid-October…).
And so, while Zilver and I dance to our favorite tunes and sip made-from-scratch hot chocolate, we turn my house into Santa’s Secret Village, just like my parents used to do. I’m hit by precious childhood memories: the warmth, the lights, the way my hardworking parents – usually so frugal – would go out of their way to make each Xmas an unforgettable experience for us. And I realize that I recreate these rituals not merely to pass them on, but because they make me feel like coming home, in the most spiritual sense of the word.
When the tree is up, the wreaths are hanging and the candles are lit, Zilver and I are ready to bring out our Xmas-darlings: a duo of life-size Victorian bears in uniform. Done! We sit back to admire the result, and every year the same thing happens:
I fall in love with my home all over again. In the end, isn’t that what this season of lights is all about? A moment to look inward, to take care of yourself, your loved ones and – also very important – your home?
Have a very merry Xmas and Let your inner light shine bright!
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