THE SANTABLOG SERIES, DAY 1. (When Christmas Feels Heavy Before It Feels Magical)

THE SANTABLOG SERIES 2025

DAY 1

Press play on a song you love before you scroll. Not a cheesy advert song, just something that hits you in the chest.Got it? Cool. Let’s talk.

ok so The final countdown to christmas is finally here, yes it’s been a fast one this year hasn’t it? But then again, the years are flying by, especially since I’ve got older.

This years santablog series is going to be a little different. I’m keeping the tunes going as always, because hey thats what Christmas is about, and I hope the bring a smile to your face. I’m going to introduce some structure and (hopefully) beautiful writing this way.

I’d also like to say, next year will be amazing, trust me… I also need your well wishes and send me some awesome luck my way please. My long awaited novel will be going to the editor in January, with a hopeful publish date of February. Please send me all the luck because I’m nervous aswell as excited.

Ok, so let’s get on with the blog, and welcome to The Santablog Series 2025, I hope you enjoy this journey with me.

There’s this pressure in the UK every year that the second December hits, we’re all meant to suddenly turn into walking fairy lights. We’re meant to be cheerful, festive, buzzing about mince pies and Christmas films, moaning about the cold in a light-hearted way while secretly loving it.

But if we’re being honest…
A lot of us don’t feel like that at all.

And I want to say this straight away, because we never say it out loud…
sometimes Christmas lands with a thud before it lands with magic.

Not because we don’t care.
Not because we’re miserable.
Not because we’re “ruining the mood.”
But because life doesn’t stop being heavy just because the calendar resets to December.

You can be surrounded by decorations and still feel lonely.
You can have a roof over your head and still worry how you’ll afford gifts.
You can be working your arse off at a job that leaves you exhausted, broken-fingered, covered in oil, and come home feeling like all your energy was swallowed by the day.

And then you look online and everyone’s tree is perfect.
Everyone’s house looks like a bloody Pinterest board.
Everyone seems happy, organised, and weirdly rich.

It makes you feel behind before you’ve even started.

If that’s you, I promise you’re not alone.

Here in the UK, December is a funny one.
It’s dark by 4pm.
The cold cuts straight through your jumper.
You’re trying to juggle work, bills, school runs, night shifts, late shifts, trying to get presents sorted, and still keep everyone fed, clothed, warm, and vaguely sane.

No wonder people feel overwhelmed.

We’re not characters in a Christmas film.
We don’t have cheerful background music following us round Tesco while we magically find everything on the list.
Most of us are exhausted.
Most of us are skint.
Most of us are carrying something heavy… grief, worry, memories, or just that quiet tiredness that never seems to lift.

And that’s why this Santablog exists.

Not to pretend everything’s perfect.
Not to act like life is some glittery rom-com.
But to sit with you… whoever you are, wherever you’re reading this… and just be real for a few minutes.

Because the truth is this…

Christmas doesn’t start with magic. It starts with people who feel lost trying to find a spark.

So if today feels heavy, breathe.
If you’re not excited yet, breathe.
If your heart hurts from missing somebody, breathe.
If your head’s full of worry, breathe.

You don’t have to be “festive.”
You don’t have to be glowing with joy.
You don’t have to suddenly feel okay.

You just have to get through today.

And that, genuinely, is enough.

But let me tell you something else… because this matters too.

We British lot… we have this strange resilience about us.
We grumble, but we push through.
We moan about the weather, but we still go to work in it.
We drag ourselves out of bed even when our heads are a mess.
We keep going, even when life feels like it’s scraping us raw.

And hidden in all that…
is something kind of magical.

Not fireworks magic.
Not storybook magic.
Human magic.

The kind that shows up in small, quiet ways…

A text from someone you haven’t heard from in ages.
A hot brew after a shit day.
A silly moment with your kids that makes you laugh harder than you meant to.
A stranger holding the door because you’re carrying too much.
Someone at work handing you a chocolate bar without a word.
The feeling of cold air on your face that wakes you up and reminds you you’re still here.

Tiny things… but they hit different when life’s heavy, don’t they?And that’s what the old Christmas legends were built on. Not presents. Not adverts. Not money.
But people trying to survive the darkest time of year by sharing warmth, stories, food, hope.

They weren’t trying to make everything perfect. They were trying to help each other get through the winter. And that’s why this year’s Santablog series is changing.

This isn’t just “25 festive messages.”
This is going to be a journey.

Some days I’ll talk about life as it really is… the messy bits we’re all a bit scared to admit.
Other days I’ll take you around the world, back to the origins of Christmas stories, where kindness and humanity were more important than glitter and gifts.

We’ll look at…

Saint Nicholas… the real bloke behind the legend
Sinterklaas… the Dutch version that shaped Santa’s name
Yule and the Winter Solstice… celebrations older than Christianity
La Befana… the Italian Christmas witch
Grandfather Frost… harsh, cold, then unexpectedly kind
Tomte and Nisse… ancient little helpers from Scandinavian farms

(Hopefully I get them all accurate, I do my own research)

And every time, we’re going to bring those stories back to real life.
To what they mean.
To how they relate to us… the ordinary people just trying to make it through winter with our dignity, sanity, humour, and hearts intact.

So here’s your first task for Day 1.
Something simple.
Something small.
Something that might just keep you going.

Find one tiny thing today that is good.

Doesn’t matter how small.

A warm cuppa.
A decent song on the radio during your drive.
A joke from a mate.
A cat sleeping in a stupid position.
A cold bottle of Coke.
A moment of peace on the toilet.
Your car starting first time on a freezing morning.
Even just the feeling of your bed when you finally get home.
Find one thing.
Hold it and acknowledge it.

That’s how light begins… not in fireworks, but in moments.

And before you go, I want to say this clearly, because if no one else tells you it, I will…

You are doing better than you think.

You’ve survived every dark day so far.
You’ve fought battles no one will ever know about.
You’ve carried weights you should never have had to carry.
And you’re still here.

That makes you strong.
Stronger than you realise.

So welcome to Day 1 of the Santablog series.
It’s not shiny. It’s not perfect. It’s not pretending.

It’s real and human, just like you and me.
It’s for the people who need it most.

Tomorrow, we go deeper.
We go back to the start.
The real Saint Nicholas.
A story about generosity, courage, secret kindness… and why the smallest good deed can echo through time.

For now…
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for giving this space a chance.

Let’s get through December together.

Just promise yourself one thing…You will give this month a chance to surprise you (also make my Christmas perfect by keep coming back every day, read my shit and give me a chance to put a smile on your face, or a thought in your head, you never know you may like it).

🎅THEPLAINANDSIMPLEGUY🎅

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