There are some favourite festive traditions you don’t want to mess with. Whether it’s hauling a huge Christmas tree home to decorate with cherished baubles or seeing your dad’s delight at receiving his annual replacement bottle of Old Spice aftershave - some festive scenes are meant to be savoured.
And then there are those Christmas customs that could really do with a bit of tweaking to bring back the magic, quieten the cynics and remind us all why we love Christmas.
Here’s our modern take on the Christmas classics and inspiration on ways to ring some changes.
Change chilly carol singing to Christmas karaoke laughs
Christmas films may make carol singing look all festive and fabulous, but we all know the reality is stamping your feet to keep warm while warbling songs you can’t quite remember all the words to in a register that’s far too high for anyone to reach. Surely it would be much more fun to stay in the warm, enjoy a tipple and do memorable renditions of Jingle Bell Rock and Santa Baby to cheers from the special people in your life.
Give Bucks Fizz a miss in favour of cocktails
Enjoying some Bucks Fizz (the tipple not the lovable 80s pop legends) on Christmas morning may be a time honoured pastime, but why not try something different - and a little less retro - and enjoy a glamorous and lip-smackingly good cocktail for we gin aficionados?
Make your cocktails extra special with Ableforth’s award-winning Bathtub Gin, created by a truly unique distillation process. Copper pot-distilled gin is first made with juniper, coriander and other fragrant botanicals. But Ableforth’s gin starts where others finish: a portion of this gin is then painstakingly infused with a further six botanicals - orange peel, cassia, juniper, coriander, cardamom and clove. This infusion is meticulously blended back into the gin, giving Bathtub its unique character and fresh flavour.
Or if you are a stickler for tradition, and need a winter warmer, try Ableforth’s Christmas Mulled Cup. Designed as the perfect ingredient for Mulled Wine, it’s blended with a wealth of festive flavours including VSOP cognac, port, festive spices, peels and ginger. Simply add it to red wine and even the most steadfast of scrooges will be tempted into the festive cheer.
Here are just a couple of serving suggestions to impress your guests and stir people into the festive spirit:
Negroni (pictured above)
Stir 25ml Bathtub Gin, 25ml sweet vermouth and 25ml Campari over ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with orange zest.
Kir Noel
10ml Ableforth’s Christmas Mulled Cup, top with Prosseco.
Garnish with your favourite berries.
Choose mindful giving over thoughtless materialism
We’re all guilty of running through a checklist of presents to get for friends and family, with very little joy of giving. This year, hone your presents to small but special gifts or arrange to do a Secret Santa so you only have two presents to plan instead of the usual 12. The promise of an experience will always win over yet more unwanted and disappointing stuff. Make a homemade card promising to take your mum out for a treat day dedicated to her, book your boyfriend a rally driving experience to remember for years. Put on some Christmas music and take the time and trouble to wrap presents lovingly, rather than as just one chore to be got through.
Trade up Christmas dinner for sleep-ins and easy grazing
The myth is the whole family sits down to the traditional festive fare of a vast turkey and endless calorific trimmings before playing family games all afternoon. The reality is an exasperated cook who’s been up since dawn, a dry roast, dense Christmas pudding, mountains of washing up and stomach aches on the sofa until late night sandwich time.
Save the martyrdom and the mess by only keeping all the easiest, most delicious best bits of Christmas feasting - cocktails, smoked salmon on blinis or bagels, devils on horseback, a Christmas yule log, mince pies popped in the oven served with brandy butter and a tin of chocolates on hand throughout the day.
Swap bickering over which film to watch for filming your own Christmas stories
Videoing and instagramming your own Christmas stories is a lovely way to make and share memories. Wouldn’t you prefer seeing Mum’s face as she pulls a cracker to big explosions in the latest Bond offering?
Ditch the Christmas jumpers for glam gear
Yes, they were mildly funny around the time of the first Bridget Jones film and seeing Derek from accounts gleefully wearing his glow on-off red nosed reindeer jumper on office Christmas jumper day is still a much-loved tradition. But on Christmas Day, trade up the itchy knit and put the sparkle back into Christmas. And if sequins and sumptuous velvet aren’t your style, you can stay seasonally snuggly in brushed cotton pjs. All day.
Put the kibbosh on the Christmas Day walk and plan a new Boxing Day event
There’s a very small window for a brisk walk on a winter day in between eating, drinking, opening stockings and presents and having fun with your favourite people. But Boxing Day is a big empty space just crying out for an all-generations family walk or meeting up with friends for a game of soft ball or football, tug-of-war or piggy back races. You could even have a day out at the Boxing Day races or book a pantomime for a rush of nostalgia. It’s never too late to take a fresh new take on festive traditions - and make your holiday even better.
Visit www.ableforths.com to discover multi award-winning spirits and liqueurs, including Bathtub Gin and Christmas Mulled Cup. Each lovingly wrapped, tied and wax-dipped by hand.