Everyone celebrates Christmas differently, everyone has their own traditions and routines, and whether Christmas is a full-on event or a quiet family affair, its unique to everyone. I always love asking people what their plans are for Christmas and explaining my own, and I also love taking people's recommendations for films to watch and songs to listen to, so that I can get into the Christmas spirit.
Here at Nobull, we thought we would share how we celebrate Christmas, from our favourite films and songs to our traditions and favourite Christmas activities.
Favourite films
Chloe
My favourite movie is The Grinch. I'm definitely the complete opposite of him since I absolutely love Christmas, but there's something about his character that's just a vibe. Plus, the movie has so many iconic lines! Max is secretly the real star of the show, you can't convince me otherwise "Tuesday at 11 o'clock, I’ll wallow in self-pity." – Grinch
Flo
My favourite Christmas film has to be Arthur Christmas, I think it’s such an underrated film! It’s got such a great cast with Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Laurie and James McAvoy. The whole film just feels so Christmassy and really gets me in the mood for Christmas.
Owen
My favourite Christmas movie is The Grinch, because Jim Carrey is the man (Actual answer: because it’s a Christmas favourite across the whole family, and I’ve probably watched it about 100 times in my life. There was a point I could quote the entire film word for word)
Jesse
My all-time favourite Christmas movie has to be Klaus. This Netflix Original animation offers a unique and heartwarming take on the origin of Santa. It’s incredibly wholesome, genuinely funny, and brilliantly written. Since it premiered in 2019, my sisters and I have made it a tradition to watch it together every year. I can’t recommend it enough - it’s perfect for all ages! Plus, it’s got a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so you know it’s a must-watch!
Favourite songs
Chloe
Tis the season to be jolly! My Spotify wrap-up might say I’m all about the "rumble", with my playlists full of boom, bow, and beep. But when it comes to Christmas, it's all about jazz and worship music. "O Holy Night" especially holds a special place in my heart—it’s my grandma's and mom’s favourite song, and it brings back all the memories of my childhood.
Flo
Christmas music has been slightly ruined for me by working in retail, and having it blasted at me all day for months. I will say that Jingle Bell Rock always gets me singing along and gets me feeling all Christmassy
Owen
Trick question, they’re all terrible.
Jesse
My favourite Christmas song has to be Fairytale of New York. Every time I hear it, I’m transported back to that iconic scene in Gavin and Stacey, where Bryn and Nessa belt it out in the pub. There’s humour, there’s warmth, and a little chaos – Christmas in a nutshell! In general, though, the song just always creates a comforting sense of nostalgia for me. It’s one of those timeless tracks that everyone seems to know and love, which makes it feel even more special.
Kally
Wham’s Last Christmas, I know loads of people hate it but for me it has always been the best. I find it poignant that George Michael passed away at Christmas time, he was such a huge talent & a big-hearted, kind person, the embodiment of what the festive season should be about!
Our Christmas Traditions
Chloe
Christmas is the grand event of the year at my house. I come from a family that decorates every inch of the home, wraps each present like it's a work of art, and the smell of freshly baked goodies for a month. Besides the glitz and glam, the tradition I cherish the most is attending midnight mass with my family. It’s a moment that reminds me of all the blessings I'm thankful for throughout the year.
Flo
We have quite a few traditions in my family, one that has really stuck with me is creating our Christmas hampers. For our immediate family, we always made hampers instead of buying gifts. This meant weeks of making chutneys, fudges, biscuits…the kitchen was always busy! I always made Florentines, mainly for the obvious reason of Florence making Florentines, but they are also now one of my favourite things to bake, even if they are a pain!
Owen
Believe it or not, my favourite activity is cooking an enormous roast lunch. I know people find that the most stressful part, but I just take my time with the prep and do some the night before, and that’s half the work done. And then, at the end of it, you get a huge, delicious roast to eat. PS season your roast potatoes. I only really have two traditions, and I can’t pick between them. The first one is finishing off any prep for the Christmas lunch with The Grinch on in the background (I love cooking). The other one is setting the table with a scratchcard for each person – the current record is a £40 win off a £2 ticket!
Jesse
In my family, we always wait until December 1st to kick off any Christmas celebrations. My absolute favourite part is watching Klaus together; it’s hands down the best Christmas movie. By then, the Christmas tree is usually up, the decorations are out, and the fireplace is crackling, making everything feel so cosy and heartwarming. On Christmas Day itself, we open stockings first thing in the morning (even with me and my sisters all being in our 20s!) with a glass of Bucks Fizz. It’s the perfect way to set the tone for the day.
Kally
It was only a couple of years ago my dad stopped reading “The Night before Christmas” to us after we’d put out our stockings 😃 My partner’s family found it slightly weird, especially as we have no children and my brother and I are in our forties! But that was always my favourite tradition, all snuggled up and listening to the story before bedtime on Christmas Eve. Now it is more like drinking Baileys and playing card games until gone midnight – awesome fun but definitely not as wholesome!
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