Cohousing Christmas

It’s just turned 2013 and we have just celebrated our first Cohousing Christmas, in fact we seem to have been celebrating for weeks.

Some people hate Christmas...all that family, materialism, jollity. Me I love it, but I live with someone who is not so keen (a bit bah humbug even), so it was great to have people around who love the build up as much as I do.

Everything became an opportunity to have fun and to do stuff ourselves - the talents that emerged were phenomenal. There was the evening spent decorating the Common House Christmas tree - we all got to bring our favourite decorations and watch the children have a ball (while having one ourselves).

Kate, our resident artist, got us making things. She created some wreath bases out of willow, into which we twisted holly, ivy and pine cones. We used old magazines to make origami paper chains and decorations - birds and stars - to hang on an entire alder tree that miraculously appeared (Chris having cut it down during his path clearing endeavours, potted it and transported it into the Common House to complement the more traditional Christmas tree). It looked stunning.

Then there was Pink Elephant, a sophisticated version of Secret Santa. We all brought along presents and had the chance to swap them for the presents other people had brought, so for once we could get the one we really wanted. I ended up with the promise of a loaf of freshly baked bread delivered to my door on the morning of my choice, but it could have been a mini bee hive, an outdoor thermometer or black salt.

Sadly I was away from Lancaster for Christmas, heading off to London to be with my sons. But Kevin, my bah humbug partner, stayed at Forgebank and was joined by his son. Now you might think that, not liking Christmas, he would find all the cohousing celebrations too much: they seemed to spread over several days culminating with a “bring a dish” Christmas lunch for 30. The delicious Danish Christmas Pudding has already entered cohousing mythology, alongside Marinated Oranges and Mushrooms Wellington.

Kevin, a vegan who usually feels a resented afterthought at Christmas dinner (which may be part of the reason for his bah humbug tendencies) said it was the best one he had ever eaten - and he really, really cares about his food. He may even be coming round to the joys of Christmas.

I managed to get back to Lancaster for New Year’s Eve. When someone suggested a cohousing revue, some cringed, but enough of us were brave/foolhardy enough to give it a go. In the end it was an extraordinary show of talents: verbal, musical and comical. We have saved some of the rhymes and lyrics for posterity...

So the year ended with more good food, wine, company and entertainment. Hmmm...can we really keep this up in 2013? With another 15 households still to move in this year, I think perhaps we can.

Alison

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk