Above all, all, Christmas celebrates the paradise of childhood. From the religious to the frivolous, it is the moment of the child. My own have now grown up, although it seems only yesterday that Harry was whizzing around on his new hobby horse or Charlie was ignoring his gift and climbing into the box it had come in. Anna was a performer from birth and starred as Mary in the Nativity play; the boys’ acting careers peaked in their Nativities as a star and, rather surprisingly, as a third unicorn.
What is instilled in each of them is a set of rules about Christmas: midnight Mass, putting out the carrots by the fire for Rudolph and the whisky for Father Christmas (he has a taste for Glenmorangie), boiled eggs for breakfast, opening the presents—but only after granny has made proper coffee—the anticipation of when, during lunch, Aunt Sylvie will say ‘what a lovely bird’, the need for silence during The Queen’s speech...
Our Christmas is different to yours—you will have your own set of ‘rules’—but, like ours, it will celebrate your family and the most important people in your life.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas, how- ever you have it.
The story behind the Fortnum & Mason Christmas windows
Emma Hughes spends a week with the team working frantically to get them ready. Will they pull it off in
The Editor’s Christmas Quiz 2014
How will you fare with our collection of festive brain-teasers? Try our Christmas Quiz to test your seasonal general knowledge.
How to make a Christmas wreath
Follow out step-by-step guide to making a garlanded willow wreath.
Credit: Johan Persson
The best shows to see this Christmas
From traditional ballet to contemporary dance, we round up the best shows to see this Christmas.
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
-
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style: A whistle-stop history, from the Roman Baths to Hampstead HeathEmma Hughes dives into swimming's hidden depths at the Design Museum's exhibit in London.
