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Why I love setting my stories at Christmas
There are some people who start humming Christmas songs in September. Others refuse to acknowledge the festive season until the first of December. I fall somewhere in the middle. I don't want to rush the year away, but when the evenings begin to draw in and there's a definite nip in the air, I start looking forward to all the little traditions that make Christmas feel so special.
And for me, that's what Christmas is all about. It isn't about the expensive presents or the perfectly decorated homes you see in magazines -my house is too messy for that! For me, it's the little things, like the first yummy mug of hot chocolate topped with oodles marshmallows, and the smell of freshly baked mince pies drifting through the house. Yes, I bake them myself. No, they don’t look pretty. But they taste nice, and that’s what matters.
But what really makes Christmas for me, and what takes me right back to my childhood, is the excitement of seeing twinkling fairy lights in the windows on dark evenings. Multi-coloured tree lights especially, because that’s what I had in my house. And lots of baubles that were mismatched and ancient, which is what I loved because each one held a memory. I've continued the mismatch theme by initiating the tradition of each member of the family choosing one bauble each year - so yeah... nothing matches in my house, but every year when I decorate the tree, each bauble brings back a memory - even the Bah! Humbug! one.
I love Christmas markets, too. My favourite is the Victorian Fayre in Worcester. I don't usually buy very much, but I adore wandering between little wooden stalls, clutching a cup of hot mulled cider and soaking up the atmosphere. Handmade gifts, the Salvation Army band playing carols, the aroma of hot pulled pork sandwiches and roast chestnuts... it’s like being in a Dickens novel (the nicer bits, obviously).
Then there are the traditions. I've already mentioned the bauble-buying one, but hot on it's heels is watching those Christmas films that I've all seen dozens of times before and can recite most of the words to.
Of course, Christmas isn't always perfect. Sometimes plans don't quite work out. Sometimes family members can't be together. Sometimes the turkey is overcooked (or the dog nicks it), or Aunty Jean has a few too many sherries and falls over the dog. Yep, that was an interesting Christmas… Oddly enough, these are the stories we’ve laughed about for years afterwards.
So perhaps that's why I enjoy writing Christmas romances so much – because Christmas isn’t perfect. I mean, putting three or more generations of people in the same room, with alcohol… what could possibly go wrong!
Saying that though, the festive season naturally brings people together – which is why I write about snowstorms leaving strangers stranded, or communities coming together to make someone’s Christmas special. Bookshops, cafés and cosy cottages become places where friendships grow into something more and the festive season gives characters a chance of happiness.
I also enjoy that feeling of hope that Christmas brings. No matter how difficult the year has been, there's a feeling that kindness matters, that communities can pull together, and that love can arrive when we least expect it (or in the case of some of my characters - when they're deliberately trying to avoid it!). And maybe that's why so many of us return to festive stories every year. We already know they'll end happily, but that's rather the point, isn’t it!
Sometimes it's just lovely to spend a few hours in a world filled with sparkling lights, welcoming villages, cheerful neighbours and the promise of a happy ever after.
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About the Author
Lilac Mills writes heartwarming romance inspired by life in the Welsh countryside, her love of simple pleasures, and the beauty of everyday moments.
She’s the author of over twenty feel-good novels, and also writes as Liz Davies and Etti Summers.
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