No Santas, no reindeer and zero tolerance of gingerbread men – go for a sweater that is cosy and special but not overtly Christmassy
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on’t know about you, but I find that Christmas is a bit like drinking martinis. It is really fun, and then it is a bit too much fun, and by the time I realise I’ve stepped over that line, whoops, it’s too late. I’ve overdone it, and all I want to do is lie down in a dark room.
Christmas is an intense and immersive experience. It is not just the alcohol, not just the food, although there have definitely been way too much of both of those things round my way. It is the whole sensory world. The new perfume your auntie got for Christmas going head-to-head with the cinnamon-scented tea lights. The nostalgia-soaked playlists and soppy romcoms. The kids on laps, the dogs on sofas, the fridge that barely closes. No doubt there was a point back there when I could have said: “You know what, I’ve had an elegant sufficiency of cheer, just a water and a quiet night with my journal tonight thanks,” but I was too busy singing along to Mariah Carey to notice and the moment passed. No matter. Better to err on the side of too much jolliness than too little, after all.
Now that the triptych of Christmas Eve, The Day Itself and Boxing Day are done, we can dial things down. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet. These post-Christmas days are, for many of us, an important moment of rest and relaxation. There is a sleepiness to the world right now. What day of the week is it? Are the trains running/shops open? No other time of year feels quite the same. The Twixmas days have a texture all of their own, a braiding together of hearty walks, long films, bubble and squeak.
