Time is passing and if you haven’t given any thought to Christmas yet, it probably won’t be long before twinkling lights and shop displays will act as timely reminders that the weeks are ticking past.
However, not all Christmases are the same. Children grow up and may want to spend it elsewhere, relatives may decide to bestow their favours on another member of the family, or plans may change. Suddenly the prospect of a different sort of Christmas may pop up on the horizon. Thinking outside the ‘norm’ can sometimes be a little challenging, so we decided to go straight to the top and ask THE expert on Christmas how he would spend the festive season if things changed for him.
We found Father Christmas (aka Santa Claus) busy in his workshop in the snowy wastes of the North Pole, and asked him first, what Christmas meant for him…
“It’s the best time of the year for me, but it is exhausting and I always look forward to a good rest afterwards! I do feel the most important thing is to spend time with others if you can, and to really enter into the festive spirit. Because I spend most of the year up here, it’s nice to get out and see somewhere different – in my case the rest of the world – as a change of scene can work wonders if the year has caught up with you.”
As a holiday company we understand how important it is to make time away as special as possible, so the next question for FC was how would he spend the Christmas holiday if he wasn’t working.
“Not working? Ho ho ho! [yes, he does actually say that.] That’s a hard thing to imagine because I don’t really see my work as ‘work’, it’s a vocation, but I’ll try. I think the first thing would be to have things organised for me. Because there’s so much organisation required in my job, having things all taken care of would certainly be a luxury. Next, I think some pleasant surroundings. As I’m a little isolated up here, a stay in an historic city or a country house would be nice, or even somewhere by the sea. It’s also good to get out, so if there were some outings – perhaps to a Christmas market, a museum or a historic house, or even a ride on a steam train (we don’t get many of those in the North Pole!) that would be perfect.”
When we asked about entertainment and food, it took the great man several minutes to recover.
“Entertainment! Until you’ve worked with 25,000 elves and eight reindeer you can’t imagine what entertainment is! Having heard the same jokes for hundreds of years, a change of entertainment is certainly tempting. I do enjoy music so a holiday that offered a concert or perhaps some operetta or jazz would be lovely. And I’m jolly good at quizzes too, particularly when it comes to country information – well, I would be really.”
Folding his hands across a large expanse of red tummy he continued …
“When it comes to food, a break from the cooking would be bliss for Mrs. Christmas. As you can probably guess, I do enjoy a good lunch and the preparation and planning can be exhausting. I see so many mums and grandmothers still working away in the kitchen in the early hours of Christmas day getting things ready. Not only should they be having a rest in readiness for the big day, but it makes my job quite difficult sometimes. It’s hard to hide when you’re dressed in red and carrying a sack. So yes, having someone else cook a delicious lunch and being looked after would be jolly nice.”
Finally, we asked Father Christmas what would be the single most important thing for him about a holiday at Christmas time.
“The company of other people, without a doubt. It’s not called the season of goodwill for nothing and sharing Christmas with others is what it’s all about. Strangers soon become friends, united by the common bond of this special time of year. A convivial atmosphere, being looked after, an outing or entertainment, celebrating the joys of Christmas together … what more could one ask? I’m afraid I can’t be with you this year, but I’m certainly old enough to join a Saga holiday, so you never know…”
Please note: While this interview is fictitious, the types of Christmas holidays referred to are very real! If you would like to treat yourself to one of our special Christmas getaways, there are lots to choose from including those with outings, concerts, and a steam train ride!
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