The Day Before The Day

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” is by far the best Christmas song ever. It totally nails December.
 
Some things I love with December are:

• the Christmas music; both carols and more contemporary, all day long, from the first of Advent until New Year’s Eve
• the smell; a mix of hyacinths, gingerbread, fir-tree, hot chocolate, warmth and happiness
• the colours; dark red, rich green, creamy brown, rustic grey…
• the contrast of dark and light; the sun sets at three p.m. and everyone turns on their white, bright, yellowish Christmas lights. If we’re lucky there’s snow and that’s so beautiful it sweeps my feet away every time

I also love to curl up in my old couch in layers of hand knitted clothes with a good book and some hot tea. A gingersnap to that and I’m in heaven. Friends and family are of course an important ingredient to a happy festive season. The house gets warmer, the food tastes a little better in company, the sound level raises a little, and a certain level of chaos appear, which I appreciate. Playing board games, reading silly Christmas gift rhymes, solving cross words…
 
I wish you all the best of holidays!

Christmas Tree of 2016