Scottish Christmas

It’s that time of year again! In less than a week Santa will have visited all the good little boys and girls, the presents will have been opened, the dinner cooking away, the Christmas music blasting from every home, and family fun and festivities will be in full swing!
Many standard traditions will be fulfilled such as your grandparents or parents giving their annual ‘you don’t know how lucky you are…all I got in my day speech’. My Gran claims she got an apple and orange for Christmas. It would explain why she’s still going strong at 90 years old, you know what they say; an apple a day…
However, it seems that the concept of a traditional Christmas is a very distant memory. There are more homes with central heating than fires and kiddies receiving technological gifts from Santa such as mobile phones and iPods instead of bears and dolls but some things never change. In Scotland, even in changing times we like so many others will surround ourselves with family and the ones we love. We swap gifts, enjoy drinks and get all dressed up (even if we are just going to a family members house). Many will decide to stay in their pyjamas all day as Christmas is their first day to relax after the crazy working period leading to the 25th but most will stay in their pyjamas instead of venturing outside into the often adverse weather conditions!
Then, the food! Maybe its purpose is to heat everyone up but soup tends to be a popular starter! Scotland’s traditional Christmas dinner like many other countries is turkey with all the trimmings. Other dishes include steak pie or beef. The table is always set with crackers in place, the crackers will be pulled, the terrible joke told and then your lovely outfit will be accompanied by a silly paper crown. One family member will of course decide this is the time to take a photograph, thanks for that!
As the day draws in and things calm down, the family will often collect in one room and listen to music or watch the Queen’s speech, or Christmas movies. You quickly realise the meaning of Christmas when you realise how much you have laughed and enjoyed the day and look around at the people who made that possible.
On that note we would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to you and yours from Houston Kiltmakers in Paisley. We hope you have a fantastic day!