The Christmas Countdown

"December in my favourite sweater"

One of many wonderful prints from the Sarah Jane Studios

The new traditions and the old.

The month of December and Advent in both Norway and in the UK means the delicious countdown to Christmas and the holidays. It's a time to enjoy running around trying to find the perfect presents for friends and family and to slowly get ready for time spent at home as well as out seeing friends at the end of a busy year.

But there are a few variations in the way things are done.  In my family we had beautiful tradtional paper advent calenders like this one by Matthew Rice ( husband of Emma Bridgewater) which this year my mum has sent Theodore, isn't she amazing!

....and perhaps we would also light an advent candle too.

Here in Norway the traditions are a little different, but i'm really enjoying adopting them.

On the first sunday of advent Norwegians put up an advent/christmas star in the window, like these:

Our Kitchen star

The one in our sittingroom.

The colour of the month is purple and a lovely new friend here gave me an advent flower to celebrate that fact:

In my husband's family they hang up a material advent calender and fill it with small presents, one for each day, from the Julenisse (Father Christmas) for the children. This is Theodore's:

This is my fabulous advent calender from my sister in law which she brought back from a weekend away in Berlin. It's an advent tea calender with a different organic herbal tea for each day:

I love it, what a genius idea, i can now can drink a different delicious tea everyday until December 24th

Christmas markets with real reindeer, what could be better:

and sleigh rides

Christmas markets in the snow:

Many friends have made a pepperkakehus ( gingerbread house) like this one with their children, which i would love to make with Theodore:

So far we have just made gingerbread men, but they have bee such fun to make and delicious even though they came out quite puffy and nothing like these beautiful ones below:

.......and in our house we have put up lots of lights and red decorations:

Now with just under two weeks to go i need to get the presents wrapped, go into the forest to get greenery to make a wreath and decorate the house and make long lists of things that need baking before my family come for the christmas week. Yipeeee!It's the first time that we've hosted Christmas and for both families, i think it's going to be such fun being all together and doing something completely new.

Have a look at the Veronika Robinson's (from The Mother Magazine)- blogpost about the Winter Solstice it is an inspiring read about this time of year.

Enjoy sign from the cox and cox website.