Christmas Day
Christmas Day
By now it’s all done – the decorating, the wrapping, the cooking, the carol concerts, nativity plays and pantomimes, the office parties and the shopping. We have all got to where we need to get to geographically and the day and time is upon us.
Those who are still expected should be arriving at any minute and hopefully arguments and differences of opinion can be set aside for a time. As the day unfolds beginning with the peace of a church service followed by lunch, the old familiar thoughts swirl: can I indeed have just a little more of the chestnut stuffing, where is the brandy butter? 
Is everyone wearing party hats? Where are the dogs? What has happened to the television remote? (one of the puppies ate one last week). If anyone can move, shall we go for a walk?
Later, everyone subsides into not doing a lot, quiet chats to catch up on news, a jigsaw puzzle is going strong and unbelievably it will soon be time for some sort of supper….
It is the one day in the year that everyone stops. Some may call it just a holiday, others acknowledge it as “Christmas”. The word “holiday” however comes from the phrase “holy day” so no one quite escapes the spiritual underpinnings of this time of year which celebrates life and hope – we are more than just our physical bodies which seem to get ever more creaky over the years.
The days after Christmas are precious as well – days without schedules and time pressure, days to wander and think. If you follow the Christmas story, then December 25th is just the beginning of the twelve days of the festive season. Boxing day is the Feast of St Stephen, December 27th the Feast of St John, the feast day of St Thomas a Becket is December 29th whilst New Years’s Eve is the Feast of St Sylvester.
The feasting and merrymaking climaxed on Twelfth Night, the 5th January, the traditional end of the Christmas season. William Shakespeare used it as the setting for one of his most famous comedies (Twelfth Night), in which everything is topsy turvy, a sort of licensed disorder.
Then, to avoid bad luck, all the Christmas decorations have to be taken down by January 6th.
For my own part, I value this time as slow time, time to walk, time to simply be, whilst at Highclere everyone takes time off before reconvening in the New Year to begin once again. We all need a break.
It was Charles Dickens who introduced us to the kindlier aspects of Christmas – thinking of others, looking after those who are less fortunate, the ideas of sharing and goodwill. To quote Dickens “Every traveller has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.”
When A Christmas Carol was published on 19th December 1843, Charles Dickens was only 31 years old and his previous novel was not selling at all well. However, the first run of A Christmas Carol sold out before Christmas and it has never been out of print since.
Above all, apart from enjoying the delicious food and the company of loved ones, Christmas is ultimately about stopping to remember what we have in common with each other:
“I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
Happy Christmas
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134 Comments
Happy Christmas to you and your family.
fondly Jenny
You both look lovely! Wonderful jacket! Still got my Azur one!!
Have a fabulous time!
Another beautifully written post.
Merry CHRISTmas to you and your family. May you have a wonderfully blessed day and a joyous New Year!
Merry Christmas! It was wonderful to meet you at the champagne reception on December 16th. We're visiting from Maryland, and are spending Christmas at the Manor House in Castle Combe. Christmas has been magical here in the UK, and we hope to come back soon.
You always know what is important in this short life and with a lovely style to express your thoughts and experiences and interests.
Merry Christmas, Lady Carnarvon. Thank you for another great year of writing.
Sweetest of Christmas to you from Louisiana. ❤️
Wishing you, Lord Carnarvon, and all the family, a truly magical Christmas season!
Thank you for the glorious newsletter. It made my Christmas morning even brighter.
A very happy Christmas and holy season to you and yours.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from the USA!
Lady Carnarvon,
What a beautiful reflection ! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and lovely thoughts. I met you briefly in June when you came to New York for the christening of my great nephew Lucius von Gootkin - ( I am his mother’s Aunt Jo the Nun!) Blessings and peace to you and your husband and family in the New Year. I will look forward to reading your blogs in the days to come!
Aunt Jo the Nun
How nice to see you and your family and another interesting blog thank you
I do enjoy my Monday readings
Merry Christmas to your wonderful family. May it be a good year at Highclere Castle!
This was an enjoyable read on Christmas morning before the festivities kick off here in Ohio. Merry Christmas.
Happy Christmas!
And to you - merry Christmas
Thank you - it was a wonderful christening
Thank you
Every day is a blessing
Thank you - that was a great evening!
Very kind - happy Christmas
Merry Christmas Lord and Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you so much for sharing your home with us all. I hope to visit one day but until then I get to enjoy a little bit of it with your blog and posts. Love the books too. I hope you have a happy new year.
Kimberly
Dearest Lady Carnarvon,
Blessed Christmas to you and your family, including of course, the canines!! What an enjoyable read this morning with my first cup and my sweet kitty on my lap!
All the best in 2024!
From South West Florida, Gulf of Mexico only 10 minutes away,
Sandra
Merry Christmas from Arizona!
Happy Christmas to all.
Vero Beach, Florida
Happy Christmas!
I so enjoy your posts!
I want to wish you, Lord Carnarvon and the rest of the family and staff a very Happy Christmas season. I grew up with the 12 days of Christmas being those leading up to the epiphany January 5th. For most people in the states, Christmas is done and decorations are taken down starting either Christmas night or on the day after. I feel sorry for those people as they miss out on so much of the meaning and joys of Christmas. Thank you for the gift of your blog. It truly is a gift.
Happy Christmas from beautiful Bavaria. Thank you for your lovely and beautifully written blog.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. From Adelaide I am wishing you a restful time to care for yourself and restore your wonderful, creative and positive energy for the joys and challenges of the year 2024.
Merry Christmas to you and yours as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May the new year find you blessed.
I too enjoyed reading your post this Christmas morning, and I am from Ohio as well. Merry Christmas to all of you!
Thank you for your lovely blog, I wish you a very happy and above all quiet and reflective time in the days ahead. I had the pleasure of visiting Highclere on September 9th this year (20’s weekend) and had a marvelous time. Since it was also my birthday it was a lovely present! All the best for you and your family
Renate Vermeulen
Netherlands
Blessings to you and yours. Happy Christmas from Franklin, Tennessee!
Merry Christmas Lady Carnarvon, to you, Lord Carnarvon and your family. Your photo with the pups is lovely. Thank you for your blog. I especially enjoy the historical aspects you write of. Best wishes from Texas for a happy, healthy 2024!
Thank you for your very informative and enjoyable posts. I look forward to their arrivals. Happy Christmas, and a Joy-filled and Prosperous 2024.
Merry Christmas to all at Highclere from the USA. You never disappoint with pictures and lovely stories. It makes every ones day merrier.
A beautiful post fitting the day and the season!
What a fabulous story and puts everything about Christmas into perspective.
Great information about the Holy Day - Holiday.!!
Merry Christmas to you and yours .
Paul M
Wantage UK
Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year to you and your family from Montrose, Alabama, USA. Thank you for your wonderful writings of thoughts and history.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year from Ontario Canada
Really enjoyed reading your post.
I’m the first one awake in my house, enjoying a cup of coffee with the cat and your beautiful words set the mood for the day.
Merry Christmas
Patrick
Franklin, Massachusetts
Lady Carnarvon,
Happy Christmas to you and your loved ones. May the spirit of baby Jesus remain with you always.
Happy Christmas to you and lord Carnarvon and family
Lost my sweet father on September 11of this year , my sweet mom is devastated after 68 years of marriage, trying to celebrate this season, softness and quiet joy will fill our hearts for the beautiful times we spent with him. Merry Christmas to all
Lady Carnarvon,
One more Christmas to read your post, and am thankful for it - always new thoughts and old news. I hope we all say words of thanks and prayers for peace. I am glad for your talents. Thank you, and Happy Christmas and my we have a New Year of love for all.
Martha G
Happy Christmas to you and lord Carnarvon and family and hope you enjoyed your Christmas Day you and lord Carnarvon and family
Happy Christmas from your American cousins. :)
Coffee on Christmas morning - heaven!
Thank you
Thank you
It was fun! What a weekend!
Very kind - Frohe Weihnachten
Look forward to Vero Beach in March!
Slightly different weather I think!
I think the gift of time out - of those 12 days - is most precious
All best wishes - what an amazing marriage
Happy Christmas
Merry Christmas from my Family to yours.May we all enjoy quiet in this season and recharge for the next.
Amy Camp, Louisiana USA
No snow here in New York’s Hudson Valley but a lovely Christmas Day! Enjoy this relaxing time!
Loved our visit in May!
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year!
Enjoyed reading and your the pictures.
Thank you,
Carolyn T.
Parma,Ohio USA
Another beautifully written piece expressing perfect thoughts for this time of the year, and duplicating my ideas perfectly! With the time difference with Texas I am reading and writing this while you are probably finishing up the big meal, our stockings not even opened yet. Wishing everyone at Highclere a very Merry Christmas!
My Lady,
Lovely day.Thank you for sharing in this day, your memories.
I imagine all yours nieces and nephews,in that wonderful castle on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. A fairy tale...
Vila Alemã
Rio Claro-SP
Brazil
Merry Christmas from California. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and information in your blog. I enjoy reading it every Monday morning. Great photos, too.
Happy New Year
Linda Jones
Antioch, California
Merry Christmas from Atlanta Georgia USA!
Merry Christmas. Lovely post.
Impressive again that you wrote another lovely Monday Morning Blog given how busy you've been prepping for the Christmas Season there at Highclere Castle and all the events and traditions you & Lord Carnarvon keep going annually at Christmastime. Thank you again for taking the time to research and write another Blog this morning, now being Christmas Morning. Do enjoy the quietness of the 12 days of Christmas and good luck after the 12th day with taking down and packing away all your lovely Christmas decorations.
Merry Christmas to you and your families and Happy New Year ahead too.
So happy that Highclere was a part of our Christmas week celebration.
Wishing you all of the best
Signed the Lady in Purple from NJ!
Merry Christmas from Washington State in the USA!
Dear Lady Carnarvon!
I wish you a very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year!
Swedish greetings from Lena Berg-Nordenberg
Beautiful reflection! Merry Christmas from Virginia USA
Thank you
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Happy Christmas to you and your family! The story of the puppy eating the remote made me laugh. My Labrador ate so many TV remotes I expected the channel to change every time she walked past the television!! They are certainly a handful at times but we still love them, don't we?
Happy Christmas to all, thank you all for the lovely posts, from all over
Happy New Year from Montana
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Waukee, Iowa, USA.
Nadolig Llawen
Dear Lord and Lady Carnarvon,
Merry Christmas from Hot Springs, Arkansas in the USA.
May you enjoy a very Happy New Year as well.
Amen!
Thank you for explaining the different feast days and customs for this time of year. I never knew about taking things down on Jan. 5th. We always did that earlier, but an excuse to leave the decorations up for a few more days will make me glad. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. And may God bless you.
À tous, un très Joyeux Noël rempli de joie et de bonheur!
Thankyou Lady Carnarvon! One tends to lose sight of what Christmas is all about despite going in to Church on Christmas morning!
We had a seafood lunch of prawns, smoked salmon and coconut rice with a fruit salad for dessert with cherries, mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, apples and oranges!
For supper we had Lobster tails and salad and carrots!
I do not indulge in turkey or pork at Christmas or any other time!
It’s always so hot in Australia at Christmas we like to keep it fresh and simple! Although this year we were surprised by a hail storm that hit us at around 3 pm in the afternoon!
I loved reading your blog and associating with a very English Christmas with all of its traditions!
Thankyou Lady Carnarvon
Best wishes
FLEURINA DECORTES de GILBERT
Orange City East
Central Western NSW Australia
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas
Well said, as your missives from Highclere always are. Best to you and yours.
A most Happy Christmas, full of joy and peace, may it last the whole New Year through!
What lovely words to remind us to take time to regenerate, rest, reflect and enjoy the peace after a long (and hectic) year past. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and much joy in the New Year.
Thank you Lady Carnarvon for your beautiful, meaningful post on Christmas morning
Thank you so much for reminding us of the 12 days of Christmas. When will you be in Vero Beach? For a type of conference or speaking engagement or just for holiday? I would love to attend.
Merry Christmas Lady Carnarvon. What a beautiful post this Christmas Day. I hope to one day see Highclere Castle in person. God bless you and your family.
Prince George, VA, USA
Merry Christmas to you with all my heartfelt joy and peace wishes for you all.
Sending you all best wishes for Christmas love and for a New Year filled with joy and all good things.
xxPatsy & Family
Merry Christmas from Powell, OH USA! We had a candlelight service, last night- and my husband is our senior pastor.. had a wonderful sermon on the Light of Christmas… I sat down today and wanted to check out your blog first thing when I could relax!
Seeing pictures of your home is such a special treat to us all! Thank you!
Denise
Beautifully written! Merry Christmas from Texas.
Dear Lady Carnarvon:
Thank you for this Monday's blog and for composing such a wonderful story during this busy time of year.
Happy Christmas to you, Lord Carnarvon, and everyone at Highclere Castle.
May you continue to enjoy the coming week's celebrations.
I am wishing you in advance a Happy New Year.
Until next week, look forward to more stories in 2024.
Perpetua Crawford
Wishing the happiest and healthiest of Christmas seasons to you and your family, and a year filled with joy, happiness, and wonderful books...plus more of your stories. My greatest Christmas gift was your blog post of 2 weeks prior, and the Tiffany blue-covered edition of The Count of Monte Cristo. I will treasure both as long as I shall live. Thank you, from the top, sides, and bottom of my heart.
Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day.
Cheers
Shelley in Virginia
Thank you!
Patsy thank you and to further adventures!
What a wonderful photo of you both,and your adorable dogs.Thank you Lady Carnarvon
Happy Christmas.
It sounds a beautiful service
Happy Christmas to you Catherine
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE , WONDERFUL PICTURES OF CHRISTMAS DAY DINNER .
Mele Kalikimaka from Hawaii!
In this season of busyness....many thanks for taking the time to share some much needed thoughts with all of us around the world. Merry Christmas and a very Peaceful New Year...xo
Joan (Athens, Georgia USA)
A beautiful, seasonal post Lady Carnarvon. You write so well and bring light to so many over the year with your words and stunning pictures Thank you and enjoy this lovely time of year. ⭐️
Greetings from Switzerland
Wishing you all at HIGHCLERE ! ,a very very merry Christmas!!!
You both look absolutely nobles!!!
I will visit HIGHCLERE very soon by spring 2024!!
It s money well spent!!!’
Can’t wait!!!
HIGHCLERE is the TALK OF THE TOWN here in the STATES since DOWNTON ABBEY!!?
Everybody is just talking and making plans to go see HIGHCLERE!!
We love Christmas time and do much with family and friends to celebrate each other and our community. This year was a little different as we skidded back home to Canada just in time, after making merry with everyone at Highclere. Every visit to your home is a delight as your welcome mat is one in a million!
Thank you and enjoy all the blessings of the season!!
How lovely
Happy Christmas
Happy Boxing Day!
I think this is the largest collection of responses I have ever seen in a few years of being a "Friend of Highclere", and perhaps also the most geographically distributed collection! It speaks well of the effort to extend the "Downton Abbey" effect to its source landmark -- the Castle itself and its Residents, the 21st century Carnarvons. Best to all in 2024.
Stuart Bannett
Maryland USA
LOVE the purple decorations on your Christmas tree !
Here in Wales it is chilly and damp .... but although its really a day late, may I wish you both
"Nadolig Llawen" !
Looking forward to a Highclere 2024 website schedule of times for events and activities for guests so we can finalize our internaional travel plans around them. Soon, Please!
Thank you. :)
Thank you Lady Carnarvon for sharing your Christmas thoughts.
You mentioned Dickens earlier and in my personal tradition every year we watch the wonderful adaption of "Christmas Carol" (Scrooge) with Alistair Sims, black and white film (Film Noir.) The best ever production ....Dickens would have been proud. It's still scary.............
Wishing you and Lord Carnarvon all the best for the New Year.
Pip Annie (Canada)
Happy Christmas!
Happy Christmas Lady Carnarvon, I hope you and your family have a beautiful Festive Season. Many good wishes for the coming New Year.
Susan
I loved the Manor House in Castle Combe. That must have been wonderful at Christmas!
And to you - merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
A lot of them are posted ... there are reasons..
Thank you
Merry Christmas, Lady Carnarvon, to you and yours.
I so enjoy your Monday posts. Thank you for all.
thank you
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from those of us serving in Israel during their time of war and unrest.
God's blessings be upon you,
Brenda Giangregorio
It was a surprise to see Highclere Castle , you and the Christmas-helpers on Dutch television last night.
A lot of work has been done to make it Christmas-proof.
Last spring we visited the Castle and now we recognised many people. We had a marvelous day in May and hope that a lot of Dutchmen will find their way to the castle next year.
Good wishes for all.
Henk Knabben
Thank you
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you so much for your remarkable blog. At Christmas Eve my wife was overwhelmed when I gave her the tickets for the guided Winter Tour on January 09. We both are looking forward to come to Highclaire Castle and perhaps to meet you as well.
We wish you and your family a healthy happy and hopefully more peaceful year 2024.
Best greetings from Bavaria,
Ralph Weisheit
Such a wonderful photo of you & your husband, your many dogs & that beautiful tree. The coloring of the decorations are so vivid. Love your festive clothing choices as well! Wishing you and all who know you an awesome 2024! Thank you for sharing your lives with us & for your many charitable works throughout the year. Keep up the great work and your thoughtful & interesting blog. I love reading it! ♥
Hope to see you then
Loved your story and photos! Looks amazing! We enjoyed our family with 22, a few extra join us that don’t have families to go to. Always more blessed to give, than to receive❤️we enjoyed a few sips of your lovely Highclere Gin. Cheers to the New Year!
Such a gorgeous picture of you both,and the dogs.
Have a Merry Christmas. Best Wishes from Reykjavik Iceland