Love it or hate it, Christmas is approaching again. Adults begin thinking about buying presents and the big Christmas lunch. Are they hosting it at home or going elsewhere?
With families divided by miles because of the need to move for work, many feel that it is the one time of year that they would like to meet up and share that special time together. A big holiday cottage with a large dining table provides the venue. Often this Christmas gathering is a multi generation affair which is lovely for the older generation if they can cope with the activity. Some will be grateful to be invited and look forward to a being with other members of the family for what could be a very lonely time otherwise.
Look around and there is a multitude of self-catering cottages to rent for those big family occasions and the cost when shared between all members of the group may be surprisingly affordable.
Organising a big family Christmas party is a challenge. Members of the family may need to travel for miles to get there. Everyone will arrive at different times, will they require transport from airports and railway stations? Who is around to collect them?
Ordering and organising the food can also be fraught with potential pitfalls unless double checked with everyone planning to come. Vegetarians, coeliacs and those with intolerances for various food stuffs can make the task quite difficult. The easy way of avoiding those difficulties is to request that those people provide their own nibbles or special foods.
The big supermarkets will deliver food to your holiday cottage in most areas unless you plan to visit the Outer Hebrides. Be organised, list every single item that you will require and let the supermarket do the hard work of collecting, packing and transporting.
Holiday cottages available for Christmas are more often than not decked out for the festive season. Do talk to the cottage owner or lettings agency before you book to find out whether the decorations meet your requirements.
It can really nice to catch up with distant parts of the family in a cottage for Christmas, however, one person will need to be responsible for making the booking and payment, and it helps if several others volunteer for cooking, cleaning and planning entertainment.
Another critical factor at Christmas when cooking a large meal with several courses is to be sure that there is ample crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils. Lots of extra dishes will be needed for all the nibbles and use either disposables or bring additional dishes from home. The success of a big family Christmas very much depends on the organisation and co-operation of the entire family.
Let’s face it, the same formula every Christmas may no longer hold as much appeal and if you have started dreading the approaching festive season, perhaps you should consider running away for Christmas to a holiday cottage, hotel or cruise.
I know of grandparents who simply cannot face the noise and hullaballoo of a family Christmas with their numerous grandchildren. Are they shirking their responsibilities? Absolutely not, grandchildren belong to the next generation and grandparents can feel free to escape to the kind of Christmas that they will enjoy.