Well, another year is racing by and here we are in September - a rainy one for us down here in the West Country! Before we know it we’ll be heading into winter and the festive season; time to think ahead and start planning your celebrations. It’s a time of year when luxury large group holiday houses are in demand for pre-Christmas gatherings – a good idea for several reasons. Get comfy and we’ll tell you why.
Why You Should Book a Pre-Christmas Break
Christmas is a wonderful time of year, perhaps THE most wonderful time of year, but it can be stressful with all the preparations, the present buying, food to think about and so on. Larger groups of friends, families and work buddies are finding an easy way of bringing everyone together in one fell swoop is to have a pre-Christmas stay in a big holiday house. This certainly has its advantages and here’s why it’s a good idea:
You Can Beat the Holiday Rush
Let’s face it, things can get hectic during the Christmas week. You think you have plenty of time to arrange things but then all of a sudden it’s here and there’s still SO much to do. Taking a Pre-Christmas holiday (usually a mid-week break or a weekend away) really takes the pressure off. You don’t have to do decorations and presents, or all the festive food but you can still get into the spirit of the approaching season. Keep it casual, keep it relaxed and stress free.
It's a Good Time to Reconnect
Getting together with a group of your favourite people before the busyness of the Christmas week gives you time to enjoy reconnecting. There’s no pressure on anyone to host as such, so you can share tasks and organise the food between you. No-one needs to be rushing off to someone else’s house to see the next lot of friends or relatives, you’re all together in one place to relax and reinforce positive relationships.
It’s a Good Way of Getting Everyone Together
We don’t all have room in our homes for big groups of people, so a large and spacious holiday house is a great alternative, especially if it’s one with plenty of features to keep everyone amused. Think indoor pools, saunas, games rooms, movie rooms and play areas – something for all ages. The other thing is that a lot of people prefer the Christmas break itself to be low key, choosing to spend it with just immediate family. Some people have their own festive traditions that they like to stick to every year, or they may celebrate it in different ways because of their beliefs. So here’s how you can have a jolly time with cousins, aunts and uncles, good friends and all, without it affecting anyone’s quieter enjoyment of Christmas.
You Can Kick Start The Festive Season
A large group break is a brilliant way to capture the excitement of the run up to Christmas. If you want to you can don your festive jumpers and Santa hats, you can sing carols and warm up a few mince pies. And then there are things like Christmas Markets, late night shopping and Victorian Christmas themed events. All guaranteed to evoke the festive spirit and keep the momentum going until the big day.
You Can Save Money on A Pre-Christmas Stay
Taking a break in a large group holiday house in late November or the first three weeks of December costs less than the Christmas week. The money you save could go towards hiring a private chef to create a very special feast for you all, or towards in-house entertainment like a Murder Mystery Night or a Cocktail Masterclass. We’re not suggesting you invoke your inner Scrooge, but you could also save money by not giving presents, or by just giving them to the children in your party.
It’s Quieter Out and About
Places get busy when it gets to Christmas. The pubs and restaurants, the shops, even the beaches – down here it seems to be a big tradition to go for a stroll around Lyme Regis on Boxing Day! So the roads are inevitably busier and it’s not easy to park or book a table if you want to dine out. But in November and early December it’s generally quieter so you get more time to browse around the towns, and if you decide to round it off with a drink it’s easier to find a table. You can wrap up in your coats and hats and scarves and go for a stroll along the shore or up on the clifftops and you won’t be shuffling along in what feels like an endless stream of people. And then back at your holiday house you can gather together for hot buttery crumpets or warm mince pies, washed down with mugs of steaming hot chocolate, or hearty glasses of red. All lovely and cosy and wintry!
You Don’t Have To Do All the Food
With Christmas comes the food – the turkey, the stuffing, the pigs in blankets, and all the veg, the pudding, the Boxing Day feast of cold meats and salads. All that planning and prepping! But with a pre-Christmas stay you don’t have to do any of it; boot away the stress of cooking for a large group by choosing easy options, like a wholesome meaty stew, a homemade soup with crusty bread, or pulled pork rolls with apple sauce. If the weather’s behaving itself you can fire up the bbq and do hot dogs!
It's a Great Idea for Corporate Gatherings
Step away from the usual office Christmas party and show just how much your staff are appreciated by treating them to a stay in a luxury holiday house. It’s a brilliant way for everyone to unwind, you can hire professional chefs to cater for you and book entertainment like casino nights and murder mysteries, or activities like archery, wine tasting and craft workshops. It’s a chance for people to be themselves away from the corporate environment, and it’s a surefire away to impress key clients with hospitality.
Celebrate the Joy of Being Together
A pre-Christmas break is a fantastic idea in so many ways, but most of all it’s a way to celebrate the joy of being together and the forthcoming season, whatever it means to you. It’s about creating memories, times to look back on fondly or that will have you in fits of laughter all over again. Good times will be had and you’ll all return home refreshed and ready for Christmas however you want to spend it.