The festive season is rapidly approaching, and we at Virgin Balloon Flights are just as excited as anyone else! The thrill of giving (or getting!) the perfect gift, making lasting memories, eating delicious food… What’s not to love?
Some offices aren’t too keen on letting their staff talk about the upcoming celebrations, for fear of it being a source of distraction—but not here! We’re all about getting into the Christmas spirit, and that talk has kept us all the more energised as we count down how many sleeps are left between now and Christmas morning.
Of course, that means we’ve been chatting about our seasonal plans, and naturally, that’s led us to discuss some of our more unique annual traditions that might not be part of the routine in every household but that really define the holidays for us.
For example, our Head of Marketing—who is always eager to get the decorations out, no matter the occasion—has her very own hot-air balloon for her Christmas tree… and as a festive fashion statement, it really took off!
Now, quite a few of our staff have followed suit and swapped their stars and angels for miniature hot-air balloons of their own.
The more subtle differences in decorating-habits made for a fascinating point of discussion, too. Opinions vary, for instance, over whether Christmas crackers belong on the Christmas tree, or just at the dinner-table—and then, do we pull them before, after, or even during the meal?
Do we prefer miles of tinsel or a couple of wreaths, holly leaves or bunches of mistletoe—or are we hoping to bring shiny foil garlands back into fashion?
And do we put all of the presents under the tree, or do we have a couple of stockings on the mantelpiece for putting little bonus gifts into? There are so many fun options, so no two Christmas experiences are alike for us!
For one of us, it’s customary to put some of the presents at the foot of the recipient’s bed as well as under the tree, which seems like a fair trade after leaving out the traditional offering of a mince pie for Santa (and a carrot for his reindeer, of course!) the night before.
There’s more to the season than just the 25th, though. For some of us, Boxing Day is just as important, being the Yin to Christmas Day’s Yang.
While the latter is a quiet, intimate day for relaxing with our nearest and dearest, the former is where we let loose and celebrate with the extended family… and possibly another round of gift-giving, if we’re lucky!
Anything is on the cards at that point—board games, karaoke, or even just sitting back with a mug of cocoa, sharing stories of our adventures over the past year. Nothing warms the heart quite like spending time with the ones you care about, after all.
For more than a few of us, that quality together-time could also take the form of settling down with a family-favourite film, or perhaps an old book, or an album of songs that stir the seasonal spirit.
Some popular choices include Will Ferrell’s “Elf” and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” (the original 1966 animation remains a firm favourite, but other versions aren’t without their fans), but one colleague took us all by surprise with their annual tradition of listening to the music of the parody thrash-metal band Lawnmower Deth whilst putting up the decorations. Nobody quite knew where to take the conversation from there…!
However you choose to celebrate this year, we at Virgin Balloon Flights wish you the happiest of holiday seasons—Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and best wishes to those celebrating Kwanza, Yuletide, or even just the closing of the year…and if you’re still looking for gift ideas, we’re happy to help you get off the ground with that, too!
