Countdown to Christmas
Countdown to Christmas
The countdown to Christmas is well underway – the major supermarket retailers are competing to produce the most attractive TV adverts, streets and shops are lit up and decorated as the shortest days of the year approach.
In many ways, Christmas is all about stories, both listening to them and watching them. There are magical worlds which open your eyes in wonder, ballets and theatres, books of beautifully decorated fairy tales, the Nutcracker and the Snow Queen, as well as the story of Christmas itself.
At its heart, Christmas Day is, of course, a Christian religious festival but today it is observed as a major celebration and public holiday around the world by Christians and non-Christians alike. In some countries it has simply become incorporated through global cultural influences which has led to many of the more secular aspects of Christmas such as gift giving, decorations and Christmas trees being enthusiastically adopted
So much of our traditions are due to Charles Dickens and his much-loved book “A Christmas Carol”, as well as the influence of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Based on that, our theme this year for Christmas at Highclere is deeply traditional using shades of red and gold. These colours interspersed with twinkling lights look spectacular against the dark green of the Christmas trees. In fact, it was the continual theme that Geordie remembers from his own childhood when his grandfather lived at Highclere. Unlike today, the same box of Christmas decoration came out each year, rather reassuring in itself!
However, in a world in which we invite visitors in, we have to ring the changes each year and furthermore each room must look a little different. Thus, one of the trees in the library has little books hanging off it whilst the drawing room is covered in frosted Victorian roses. This is such a pretty room, and the icy roses look fabulous against the pale green silk on the walls. As you walk round the State rooms, the theme is interpreted differently in each one until you reach the Saloon which sticks to the red and gold with a spectacular garland running down the main staircase. The red and the gold is continued outside and looks wonderful against the mellow stone in the winter light.
Christmas at Highclere combines both ancient rituals bearing witness to centuries of traditions and more modern customs culled from our own families. It is about memories, reassuring but also sometimes sad as there may well be empty chairs at the table despite life continuing on. My sisters and I always remember our father making the brandy butter on Christmas Eve and then the furore when Nanny ate rather too much of it before Christmas Day. Our Pa died far too long ago but Nanny is very much still here despite eating all that butter. The stories still make us laugh.
If we are lucky and the weather behaves, Christmas can be such a very beautiful time of year here, the Castle etched in frost, the cedars stretching out their strong dark limbs and the cold wintery views enticing us all to go for good walks. The original story was of course set in a very different landscape and climate but here in the UK, it is all combined with staying warm around fires, feasting and looking forward to lighter brighter days.
Part of the essence of Christmas is a little bit of old-fashioned magic mixed with laughter and friendship and perhaps just a touch of indigestion.
31 Comments
How marvellous to still have your Nanny! I am guessing she is reading the Christmas Carol, with a brandy snifter and mince tarts or shortbread?
Lovely the pictures of countdown to Christmas did you and lord Carnarvon have a wonderful weekend lam fan of Downton abbey and highcelere castle
I am coming to visit on Saturday morning with my sister and we are super excited! I’ll look out for you 🧑🎄
I am coming to visit on Saturday morning with my sister and we are super excited! I’ll look out for you 🧑🎄
Hello Lady Carnarvon. Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Such beautiful pictures of Highclere! Thank you for sharing them. Have a wonderful and blessed holiday.
We were just there yesterday.
The cerulean blue sky was a gorgeous
backdrop to the splendor of the grounds and
the castle. Your words resonated with me,
and the hospitality of you, your family, and
your staff was first class. Thank you for letting us
in to share the experience with you all. It had
a profound impact on the 5 of us and was the
perfect setting to etch indelible memories.
I may not be able to thank you enough, but
I can and will fervently pray for good
health, happiness, and peace for you
all. Happy Christmas!! God bless you all!!
That is what I love so much about Christmas apart from being my favourite season is that we take a step back and take time out to spend time with our friends and families. Thinking of others less fortunate than ourselves, supporting each other, thinking of loved ones no longer with us and carrying on the traditions we treasure from childhood and that evoke memories that we cherish.
Thank you, Happy Christmas
Lovely the countdown to Christmas happy Christmas to you and lord Carnarvon and your staff lovely your book you write and lovely highcelere castle with lovely Christmas tree and Downton Abbey
I had to smile this morning when I opened my email and saw the picture of Santa reading your beautiful book. I bought your Christmas book last year and didn't have time to read it, so on Friday after my Christmas tree was up and decorated, I poured a cup of tea and started reading it.
The pictures are amazing, and I will definitely be trying some of your recipes. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home and journey with us. Happy Holidays from Tucson Arizona.
So glad to see that you have kept some traditions. It is just so reassuring to see something familiar at the end of the year.
So many things change in our daily lives that it makes it hard to hold on to the past. I guess every family will make their
own traditions and hopefully maintain them through out the children's life. Lovely job you and your staff have done to your
many rooms. Your guests will be thrilled.
To you and you staff have a Very Merry Christmas
Robert Douch
Vancouver, Canada
Lovely pictures and article.
Highcelere Castle always so beautiful! Mary Christmas! Will visit Highcelere next year again!
Nice older stories of Christmas thank you ,
Such beautiful decorations and such a beautiful setting for them. It does make me nostalgic for Christmas's past.
Wishing you a very happy holiday season from Vancouver, Washington. USA.
I love your remembrances of your Christmas! I will miss this year the mincemeat tarts that my English neighbor would bring of each Christmas! She passed away this year, and I want to try to duplicate her recipe, as a sweeet memory of our friendship!
Lady Carnarvon,
Highclere Castle must seem like a fairy tale from years back in the Christmas season! You have given us such a lovely visual tour of the inside in addition to what our minds remember of the beautiful outside and grounds. It looks like you and Mother Christmas are enjoying a bit of a Christmas book. Is this lovely lady Nanny? Wishing you a safe, merry and Holy Christmas!
Martha G.,
I hope to see this beautiful setup in person someday. Thank you for all the joy you bring this season!
Lady Carnarvon, thank you for sharing such beautiful Christmas scenes from your personal space for readers to enjoy.
Your hard work paid off with the magical trees, mantels, and displays. Happy Christmas to you and your family!.
I would love to see you produce a book of your beautiful Highclere rooms and surrounds, decorated for Christmas sometime that might be available for purchase.
Each room and byway sings carols to the eye !
I'm reading this as I am surrounded by the Christmas decorations my husband and I unpacked and placed today. We use the same ones year after year. We have a nutcracker and other decorations we bought our very first Christmas, 50 years ago. I might arrange things differently from year to year, but seeing the same beloved items year after year brings back memories. I have little ornaments our children made in pre-school and forward still hanging on the tree. Now they are joined by ornaments made by my grandchildren.
Happy Christmas, and may the new year bring you even more blessings.
As usual, Highclere looks glorious for Christmas! My compliments to your staff and you for doing such a wonderful job bringing holiday cheer to all your visitors. Do you keep all your decorations, as they would involve a lot of storage space!
Magnifique ambiance !
All looks beautiful! Merry Christmas to you and yours from Brighton, Michigan, USA
Such a nice read! Thank you. Happy Holidays
Hermoso todo!!! el castillo en navidad seguramente es un sueño hecho realidad! felicidades
Happy Christmas to all.
Dear Lady Carnarvon, I've envisioned you and your family (and pets) enjoying the holidays at Highclere. You truly deserve the beauty that surrounds you, as you are all excellent stewards of this magnificent estate. Happy Christmas and thank you ever so much for sharing your home with all of us at this special time.
How beautiful. A Happy Christmas to you and your family.
Thank you for providing tThank you for providing this unique atmosphere, as only Christmas can bring. Even more so in a setting like Highclere Castle. . To you, Lady Carnarvon, and all your family, Merry Christmas.
Emanuela Babbini .
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Lovely thoughts and memories and it all started with Jesus! A Happy Christmas to you from St. Louis, Missouri!