Christmas is a time when many of us get a few days off and enjoy a few treats while sparing a thought for those who work through the festive period. We asked the team to describe what ‘treat’ means to them.
Richard Hall
What makes the perfect Christmas treat? It could be something lavish like a piece of jewellery. It could be something indulgent like a Buck’s Fizz to wake up to. It could be the idea that everyone in your family goes to a restaurant or hotel and lets someone else have all the work and the worry. Or it could be something utterly prosaic, like offering to do the washing up after the big meal.
But the real question is why does anyone need a treat at Christmas? Most of the people I see when I’m out and about are treating themselves all the time. I could understand it if folk were deprived of such things the other 364 days of the year – or 363, if you discount birthdays. It then makes much more sense to do something special on Christmas Day for someone you think deserves it.
Richard Price
My Christmas treat is really a festive confessional.
She’s long gone now, but as a youngster I was blessed with an extremely generous godmother. Although rarely seen, she compensated by choosing extra special birthday and Christmas gifts for me, and when I espied the beautifully wrapped items and her handwritten tag, I always anticipated a treat. Sadly, and it can now be told, I either broke or lost most of them within hours. I am what our American cousins call a ‘klutz’.
The first I recall, as perhaps an eight-year-old, was a black mug adorned in hand-painted and intricate gold lettering with the traits of a Leo, my star sign. This I eagerly unpacked from my stocking in the early hours of Christmas Day, but within an hour it had rolled off my bed, shattering into a dozen pieces. As ever, the statutory ‘thank you’ note was duly despatched, and silent thanks given that my benefactor rarely visited.
When I entered my teens, the gifts became more sophisticated. I was thrilled to receive a sterling silver identity bracelet inscribed with my name (this was the 70s, let’s not forget!). I wore it for, oh, hours, before it was gone – left, probably, in a changing room somewhere after a school rugby match. Next came a silver collar bar – Google it! As an apprentice dandy, I relished the chance to add this accessory to my wardrobe. Or I would have done, had it not vanished into thin air within minutes of being unwrapped. A posh pen set, comprised of an ornate fountain pen and biro, went next, doubtless ending up in some schoolmate’s pencil case, and the theme continued.
Thankfully, my bountiful godmother never knew how her feckless godson had been so careless with her lavish gifts. There is one consolation, though; almost her final gift to me came when I reached drinking age – a pair of stunning cut-glass whisky tumblers. More than 40 Christmases later they are still pressed, carefully, into action, to toast her. Merry Christmas Auntie Joan, and thank you again.
Gemma Gould
For me, the best Christmas treat isn’t a gift or food, but the joy I see on the faces of those who enjoy our Christmas displays. Each year, we decorate our home with twinkling lights and a stunning outdoor display that attracts both children and adults. However, it’s our Lego winter village that truly brings the magic to life. There’s something special about the intricate scenes – tiny figures skating on frozen ponds, snow-dusted rooftops, and miniature trees aglow with lights. People of all ages stop to marvel at it, pointing out details and sharing memories of their own festive traditions. The pièce de résistance is the Winter Village train, which moves round a track, visiting Santa’s Workshop, Santa’s Post Office, and then travels down into the town.
The reactions we get – the wide-eyed wonder of children and the nostalgic smiles of adults – make Christmas truly meaningful. It’s a gift to the community, a reminder of the joy the season brings. In those moments, I realise that Christmas isn’t about presents or food, but about creating experiences that spread happiness and bring people together. That’s the treat I cherish most each year: the shared delight and sense of connection it creates.
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