Put ‘christmas trees’ into Google and it returns about 1,350,000,000 results. They’re an intrinsic part of the festivities, yet you actually have three main types of conifers to choose from: pine (Pinus), fir (Abies), and spruce (Picea). Oslo has sent a Norway spruce to London every Christmas since 1947, displayed in Trafalgar Square (Woolf 2020: […]
christmas
What are the festive links with holly and Christmas?
Holly and Christmas are like chocolate eggs and Easter. You can’t imagine one without the other. And there’s something so delightfully festive about holly garlands or wreaths in December. But how did this glossy but prickly plant become such a central part of Christmas decorations? Keep reading or hit play to listen to the podcast […]
Who Is Krampus And How Is He Linked To Christmas?
Most people will have heard of Santa Claus. But it wasn’t really until 2015 that his dark twin Krampus finally poked his horned head into the limelight. Having your own Hollywood movie will do that to your media profile. But Krampus has been well known in Alpine regions for centuries. While the Feast of St. Nicholas […]
What books did I get for Christmas?
I’m not normally a fan of showing off what I got for Christmas. But this is a blog by a writer, and a book-loving writer at that. So it seemed fair enough to show off the books I got for Christmas in 2016! The links are affiliate links but any money generated goes to pay for my […]
Give a gift from the Blind Date Book Company!
Not sure what to buy the book lover in your life? Might I suggest a gift box from the Blind Date Book Company? I was very lucky to win one of their gift boxes (so this post isn’t sponsored or affiliated, it’s just a grateful review). But with Christmas coming up, I thought I’d point […]
5 Ways to Get Back into Your Writing Routine
Sticking to a well-honed writing routine over Christmas is virtually impossible. Putting aside all of the time commitments involved in buying and wrapping presents, visiting friends and family, and preparing all that food, even if you do manage to sneak in some writing time, you’ll no doubt be met with cries of “Oh you’re not […]
