Santa's Grotto - A Family Christmas Tradition

Santa’s Grotto – A Family Christmas Tradition

It seems like just yesterday that we were seeing in the new year, and yet now today is the first of December. The

first weekend in December is when we carry out what has become a family tradition. In December 1982 the church in the village I grew up in started running a Santa’s Grotto and that when I first went as a 2-year-old. Thirty-six years later and we were back there today with our girls once more.

We’ve been t to this Santa’s Grotto with our daughters every year since they were born. It’s very much a family tradition. Their cousins have also done the same. Later in December, I will dig out some of the old photos of this wonderful little place throughout the years.

Out with the Polaroid

Once upon a time, before camera phones and digital cameras, you could pay extra to have your photo with Santa taken on a Polaroid camera and you took it away with you there and then. Magic eh! But, when the Poloroid went into demise they stopped offering them and now people go in armed with their iPhones and Samsungs instead.

Me? I still take my proper camera for this special moment.

Amazing

For a small church hall, it really is amazing what they do to create the grotto. They build a snaking tunnel, lit with UV light, that you have to follow around until you get to the big man himself – Santa!

It’s getting really busy, and while it’a long time since I lived in the village and the residents change I always bump into someone I know when I go back. Today I actually bumped into my Uncle and some of his family. I found myself talking to my cousin’s husband, who I have seen since the day they married – about 30 years ago!

Let the Christmas build-up begin

I know I wrote recently about the 15 things I hate about Christmas, but I do love the season. This Santa’s Grotto signals the start of it for me, now we can play Christmas songs and eat mince pies. Okay, okay, I’ve been eating mince pies for a month already! It was nice to here a couple of Christmas classics on the Minster FM on the way home too.

Do you have any Christmas traditions, maybe once that also signal the start of your Christmas?


 

One thought on “Santa’s Grotto – A Family Christmas Tradition”

  1. I love how you are taking your kids to the same one that you went to. My husbands family have gone to the same Christingle every year since he was little and he has taken our little boy every year since he was born. I’m not overly fussed as I’m not religious but it is something that is special to him as it is attached to memories of his Gran, so it’s a lovely tradition to keep. I go sometimes if I’m in the right mood! 🙂 Thanks for sharing with #TriumpantTales.

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