As part of a December Series, the Spinnaker team have shared their cherished Christmas Traditions. From annual ornament picking, to matching PJ’s, to getting creative, to bringing a piece of home to the UK, we have it all here at Spinnaker.
Helen’s Cracking Christmas Creativity
“A Christmas tradition in my house, which started during Covid, is making our own Christmas crackers. My daughter helps me make these and writes the jokes for each cracker!
The crackers have in the past contained miniature spirits from Hotel Chocolat and some Green & Blacks chocolate. This year, I’ve found these funny bibs in Waitrose and I’ll pop in some mini Tony’s Chocolonely and maybe some local small soaps. The crackers are wrapped in some material offcuts, and I’ve got glitter name cutouts for every guest.”
Beth’s Wreath-ly Good Fun
“For over seven years now, my family and friends all get together for a wreath-making night. What started as a small get-together has now grown to 20 of us! Every year, we gather to craft wreaths from scratch, with Christmas music, plenty of treats, and a lot of festive chaos. It’s a night of creativity, laughter, and a whole lot of moss, and it’s become one of my favourite parts of the holiday season. We all leave with beautiful wreaths, full stomachs, and plenty of laughter to go around.”
David’s Decoration Delights
“Every year we buy a new hanging decoration for the Christmas tree. The kids choose one each, and me and my wife choose one too.
Our tree now becomes completely personalised with the hanging decorations being individuals chosen, some meaning something, some just because we like them.”
Daryna’s Shchedrivky and Sweet Traditions
“Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated a little differently than here in the West. The main difference is probably a fusion of pagan and Christian traditions. It is customary for children and young adults to dress up and go from door to door singing carols, reciting folk poems (“shchedrivky”), wishing hosts good harvest for the coming year. Usually they are accompanied by throwing grains around a host’s hallway which should remain scattered around the floor for some days.
Small performances are not uncommon. It’s sort of like trick-or-treating on Halloween. When I was little, my nan would take me round our neighbours and relatives to sing and wish merry Christmas. Kids normally receive something in return – sweet treats or money. For some of my classmates, it was a really profitable time of the year!
Christmas table is also a bit different. It’s customary to cook 12 dishes (but we never did that in my family as we wouldn’t be able to eat everything), the highlight being a dish called ‘kutia’ – one of the most essential ritual dishes at the Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper.
The main ingredients used to make traditional kutia are wheatberries, poppy seeds and honey. At times, walnuts, dried fruit and raisins are added as well. It’s very tasty! My nan would also make pastry with sweet poppyseed filling which I always looked forward to as a child (and still do and miss very much).”
Chloe’s Paws-itively Cozy Vibes!
“Our tradition of matching Christmas PJs started years ago but really took off in 2021 when we added a puppy and found sets for her too. Now every Christmas evening, we get cozy, sip wine, and last year even added matching socks—though the dogs opted out!”
Clementine’s Southern African Christmas
“In Southern Africa, Christmas transcends a mere holiday into a vibrant lifestyle that ignites passion long before December. As mid-November arrives, the jubilant cry of ‘Ke December’ echoes across communities, signalling a season where boundaries blur and joy knows no limits.
Embracing the summer heat, South African families transform Christmas into a sensory celebration. Braais sizzle under open skies, replacing traditional indoor gatherings with poolside and beachfront festivities. A spread of food bursts with diversity—succulent meats including goat, lamb, beef, and chicken dance alongside the legendary ‘7 colours’ plate, a mixture of flavours that represents the nation’s rich cultural tapestry. Malva pudding and flowing drinks complete the ‘Christmas’ experience.
Even whilst living in colder climates like the UK, where daylight retreats early and snow might replace sunshine, the Southern African spirit remains undiminished. Loved ones gather together in living rooms, kitchens, and gardens, sharing cooking duties, chopping vegetables, tending the braai, and playfully delegating dishwashing to the younger generation.
Each Southern African tribe and country adds its unique touch to this festive canvas. For Ndebele and Zulu communities, Christmas becomes a beautiful fusion of Christian reverence and ancestral traditions, a testament to the resilience and adaptability of Southern African culture.”
Adrian’s Flicker of Festivity
“When I was young (okay, a long, long time ago) back in the 70s, we always had a real Christmas tree at home.
My dad inherited from his German parents some candle holders (of varying lengths) that screwed into the trunk of the tree and in which you then mounted real (stick) candles. The trick was to make sure when the candles were lit on Christmas Eve that the tree didn’t catch fire and burn down (and the house with it).
Somehow, in spite of my dad usually having had several mince pies and many glasses of port (Rudolf only liked the carrot left on the fireplace hearth, I was told), he always managed to judge the positioning of the candle holders just right, and we never had an emergency.”
Phil’s Recipe for Christmas Cheer
“I always cook red cabbage about a week before Christmas and then force it upon anybody and everybody who I spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day with. And we watch Love Actually and – if I can persuade anyone to join me – The Polar Express!”
