Emily Benet's Advent Calendar!

Emily's Advent Calendar of Christmas Goodness

As families grow, the pattern of Christmas changes. Us little kids are now big kids. Some of us have our own kids. We take it in turns to see different sides of our extended families and our traditions adapt and evolve. Although Christmas isn't as breathlessly exciting as it was when I was little, there are still plenty of things I love and look forward to. Here's my advent calendar of the best bits. I hope I've included at least one of yours:

1. Spontaneous Carol Singing - (you can always rely on my British family to burst into song at the dinner table. Classics include 'Who Killed Cock Robin?' and 'I am the music man'. My Colombian family sing too, though a little less in tune. Meanwhile my Spanish family have yet to make their carol singing debut.)

2. Mince pies and double cream - (to be eaten for breakfast in the days running up to Christmas.)

3. Lighting the Christmas pudding - (more fun than eating it.)

 

4. Midnight Mass - (with my Mum pointing out the nativity she finished late at night on the kitchen floor.)

5. My Grampa - (with his big smile. You'll be greatly missed this year.)

6. Cheese, crackers and port - (appearing when you think you can't eat any more...)

7. Bad jokes in Crackers - (Knock knock who's there? The same joke as last year!)

8. Stockings - (nothing is as exciting as feeling the crackle of a stocking at the end of your bed. If I ever have kids, I'll love making them one.)

 

9. Christmas Dinner - (thanks auntie, I don't know how you do it year in year out.)

10. Christmas Tree Smell - (reminds me of a special village in the Pyrenees, my childhood paradise)  

11. Fairy Lights - (twinkly white ones please)

12. Mulled Wine - (Oh, go on then.)

 

13. Mulled Cider - (to be drunk outside, with a hog roast)

14. Charcoal smell in the air - ( just pretend you know what I mean)

15. Cousins - (especially looking forward to seeing the one who went off to live in Nepal!)

16. Sherry - (Crofts for my auntie, Tio Pepe for me and my grandma)

17. Baubles - (big, glass ones.)

 

18. Downton Abbey Grand Finale - (there's always some finale or other to be watched on telly.)

19. Siblings Unite - (I haven't celebrated Christmas with my brother for 3 years. Funniest guy ever. Can't wait!)

20. Mimosas in the morning - (a tradition yet to be made but I'm working on it.)

21. Kids - (without them, all the adults tend to doze off watching the telly.)

22. Wrapping paper - (little or big, a present isn't a present if it isn't wrapped up!)

 

23. Games - (charades, Cranium, Lego... there's got to be at least one game.)

24. Family - (more than presents, what I look forward to at Christmas is spending time with the people I love! Soppy? Maybe. But it's true!)

I'm writing this from Bogota, Colombia, where there are no seasons. It's neither cold nor hot and I have no sense of Christmas yet. I know it's around the corner though and soon it will smell of oranges and cinnamon. Writing this has made me excited. I hope it has put you in a festive mood too. Wherever you are, whatever your traditions, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Emily Benet is the author of Harper Impulse titles The Temp and #PleaseRetweet.

Author Bio-
Emily Benet is an award winning blogger and author. Her new novel #PleaseRetweet is out now and is all about society's obsession with social media, a subject close to her heart!

Her debut book, Shop Girl Diaries, began as a blog about working in her Mum's chaotic chandelier shop. It was commissioned as a book by Salt Publishing and later turned into a short film starring Katy Wix which was shown at The London Short Film Festival 2014.

Her second book, The Temp, began as a serialised novel on Wattpad. It racked up two million hits, leading her to sign a two book deal with Harper Collins.

Emily runs Blogging and Social Networking workshops, lectures at Universities and has contributed to numerous publications including Publishing Talk, Mslexia and Writers & Artists. Her guidebook Blogging for Beginners is available as an ebook.

Check our her weekly blog, join her Facebook Author Page or check out her Tweets. She can't promise to be serious though.