This year we have been celebrating how personal Christmas is to everybody, from family traditions to cultural differences no two Christmases are the same, and that’s what makes it so special. We’ve already shown you what Christmas means to some of our social media family, but today we tell you what it means to our team, here at My 1st Years. From the food to the day it’s celebrated, the differences are easily seen, but everybody loves spending time with family and eating lots of tasty treats.

Aimee-Leigh, Buying Assistant 

Ryan Spillman, R&D Technician

“Christmas to me is about catching up with old friends over a drink or two! I enjoy spending the holidays with family members, who I don’t normally see as well as taking a break from distractions like computers and the TV so that I can get time to really bond with everyone.“

Kate Collington, Head Of Merchandising

“Christmas eve is huge in our family, we always have a big family meal – the kids get new Pj’s and we track Santa. The kids leave carrots for the reindeer and a mulled wine for Santa before we send them off to bed. Then there is always some last minute wrapping for my husband! Will he ever learn? We leave empty sacks at the bottom of everyone’s bed before we finally go to sleep too. This is my favourite part, knowing the children are asleep and there is only one more sleep until they have the best day ever- it’s so magical. Christmas day, we’re all up early and Santa sacks for everyone! Then we go to church for 10 am, before heading back for the Christmas lunch. After lunch, it’s time for tree presents, these are gifts from family rather than Santa. It’s important the kids know they have to thank people, not just Santa. The evening is just spent playing with toys and eating!

Vika Mutelika, Embroidery Operative

“Of all the holidays, Christmas is the most special for my family because we celebrate it twice on the 25th of December and on the 7th of January and each time is celebrated with the same great joy. It’s like in a fairy tale where Christmas never ends.
The whole occasion is filled with gifts, lots of great food and most of all a lot of joy and warm feelings. It’s the time of miracles when we can enjoy ourselves and dream about a better world. I believe that gifts of love and happiness are the basic ingredients of a truly wonderful Christmas in our family.“

Jolanta Pietka , Quality Control

“Christmas is a really important time of year for me and my family. On Christmas Eve everybody comes to my house where you can smell all the nice food, see the Christmas tree with nice lights on and presents for everyone after, it’s just a beautiful time for us. The whole family waits for the first star to appear in the sky and when we see it all family sit around the table where there are many delicious Christmas foods, we sing Carols and divide the wafer. Our custom is to have 12 different meals on the table and we always leave an empty plate for someone from the street. It’s on this evening that our door is always open and people are welcome to come to our warm house and have a meal with us. Christmas is a magical time and in those days miracles come true.“

Dom Wint, Graphic Designer

“To me, Christmas means making the long trip back to West Wales to be surrounded by my friends and family.  I usually spend my Christmas Eve catching up with my old schoolmates over several pints of beer, which makes for an even more satisfying Christmas Day breakfast. Buck’s Fizz (or what people in London seem to call ‘Mimosas’) is a must on Christmas Day morning – followed by the gifts, of course. Awful TV and a late Christmas lunch take up the rest of the day. I guess for me, Christmas is being surrounded by the people that mean the very most to you, and switching off from reality for the day.“

Pat Gibbs, Customer Service Adviser

Christmas is a time for children with the anticipation and excitement that this time of year brings. Putting up the tree and going to bed being told that Father Christmas will be visiting, I love seeing the excitement in the eyes of the children when they realise something special is going to happen. In the morning the two boys wake very early to find a stocking filled with delights, it’s so special hearing the giggling and laughter. Then they go down the stairs and don’t believe their eyes, seeing presents under the tree, they never know where to start!

Nothing makes Christmas quite as special as that.

Alicja Sliwinska, Head of Content, Social Media & PR

“My parents are traditional when it comes to celebrating Christmas. The Christmas Eve dinner starts when the first star appears in the sky. Just before the dinner, all family members share what we call ‘oplatek’ (it’s a Christmas wafer) and we wish each other the most beautiful things for next year. It’s the most ancient Polish tradition of all. We don’t eat meat on the 24th, but it doesn’t matter as there are many traditional dishes and desserts that keep us sitting at the table for hours. You have to try at least 12 dishes over the day. Then it’s present time, dessert and midnight mass. On the 25th and 26th of Dec, we try to visit other family members, share the wafer with them and keep eating (including meat). For me, apart from family, of course, all these traditions make this time of the year very magical and special.“