Hi! This post is not for Christmas bashing. I love Christmas - embarrassingly so. But I want to turn the commercialised aspect of the holiday season on its head, because the things I love about this festive season are not to do with spending loads of money.
So I'm taking the spotlight away from the shopping and diverting it to the simple things that I do love about Christmas, namely things that you can experience together that will barely cost you a penny.
1. Making a Christmas door or table wreath
Christmas wreaths smell divine, and anything with a hint of spice has me hooked. Pine branches, pine cones, ivy, holly, citrus, cinnamon and cloves all smell deliciously Christmassy and is for me what makes the season so special. You don't have to spend any money to make a wreath, but you might have to plan head for a trip to the forest when it's dry.
Just pick up materials that have fallen onto the ground, watching out for nettles and sharp sticks. Pine cones, holly leaves, berries and branches are really all you need to make a wreath. Tie these together on a wreath ring (or even make your own) using garden twine or wire. To get a more intense aroma you could dry the ingredients further in the oven at around 150C for 20 minutes, or add some cinnamon or dried oranges, or both. In January, when it's time to clear up, it's possible to throw the whole thing in the compost heap (removing the wires first if you used them).
Table wreaths use all the foraged items you'd use for a door wreath. The only difference is that you need a clay base, which is generally available at hobbycraft or similar. You could substitute it with floral foam and use kebab skewers to arrange the decorations, too. But if you're absolutely lazy like me, just grab a big bowl, throw all the items into it and display it somewhere (it will smell just as nice).
Below are some earthy wreaths made with natural materials by the ultra talented Kaamilah Nahaboo. Follow her on IG if you like homely handmade crafts and generally revelling in a sense of peace.
2. Spiced wine
Also known as mulled wine, gløgg, glühwein, etc, this is the drink of the season (eggnog is nice too but my lactose intolerance can only take so much). The traditional way to do it is make it from scratch with some low-cost wine, heated with raisins, almond flakes (or any form of almond, but blanched flakes or slivered is best), orange rinds, cardamom, cloves, aniseed, cinnamon and ginger. With the exception of cardamom and aniseed, I generally just throw in a handful of each ingredient.
On some occasions I am also happy drinking it pre-made and heated in the microwave. Fortunately mulled wine doesn't go sour when heated up this way.
Here is my personal recipe - a simple version and a traditional version.
Simple mulled wine - Serves 4
750ml bottle or carton of ready-spiced red wine
A generous handful of almond flakes/slivers
Half a handful of raisins
Heat up wine in pan on hob at low heat, or pour into mugs and put in microwave, heating a little at a time. Do not allow mix to boil. Once steam and small bubbles rises from the wine, add raisins and almonds and enjoy.
Traditional mulled wine - Serves 4
750ml bottle of a reasonably mild, fruity wine (Pinot Noir or Merlot is fine)
A generous handful of almond flakes/slivers
Half a handful of raisins
A small piece of ginger
Rind from one orange
10 cloves
5 cardamom pods
5 dried aniseed 'flowers'
1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
Pour wine into pan and add orange rind, ginger, cloves, cardamom, aniseed and cinnamon. Prepare mugs or goblets with almonds and raisins. Place wine mixture on hob at low heat until it starts to steam softly, then stir while heating. Once small bubbles appear turn off heat, pour into mugs and enjoy.
3. The Christmas Tree
Hands down my favourite thing about Christmas is the tree. Whether real or artificial (though preferably one with an element of sustainability, but I won't get into that here), it's bound to be a sight to see. All the lights, the baubles and decorations hold meaning. Over the years we have collected a number of beautiful decorations that we treasure and each Christmas it's like stepping back into childhood, like a time capsule. When I was a kid, Christmas presents were not a thing in our household. I don't assign the act of gift-giving to Christmastime and I don't see the personal value in it. Don't get me wrong, though it's always nice to give and receive a present, I think the burden is too heavy on some parents to spend lavishly for their children at Christmas. Then there is the disappointment and heartbreak when a child desperately wants say, a new games console and doesn't receive one, internalising it and thinking that their parents do not love them. I think back to my parents when we were young and they would always put us first; go without so we could have priority, and the idea of making them buy more things for us during a highly commercialised season seems very obnoxious to me. Decorating the tree together means a lot more, and it's a tradition I plan to uphold with the future generation.
4. Pomander Balls
Another lovely thing to do in the home during Christmas is to desiccate oranges in the oven and hang or attach them to garlands around the house. Additionally, taking a whole orange, pin cloves into it and hang it by the window so that when the sun hits it, the heat disperses the aromas around the room. These are called pomander balls and can just as well sit on a decorative bowl or plate as a centrepiece. The smell they give off is astounding and what's more, you can get your creative juices flowing by carving out patterns in the rind.
Using a toothpick to pre-drill the holes is advisable if you are doing this activity with small children, who might find it tricky to stud the sharp cloves into the tough rind.
5. Julehjerter/Christmas Hearts
This was a recent discovery of mine when I plunged headfirst into all things Danmark.dk. A lover of arts and crafts is I, so I was naturally very interested in the little paper hearts and stars hanging from the Christmas tree. A lovely Dane by the name of Louise taught me how to make julehjerter, or 'Christmas hearts'. They are traditionally white and red (Danish flag colours) but you can mix it up a little. The Christmas stars or julestjerne are majestic, three-dimensional decorations that are very easy to make. Below is a video for each.
What are your favourite things to do at Christmas that don't involve spending an obscene amount of money? Share them below, I and I'm sure many others would love to find out.
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