
It is that joyous, magical time of year.
I am a Grinch/Scrooge who always complains when the Christmas decorations go up at the end of October. I mean, seriously, why?!
Towards the middle of December there is usually a change in spirit. Right around the 16th normally. As a child, this was the first weekend the entire family were together to start the festive celebrations. And this is when the season starts for me.
My first memories of Christmas are of such nervous excitement that we had to stop on the N1 because of my nausea. As an only child, it was very exciting to be part of such a big family and have so many new cousins, aunts and uncles and people who made me feel like I belonged. A house crammed with so many people that nowadays many of us stand just outside the lounge to make sure everyone has a space to sit. More food than any of us can eat in a sitting,mid-morning naps on Christmas Day, walks to the river and park while we wait for lunch, or to walk off the lunch, and always laughter; long, loud laughing.
As an adult, I still love Christmas – at the appropriate time of course! I am a bit of a last-minute shopper. Almost always still buying and wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve, oops! I love decorating the tree and wrapping gifts, but since Avery decided to make a bed out of our tree, it has been in storage and we hide the gifts after wrapping.
We have not forgotten the true meaning of Christmas and on Christmas Eve, before gifts are handed out by our very own Mrs. Claus (Tannie Sanet) we read the story of Jesus’ birth and listen or sing a song or two.

Is it even Christmas without Boney M in the shopping centers or out of Tannie Daphna’s stereo?