Mama Unmasked

Our family traditions are very seasonal. I love celebrating every season and holiday, and I also love using them as a way to gently educate my children about different cultures, beliefs, and ways of life. For me, it’s not about perfection — it’s about memories, comfort, and togetherness.

Celebrating Cultures & Little Moments

For Valentine’s Day, I always buy my girls roses and cards. It’s my way of teaching them love — not just romantic love, but love for family and for themselves.

For Chinese New Year, we always eat Chinese food, open fortune cookies, and every single year we attempt to use chopsticks… and still can’t. One day. Maybe.

When it’s an Indian celebration, we try new Indian foods together. Food is such an easy, joyful way to learn about other cultures, and the girls love being involved.

I don’t discuss my own religion online. It’s very personal to me, and I believe religion can sometimes divide people when it shouldn’t. What matters most to me is kindness, understanding, and family.

Easter Traditions

At Easter, we talk about what it represents for Christians — the victory of life over death and the hope of eternal salvation. Alongside that, we absolutely do the fun stuff too.

I hide Easter eggs all around the house, and we have a big hunt. We all wear yellow. I cook a proper roast dinner with all the trimmings. Later, we do an outdoor egg hunt with little baskets, followed by dessert outside at our picnic bench in the garden. We have sweet treats, pink lemonade, and everyone brings their favourite soft toy so it’s like a teddy bears’ picnic.

We also paint together. We used to paint on one huge board that I’d hang on the back fence — full of mushrooms, flowers, bunnies, and chaos — until the rain washed it away. Also the kids have a egg day where they can either create a eggsabition which is where you make a scene and have to add a egg character in it so it can be a hedgehog and call it a HEGGHOG and so on or a Easter bonnet and someone wins first second or third. Anyway “adhd” I lost track then anyway instead of the big boards we now paint on thin canvases outside instead of the boards as well and I keep them. I decorate the house in pastel colours, which is why my home stays quite neutral — it lets me adapt it for every season.

Birthdays

I overdo birthdays. Always have.
For me, birthdays aren’t about presents — they’re about memories, family, cake, balloons, decorations, and making the day feel special from the moment you wake up. The presents matter, of course, but the feeling matters more.

Autumn, Halloween & Bonfire Night

Autumn is my season.

I go full cosy mode: six real pumpkins around the fire, a big autumn leaf garland on the fireplace, a wreath on the wall, ceramic pumpkins on the windows, and lots of hedgehogs, squirrels, and mushroom décor.

Around bonfire time, I make my “famous” hot chocolate in the slow cooker — thick, sickly, and absolutely not healthy. I can’t drink it anymore because I’m now allergic to dairy (no idea why), and if I try I end up looking like the Nutty Professor… but the tradition lives on.

We also have a skeleton called Jack. He sits on a little chair, wears my husband’s baseball cap all year round, and twice a year I do a big dopamine shop — once for autumn and once for Christmas. On Halloween, we hang Jack from the curtain pole facing outside and press him so he screams and scares people. It’s iconic.

Every autumn I rewatch Gilmore Girls and The Vampire Diaries — no exceptions.

On Halloween, the kids dress up, I do their makeup and hair, we carve pumpkins in the morning, and watch Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, or Harry Potter. Then we go trick-or-treating at decorated houses. Last year my middle daughter struggled with sensory issues and her mask, so I took her home while Daddy, Nannie, and Grandad stayed out. I tidied everything away, boxed Halloween up, and got the Christmas decorations ready.

We also do bonfire night on Halloween, because Christmas starts for me on November 1st. We have sparklers and low-noise fireworks — I always think of animals, children, sensory issues, and elderly people.

That same night, my husband puts the tree up and the lights on.

Christmas (My Absolute Obsession)

December 1st — it’s time.

We play Christmas songs, decorate the tree as a family, bake cookies, and start our Christmas film list — one new film every day. I collect snow globes and display them all. I decorate everywhere with warm white lights and Christmas drinkware.

I cry every November 1st because it pleases my autism so deeply. It’s absolutely a hyperfixation. I am obsessed.
That said… winter is long, dark, and I do get winter blues.

On Christmas Eve, we wear matching pyjamas, make reindeer food, and my mum stays over. We watch a magical Christmas film — usually Polar Express or The Santa Clause. We eat picky bits and treats. The kids leave a mince pie, milk, a carrot, and sweets for the elf, then go to bed. After that, me, my mum, and my husband prep all the veg and set the table.

On Christmas Day, the kids open presents while Mum and Dad have a warm drink (and a cigarette). I cook two meats — always too much on purpose so we have leftovers.

Boxing Day is buffet-style. I use foil trays, put everything on the kitchen side, and everyone helps themselves so nothing goes to waste and no one feels overwhelmed.

Boxing Day (My Favourite Day)

Boxing Day is my favourite — weirdly enough.

It’s lazy and cosy. Leftovers everywhere. Tons of bread for sandwiches, jars of pickles, different cheeses, extra roast potatoes, a huge bowl of gravy for dipping, nachos, picky bits, sweet tubs, chocolate tubs, crates of drinks (no alcohol — we don’t drink).

We watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The kids can go to Nannie’s or stay home and play. It’s peaceful. I love it.

Two days before New Year’s Eve, all decorations come down. I don’t like taking anything from the old year into the new one. I also do a massive clean — including the infamous “shit drawer” (everyone has one, don’t lie).

New Year & Gratitude

On New Year’s Eve, we do a mini celebration for the kids so routines aren’t ruined. We FaceTime my mum (she stays home with her elderly dog, Piggy Lee), count down together, hold hands in a circle with the phone included, cry, and sing Auld Lang Syne. Me and Mum always cry — it’s another year without my grandparents.

On New Year’s Day, we have another roast to bring the year in.

Summer & The In-Between

In summer, we get the big pool out, have BBQs and picnics, and go to nature trails. We don’t do outdoor pools, but I take the kids to a shallow river with no undercurrent. Summer is harder for me — my middle daughter has heat urticaria and comes out in hives from sun and heat, which can be upsetting.

Why Traditions Matter to Me

Seasons are a huge part of my autism and ADHD. They’re comforting. They ground me. They bring my family together.

I’m grateful — deeply grateful — for my husband, my children, my mum, my family, our home, our food, our health, and the fact that I survived my darkest times. The list is endless.

So yes… I think we definitely need to start Thanksgiving too. 🧡