Hello All,
This year, CBC and I shall be spending Christmas in Cape Town, South Africa with CBC's old housemate who lives there. It's been planned for over a year and we are very excited about it.
But.. it means that Christmas will be very different. No church services and Midnight Mass, cold cosy excitement and anticipation, seeing family, no going between family in Essex, Kent and Northumberland. We're not exchanging presents with some members of our family as we will not be seeing them. Christmas day will be hot. There will be no turkey, potatoes, sprouts, but instead, a barbecue (A Bri I think it's called but I don't know how to spell it) no family.
In a sense, I feel very sad about it. I am a real one for tradition and things not changing.
But, at the same time, it means Advent for me, will be all the more special. Luckily, my church has its carol service today on the first Sunday of Advent. It means I will be there for it. It means I will take opportunities to eat turkey at work dos, it means that I will see family earlier if I can.
I've signed up for the Bible Society's #AdventChallenge which we be a different way of doing things.
I've said yes to a few more gigs and opportunities. My flute quartet have another John Lewis Christmas gig so I will be able to enjoy more carols.
What I am trying to say that is that Advent will be all the more special this year for being different. A fresh new outlook.
Despite the fact I have a stinking cold, I will relish the carol service tomorrow as I relished meeting up with friends tonight. I will relish seeing family. It means we are going to Northumberland in January to see CBC's parents so in a sense we have something to look forward to.
And actually, perhaps being in South Africa for Advent will mean that away from all the usual trappings back here, I will be able to think about Christmas and Jesus and the true meaning anew.
How will you mark Advent?
xx
Sunday, November 27, 2016
16 comments:
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Wow! That's different. I hope you have a brilliant time with your friends and find time for family at other points in the month. And that all the Advent stuff is truly special for you too. I know you'll be making lots of wonderful music x
ReplyDeletewe do celebrate Midnight Mass here in South Africa - hope your Christmas is a very special one.
ReplyDeleteThe Cape is breathtakingly beautiful ! enjoy the 'braai' !
Have a wonderful time
ReplyDeleteJulie xxxxxxxx
I hope you'll have a wonderful time in South Africa. I imagine that it will quite different and interesting. x
ReplyDeleteThat sounds incredible!! And it will make your next traditional Christmas feel more magical too :) xxx
ReplyDeleteWow! Well, you'll love it there I'm sure and what a lovely adventure for you and your CBC.
ReplyDeleteWe are having lasagna and candles and singing tonight at Kelli's. Bill and I will do our own little advent talking/singing/lighting candle #2/praying next Sunday and then I don't know.
I'm sorry you have a cold! Prayers for healing!
love love love and happy singing.
My Advent won't be much different, expect that it will be my last Advent in this house because I will be moving out of it this Spring. I suppose that will make it a bit bitter sweet for me.
ReplyDeleteI love how you look at celebrating Christmas at Cape Town as a new opportunity to reexamine the meaning of Advent and Christmas...I personally love the traditions, but when we get at the bottom of things, Christmas is so much more than gifts and traditions. There is a spiritual dimension of Christmas and Advent that we sometimes forget about...and it is good that you're thinking about it.
p.s. I sometimes avoid the news too, precisely because I'm always moved by everything I see and then it all becomes overwhelming.
Wow, that is quite some different Christmas you'll be having, it sounds wonderfully exciting! xx
ReplyDeleteChristmas will certainly be different for you this year Kezzie, but all the things you have planned before you go will mean you will have the best of both worlds. xxx
ReplyDeleteWow, Christmas in Cape Town! It will be weird having a warm Christmas, but at the same time exciting and different.
ReplyDeleteMark advent. Uuuhhh, well we did light the candles on my little Christmas pyramid yesterday. Mostly we will just be running round like headless chickens dealing with visitors though - 4 just left, 3 more are coming the weekend after next, in between I have to work, go to Germany today for our Christmas meal then be actually in the office tomorrow for my annual assessment meeting, wash all the towels and bedding ready for the next set of visitors, finish wrapping gifts then finally fly to England for Christmas. Not much time advent, but I'm not religious anyway so it would only be lighting candles and eating Christmas biscuits if we did do it.
I have signed up for the Advent Challenge too - it's a bit like 40 Acts but for Advent not Lent. Always a good thing to spread a bit of generosity! Thank you for the prompt to do so.
ReplyDeleteI hope your Advent will be blessed and you'll find new & exciting ways to celebrate Christmasin South Africa.
This will be a different Christmas and one which will create it's own special set of memories for you to look back on one day.
ReplyDeleteAs you say you have a wonderful family gathering to look forward to in January and it's so important to have that going into a new year I think.
Lisa x
I was always fascinated by my parents' stories of trips to the beach on Christmas Day, swimming in the sea and sunbathing. My dad's parents were both English by birth and insisted on the full roast dinner, which in hot and humid Durban summers were not the best choice, he reports! And now you will get to experience a South African Christmas - I am so jealous! I am sure you will have a wonderful time.
ReplyDeleteOh, and it's braai.
After I spent Xmas day abroad I never looked back and saw the British Xmas for what it was, all about consumerism and excess. I'm sure they'll be a church service you can join if you so wish.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time! x
Well it should be nice and warm in SA ...
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
This does sound exciting! I'd love to go away for Christmas - just once. And think how lovely it will be next year, when you've experienced a different Christmas and get to return to the traditions of your 'normal' festivities! Oh Kezzie, I do hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDelete