What Christmas means to me – some well-known faces in Ross-shire reveal what the festive season has in store for them
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Reporter Imogen James talks to figures around Ross-shire to find out if Christmas has lost its meaning, and what people's plans are this year.
Patrick Mullery
Age: 60
From: Cromarty
Occupation: Charity Trustee/Facilitator
Christmas is all about family and spending time together. Making a special effort to make Christmas special for the children with pressies from Santa. We spend it at home with my family, pressies in the morning but not too early! Christmas dinner is an event - we don’t do turkey but always eat too much!.
Christmas is definitely too commercial - in my opinion, presents are for the children and going mad spending loads on everyone is really just not what its about - and of course many people get into debt and end up paying for christmas over the next year. Merry Christmas everyone, stay safe, be kind and remember, “It’s OK not to be OK".
Joan Munro
Age: 77
From: Muir of Ord
Occupation: Retired Speech and Language Therapist
Christmas is an opportunity to spend time with my family. It is also an incentive to get in touch with friends I rarely see by sending and receiving cards, catching up with news and wishing them well for the New Year.
I am a Humanist so Christmas has no religious connotations for me, nor for my family. As Christmas day is a Saturday, I will start my day at Torvean Parkrun in Inverness. This year my husband and I are spending the day at our daughter’s with her family. They will be doing the cooking. We will all be walking the dogs morning and afternoon. We will be in touch, facetime, phone or zoom, with other family members. We will enjoy a few drinks – fizz and nibbles at lunch time while we exchange gifts which will be small, homemade, or locally sourced. Books also always feature in our present giving. We usually begin our festive meal in the early evening. We will eat more than normal and will have wee breaks in the process. Some will enjoy wine and there will be non-alcoholic home-made specials for others. The craic will be great and I know we will laugh a lot. The whole festive season is far too commercial. We try not to get caught up in it.
Name: Kate Forbes
Age: 31
From: Dingwall
Occupation: MSP
Christmas is ultimately a reminder of one of the most significant events in human history – the birth of Jesus Christ. For me, it means reflecting on the greatest gift of God with family. I spend Christmas Day with my family, which I love as I don’t get to see enough of them the rest of the year! This is the first year I’ll be spending it with my new family, having got married over the summer. Hopefully we’ll start some new traditions. Christmas will mean different things to different people. For some, it is a time of acute loneliness, for others it’s a reminder of happier times, and for others still it will mean family joy. I know there is pressure to have a perfect Christmas, but families are all imperfect in some way. The more we can focus on other people, and less on ourselves, the happier we are.
Name: Iseabal Hendry
Age: 28
From: Lochcarron
Occupation: Founder, Designer and Maker at iseabalhendry.com
To me, Christmas means family and being home in the Highlands. I spend it
usually very quietly with the family and our two cats, who love nothing more than trying to topple the 6ft tall tree. This year though I’ll be skiing in Canada – hoping for a white Christmas! I think Christmas what you make it. If Christmas is an opportunity to show love and be thoughtful, or support small businesses, then that feels pretty special. It might take a bit more effort to shop small or make gifts by hand, but it means so much more.
Name: Finlay Macdonald
Age: 22
Address: Glenshiel
Occupation: Founder of Chocolates of Glenshiel
Christmas to me is all about celebrating the hope and salvation that comes with Jesus being born.
And of course sharing this joy and celebrating this hope with friends and family.
We open Stockings first thing in the morning, read through the Christmas story followed by a big meal, a decent walk outside then a relaxed evening on the sofa round the fire with family and a nice box of chocolates. I think it is very human to take something too far, and to sometimes miss the point, however I think Christmas should be a big celebration!
Name: Joanie Whiteford
Age: 62
From: Nigg
Occupation: Lord-Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty
Christmas is a time of reflection, a time to think about God’s love for us all. A time for sharing, giving and being with family. I spend it with family, going to church, a walk, a family meal, sharing presents and playing games. Christmas has become too commercialised with the significance of the birth of Christ forgotten.
Name: David Hayes-MacLeod
Age: 40
From: Invergordon
Occupation: Head Teacher
Christmas for me is such a special time of year to perhaps indulge that little bit more and spend some great, quality time with loved ones. Myself and my husband wake up to a special bagel with salmon and cream cheese breakfast with a glass of fizz! Then a brisk walk with the dog on the beach to blow away the cobwebs and then back home for a traditional Christmas dinner, opening presents and being very merry! I think it has got very commercial in the run up to Christmas Day. It starts earlier and earlier every year however I do still love Christmas Day itself.
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