From Icelandic trolls to explosive turkeys, our team’s festive traditions span cultures and continents. As the festive season approaches, we asked members of the Student Leadership Team to share the unique rituals, heartwarming, hilarious, and occasionally hazardous, that make this time of year special for them and their families. Here’s how we celebrate.
Dilly (Head Girl): At around 11 pm in the lead up to Christmas, my sister and I assemble and decorate a gingerbread house without instructions, and try to be as ‘creative’ as possible. I also go on her shoulders to put the angel at the top of the tree.
Scarlett (Scott House Captain): We open stockings in bed before going downstairs for mimosas and bigger presents – all while in our pyjamas!
Jam (Meredith House Captain): Every year without fail, my family and I make double-decker sandwiches on Boxing Day with all our leftovers. If you want to recreate, you HAVE to use white bread!!!!!!!
Cecilia (UP Editor): Growing up, my family celebrated two Christmases, one in Europe and one back in Texas, but the Texan one was definitely my favourite. Probably because nothing says “Christmas cheer” like your dad nearly blowing up the entire block trying to deep fry a turkey. And once the turkey (and the rest of the neighbourhood) survived, we’d finish the day by launching ourselves into the swimming pool, still dressed in our nicest Christmas outfits, because why the hell not!
Anna (Head of Sustainability & the Environment): I celebrate with my Icelandic family who live in London, so we have some pretty funky traditions. In Iceland, there isn’t a Santa, but 13 trolls, the sons of the witch Grýla, who come each day on the 12 days after Christmas to wreak havoc on your house. It’s tradition to get visits from trolls like Þvörusleikir (spoon-licker) to Hurðaskellir (door-slammer). I recommend looking up the whole family and their ways of disrupting the peace in Icelandic villages. However, the trolls gradually became more civilised during the last century and started bringing gifts instead, therefore Icelandic kids leave shoes by their door to get small gifts each day. It’s pretty funny to imagine the trolls trekking all the way from their cave in Iceland to SW20 to give us their gifts, and this tradition is pretty special to me.
Emilie (Head of Transition & Induction): This year, I will be visiting my German family just outside Hamburg. On Sunday 21st December, the last candle on the ‘adventskranz’ (Christmas wreath) is lit. Germany, the home of the Christmas Tree, takes the decoration of the tree very seriously. Once all the cousins carry the tree home from the forest, each branch is decorated with red ribbon and lit candles (a very worrying fire hazard in my eyes). However, everyone is reassured by the small bucket of water standing below the tree, just in case… While the church service takes place on the 24th, ‘der weihnachtsmann’ (Santa) visits and presents are opened on return in the evening
Thandi (1880 Ambassador): Christmas food testing. Throughout December, my mum and I eat different Christmas food items to see which foods would be suitable for Christmas dinner. Sometimes it’s because we want to change up the menu, sometimes it’s because we’re suddenly craving pigs in blankets and Lebkuchen stars. Either way, it maintains the holiday spirit through the cold and wet month and sedates our appetite.
