Today I'm hosting a guest post from the very lovely Jenny Oliver who is stopping by as part of her blog tour for her new book, The Little Christmas Kitchen.
The
Night Before Christmas - Jenny Oliver
Since
the year my entire family went out on Christmas Eve, each off to their
respective parties, leaving fifteen year old me alone with a stack of presents
to wrap and a ruined dream of a cosy family evening together, I have always
made sure I have something to do on Christmas Eve!
No
longer at dreadful teenage parties (nothing worse than waking up on Christmas
Day with a Smirnoff Ice hangover) I usually spend Christmas Eve at one of our
local hostelries. All my friends who live locally come as well as my sister,
her flatmate, my parents, my husband’s parents and anyone else who happens to
be in or near the vicinity.
We
used to go to this little oldie world pub with a landlord who looked like
Father Christmas. He’d serve crisps in a wicker basket with every drink we
ordered and at ten o’clock he’d bring round platters of dubious looking canapés
that no one ever ate more than one of. But the food aside, it was a cute little
local pub where we’d bump into old school friends, their parents, our old
newsagent who hadn’t seen us since we were nine or ten and on occasion one of
the stars of Rainbow!
But
then someone suggested somewhere different and texts and emails changed the
venue. The in-laws weren’t happy - they liked the other place. My parents
didn’t mind - they’d heard good things about the new place. Friends with a new
baby were ok with it, as long as there was somewhere quiet to park the sleeping
sprog. But it was only when we got there that we realised there’d be no dodgy
canapés or crisps in a basket at the new pub. Instead there were loads of
teenagers propping up the bar, really loud and downing shots. The tables were
tiny to encourage everyone to stand - this was no cosy Christmas Eve drink. So
crammed in our little corner, someone suggested Midnight Mass instead.
I
like nothing more than a church at Christmas. And so, the ones of us who
fancied a bit carol singing, left the pub and crossed the road to the church.
Inside it was dark and cool. Fairy lights were strung between the arches and
candles flickered in sconces. Children sat by the box of toys and babbled away,
while we wedged ourselves into the back pew with the ancient song sheet, late
like naughty school kids.
I’m
sure that some regular parishioners frown upon a once yearly church visit but
for those of us who only ever pop in, it’s lovely to know that you can. To feel
a Christmas togetherness and hear your slightly tipsy dad belting out carols!
Next to us were two women weeping, obviously remembering something or someone
special, and the bittersweetness of their silent tears alongside the carols,
the candles and the battered nativity was heartbreakingly lovely.
Perhaps
the beauty of Christmas Eve is that ability to be together - with friends and
family, strangers and neighbours - whether in the pub with the baskets of
crisps or the church with the faded song sheet.
How
do you spend your Christmas Eve? Tweet me, I’d love to know @JenOliverBooks
Jenny’s latest novel THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS KITCHEN is out now.
Hungry for more? Try THE VINTAGE SUMMER WEDDING and THE PARISIAN CHRISTMAS BAKE-OFF, which also available in paperback.
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