Advent with me

It’s December 1 and so officially we’re allowed to start thinking about Christmas. Honestly I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. Usually it starts in August when my mum asks me when I’m planning on coming up for Christmas, what date, how long for and what would I want as a present.
But now it’s December, and advent, and the season of preparation starts in earnest. And so the frantic shopping, catching up with all the friends you only catch up with in the run up to Christmas, juggling Christmas drinks, dinners and celebrations begins.
Willow and I agreed we’d blog advent this year and on this frosty December 1 I find myself with her and other lovely friends in Edinburgh, paying homage to a tradition that began when we were students – the annual Edinburgh fake Christmas.
Years ago we’d all gather, and cook and eat together, our friends as substitute family, sharing early Christmas together before going home to our real families. Somehow it’s a tradition that has lasted beyond graduation.
So a decade later here we are again.
The cold and the dark lend themselves to cosying up, to chewing the fat, revisiting old stories, and sharing hopes for the future. I love advent for the gatherings. Whatever form they take – cocktail parties, intimate dinners, sitting around in pyjamas watching a costume drama – the gatherings are one of the best traditions of the season.