Festive 5: Siobhan Claude Van-Damme

On the blog this week I’ve lined up some fantastic bloggers and friends to take part in my Festive 5 series. They’ll be asked five questions all about the season – mainly because I’m nosey like that and Christmas makes me happy! Siobhan, over at Siobhan Claude Van-Damme has popped by today. Say hello!

1.Where will you spend Christmas this year?

Up until I met M, my husband, Christmas was very much set in stone. I’d go to my parent’s house, I’d wake up early on Christmas morning, make tea for my sister to apologise for waking her up and then we would have church, family friends, bacon sandwiches with gift unwrapping and then a bit later the meal. Since I’ve been with M though, we had one Christmas just the two of us and one in Canada with his parents. This year we will be with my parents, but in Bridport in a cottage with my siblings and uncle. I’m already making playlists for the car drive there and excited as we get to take Hamsterman (our hamster) with us.

2. What are your favourite Christmas memories?

As you can probably guess from my answer above I quite like all the tradition of a family Christmas. My memories are often very silly moments – like last year when we were all in pyjamas playing X Box games that M’s wee brother got for Christmas, or of the year we got musical crackers and ended up trying to play a tune together as a family. My absolute favourite memories are based around church. There was the year they had a carol service before midnight mass and the organist and congregation were singing the carols at different speeds. I can’t remember which sibling started laughing first, but then we were nearly rolling in the aisles. Our mum banned us from attending after that. Or there was the year my Dad was called to the front by the priest and he said the wrong name. I was in the music group and accidentally let out a very high-pitched squeak from my recorder. For me this is a time for family and I try not to forget “the reason for the season” so my memories are tied up with that.

3. What are your must see films for the festive season?

I LOVE Scrooged (though I find it very scary at times) and always want to watch When Harry Met Sally as well. Also Muppet’s Christmas Carol. I think those are the prime three for me.

4. What is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

I met M through Join Me and shortly after we met he moved to Canada. I’d planned to visit him there for New Year but could not afford that so went to stay with him later in the January instead. Join Me has a big meet in December called Karmageddon and at the meet up just before I went out to see M, I was given a Christmas present from my friend Claire. It was a guide-book to Canada, and in the back were Canadian dollars for my trip. She had coordinated a group of lovely joinees to contribute money so M and I could have a magical time together. We really did too. Whenever I think of that gift, the thoughtfulness and the generosity and all the people behind it I can’t help but smile.

5. What are you looking forward to most about Christmas?

I probably can’t say the food can I? My family are obsessed with food so this has been being planned with precision. I think we are having roast beef this year (sadly my Dad hates both turkey and sprouts) and there will be baby carrots and shallots, we’ll have a gammon and pea and ham soup, we’ll have lentil and chorizo soup from me, veggie curry from my brother, my sister is bringing her legendary brownies and I am bringing my apple and pear cake. We’re also bringing chocolates from Bruges with us for the trip. A week of very good eating with the people I love! What a wonderful time of year!

Visit Siobhan’s blog, Siobhan Claude Van-Damme

♥