One of the best things about Christmas, from my point of view, is that you know what you are going to get.
By that, I don’t necessarily mean presents – although with age this is becoming more predictable! It’s more a reference to the fact that there are so many traditions around the festive season.
That also explains, to a certain extent, why children get so excited around this time of the year. Previous experience tells them that it’s a joyous occasion involving presents, time off school, and being able to watch their favourite films on television.
Given all that, who wouldn’t get excited?
Much of the joyful repetition is driven by tradition. After all, the whole festival is one big tradition dating back to pagan feasts, with different religions and civilisations adding their own touches throughout history.
It means that there are a series of traditions that are followed each year. Furthermore, because it’s an annual event that has long been enjoyed by everyone in the family, families have developed their own Christmas traditions that will have been passed through generations.
Yes, many traditions have become cliched and ripe for parody. But even that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment and the importance that are attached to them.
After all, it’s the season of goodwill and good cheer. Furthermore, what is cliched and old hat to us, is very much a novelty to younger children who are learning about the joy of Christmas.
Besides, it’s only “bah, humbug” grinches who roll their eyes at Christmas traditions. The rest of us are too busy enjoying ourselves to notice.
The build-up to Christmas is filled with traditions
There seem to be just as many traditions relating to the build-up to Christmas as on the day itself.
For example, around this time last year, I wrote about some of the luxury advent calendars it is now possible to buy, including ones containing wine and jewellery, and even ones for your pet!
Even if it’s not as expensive as one of those, most children will have their own one, many containing chocolates or other small gifts.
Big stores in London will have ornate and elaborate window displays that attract tourists and locals alike.
There’s no fixed date as to when decorations go up and the tree gets bought but it’s hotly debated. You’ll probably have your own traditions around this. For example, we always buy our tree from the same local greengrocers each year on the first weekend of December. My dad however never used to let us put up the tree until Christmas Eve. I actually loved that as it really made things seem incredibly exciting.
The rise of e-comms has led to traditional Christmas cards through the letterbox becoming far less common than they once were. This is a shame, because online cards really don’t seem to be the same, although it does make it easier to send greetings to someone you may have forgotten on your original list.
Families will have their own Christmas Day traditions
No doubt you’ll have your own household traditions around when presents are opened.
I can certainly vouch for the fact that very young children (and some not-so-young adults!) find it hard to contain their excitement at what Santa Claus may have brought them.
So, you may well be woken up at an ungodly hour and have to express your surprise at the fact the carrot, mince pie and glass of sherry left out for Santa and Rudolph have magically disappeared and in exchange replaced with presents hastily wrapped by Santa the night before!
Older children can be more restrained and, like some adults, may be happy to wait until later in the morning to open presents or even after lunch.
You probably have other traditions around the day itself in terms of your routine. Maybe a morning walk, with dogs if you have them, perhaps involving a pint in your local pub.
Most families will have their own twist on Christmas lunch, especially around the decision of whether to eat turkey, goose, or of course some alternative. Regardless of what’s laid out, it’s traditional to eat enough to leave you nearly comatose in the afternoon.
Having said that, millions of people will still settle down to watch the King’s speech – a UK tradition that dates back to 1957.
Despite most people nearly eating their body weight at lunchtime, it’s remarkable how many of us manage to follow another tradition of cold-meat sandwiches in the evening.
Post-Christmas traditions
The following of traditions does not slacken off after Christmas.
Pantomimes are a tradition dating back to 16th-century Rome, although it’s only relatively recently that they have become associated with Christmas festivities. Despite their Italian roots, they are now a very British tradition, with many local theatres relying on the income from ticket sales to balance their books.
While going to the cinema is not particularly traditional, Christmas films certainly are, and sitting round as a family and watching one, or more, over the holiday season is very common.
Indeed, I wrote an article a couple of years ago suggesting some of my favourite films to watch with my two children, and I can guarantee we’ll be watching some of them again this year.
Another post-Christmas tradition is the Boxing Day sales, though online shopping and the rise of Black Friday & Black Monday (and seemingly every other day of the week) has reduced the crowds queuing outside stores to snap up bargains.
It’s very much traditional to stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve to “see in the new year” and hopefully arrange for a tall, dark stranger to be the first welcomed across your threshold for good luck.
Fireworks and neighbours going into the street at midnight to bang pots and pans are a relatively new phenomenon.
Hong Kong traditions tend to match those in the UK
Given Hong Kong was part of the British empire for over 100 years, it’s no surprise that many of the Christmas traditions enjoyed there have a UK influence.
These include the giving of gifts and cards, and attending Christmas-themed events with family and friends. In a slight twist, it’s also traditional to visit one of the several theme parks to celebrate Christmas with thousands of other people.
As in the UK, the festive season stretches until “twelfth night” on 6 January.
One somewhat odd twist is that rather than prices in the shops dropping after Christmas in the sales, in Hong Kong goods get cheaper as you get closer to Christmas. To me, this would seem to be an open invitation to delay buying your presents until the traditional frenzied charge around the shops on 24 December!
In Hong Kong however, once Christmas is out of the way, then down come the Christmas decorations to pretty much immediately be replaced by the Chinese New Year decorations!
Get in touch
If planning for Christmas has prompted you to start thinking about your financial plans for next year, please contact us by email or, if you prefer to speak to us, you can reach us in the UK on +44 (0) 208 0044900 or in Hong Kong on +852 39039004.
Production
