Christmas I really love
That cosy feeling like putting your hand
Inside a velvet glove...

It provokes memories
Of old and new,
It makes you think of things you did when you were tiny
Family ways you want to continue.

Like mum making the Christmas pudding
And letting us all have a stir
Closing your eyes and making a wish
Just like our gran did for her.

Helping mum make a wreath
To go on the front door
Prickly holly all over the place
And ivy strewn across the floor.

Making the Christmas cards
To give to everyone
It may have been a mess of glitter and glue
But it was so much fun.

Going with dad to hunt down a present for mum
And vice versa for him,
Then the excitement of finding the perfect tree
And watching it have a trim.

Setting it up in the family room
Standing proud and high,
The beautiful smell of pine needles
No money could ever buy.

Dad digging out the decorations
From way up in the loft,
Making me laugh, by pulling silly faces behind mum's back,
When she was trying to tell him who was boss.

Hanging the baubles
Swinging them on the tree
Then the home-made bits and pieces
Made by yours truly.

Me and mum doing the tradition
Of winding the lights round and round,
Starting at the top
Then working our way down.

Placing the hand-knitted Father Christmas
Near the top of the tree
Then putting the gold star above him
Sparkling for all to see.

Setting up the Nativity scene
On the kitchen table,
Then moving it to the window sill
Fluffing up real straw to go inside the stable.

Opening our advent calendar
Starting on the 1st,
A string of pegs with numbers on them
Beholding all it's worth,

Moving a cut-out stocking closer to the 24th peg
Stretched right across the window,
It made me smile to think
That soon Christmas day would be tomorrow.

Cutting out gift tags
A mass of wonky bell shapes
To stick on presents
Those I did love to create.

Wrapping up the presents
A bundle of sticky tape and paper,
Humming under my breath
“One stick to every candle maker.”

Learning the twelve days of Christmas
Off by heart,
Gabbling it along together
Until all we could do was laugh.

Decorating the space
Underneath the TV room's clock
With cards given to us,
Side to side, then bottom to top.

Getting all worked up
As soon as Christmas Eve came along,
People ringing round
Shouting “Merry Christmas!” down the phone,
Laughing and singing festive songs.

The special moment
Of turning the lights on,
The tree suddenly coming alive
Flickering red, green, blue and gold,
Each time I find myself thinking
“This is the best thing we've ever done.”

Turning all the lights off
As soon as it's time for bed,
Lighting everywhere up with candles
Waiting for the man in red.

Preparing a satsuma and carrot
For his reindeers and he
Leaving them at the bottom of my bed
With my stocking, to be filled with goodies
Left by him for me.

At last going to sleep
A smile on my face
Knowing that waking up tomorrow
Will come without haste.

I love my Christmas
Because it's unique to me,
I love everything about it
Because it's a time when I remember
And when I'm with
My beautiful family.