As the festivities draw near, and excitement (or stress) levels start to rise, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas.
The team - that's me, Becky, Arabella and Akhila, hope you've enjoyed reading our articles this year as much as we've enjoyed writing them for you.
Our preparations for Christmas actually began way back in September when the four of us attended Christmas shows for major retailers to see what we'd all be eating, drinking, and decorating with this year! At the time, it seemed like a long way off but suddenly it's here, and last week we got together for a Christmas meal.
Christmas is a wonderful time of year for traditions, and it's always interesting to look back and see what's changed over the years or what traditions you've carried with you through the years. For me, I love playing games with all the family. Christmas seems to be the only time of year we do it, but there's nothing like a competitive game of Cluedo to get everyone going again after a big lunch.
My favourite tradition is definitely leaving a mince pie for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer. I do it with my children now, and I've told them I've heard on good authority that Father Christmas likes to be left a very large glass of Prosecco!
Becky says "My favourite part of Christmas as a child was always waking up and seeing that Father Christmas had been. With three sisters, it was hectic and noisy as we all clambered into bed with our parents to open our stockings.
Christmas is still pretty similar now, only the family has grown from 6 to 22, and the noise levels have increased accordingly. I always host Christmas, and my favourite part is watching my enormous extended family tuck into a dinner I've spent hours - if not days - preparing. It's worth it to see everyone enjoying themselves and the love around the table."
Arabella loves a chilled out Christmas: "I love relaxing in my pyjamas and eating good food, watching my favourite shows with my family and having snuggles on the sofa with my dogs. My favourite tradition is having a takeaway on Christmas Eve and wrapping gifts for my dogs. They're too spoiled but they love it!"
Akhila is spending Christmas with her family in India, and we love hearing all about her traditions as well as the new ones she's adopted from living in the UK (including a new-found love for mince pies). "What I enjoy most about Christmas is setting up the tree and decorating the house. And of course, the food! Cakes, wine, and now mince pies too!
My favourite Christmas tradition from childhood is the caroling. It's huge here in India, with drums, saxophones, cymbals and groups of up to 50 people, young and old, going from home to home singing and wishing families a happy Christmas. As a child, we used to start practicing from November, which built excitement for Christmas."
As we head into 2025, we hope you'll continue to enjoy our site and everything it has to offer, and I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Claire Tapley
Editor, Yours.co.uk