My Christmas traditions

The older I get, the more appreciative I am of all the little traditions that make up my Christmas festivities. Since we left university more than four years ago, my besties and I have always tried to do a special Christmas outing before we all go our separate ways for the day itself, and somehow (with the exception of a very wet, cold and hilarious Leeds Castle visit) we always end up gravitating towards Covent Garden and Somerset House.

This year we treated ourselves to the most decadent hot chocolate at the Fortnum & Mason Lodge, complete with whipped cream piled high, and mint choc chip marshmallows - delicious! We then wandered around Covent Garden, marvelling at the lights, to walk it off before devouring burgers at Byron. It was such a wonderfully festive day, it got me thinking about all the other traditions I enjoy in the run up to Christmas.

It just wouldn't be Christmas without a visit to a market or two for some mulled wine! This year I'm so thrilled to heading home in time to catch the Luxembourg City Christmas market before it shuts on Christmas Eve - I'm so ready for some steaming hot gluhwein and potato cakes! There are usually people singing carols too, it's the perfect start to the festivities in my opinion.

Our family has always made a big deal out of Christmas Eve - when we were younger we'd usually meander up to the church in our village to see the live nativity and give the donkey a cuddle! There's usually mulled wine and hot treats on offer as well, My dad is half Austrian, and growing up in Luxembourg meant we'd often celebrate Christmas Eve in a very continental manner, having a large meal and opening one gift each. In recent years the gift has been a super cosy pair of snuggly pyjamas, perfect for throwing on for our next tradition... the annual reading of The Night Before Christmas! We may all be adults now, but there's nothing better than cosying up together while my mum reads the traditional rhyme. She even reads it to us over Facetime when we're not together for Christmas - it's such an integral part of Christmas Eve for me now, and one I hope to continue if I have children as well.

Another of my favourite traditions is our yearly festive raclette feast! I adore raclette - if you're not familiar, it essentially consists of covering the table in all sorts of meats and cheeses (my favourite has mustard seeds in it), as well as vegetables, sauces and pommes frites - and everyone cooks their own concoction over a heated griddle pan in the middle of the table. It's basically a melted cheese fest which looks something like this, and it is one of my all time favourite meals ever. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Of course we will have the traditional turkey on Christmas Day itself, cooked in a haze of chocolate and Michael Bublé songs - last year we even managed to cook our Christmas dinner without an oven, now that is dedication...

I head home in two days and I absolutely cannot wait to partake in these little joys! What are your favourite Christmas traditions? Where are you spending Christmas this year?

Love Dani
xoxo