WHY I LOVE CRIMBO LIMBO

Molly Gunn - 28 Dec 16

Am currently sitting in a robe, on a bed, in a hotel.

H.E.A.V.E.N.

My husband Tom is taking the kids swimming. I am alone and revelling in this chilling out time.

Earlier on we all walked along a cliff path. The children moaned. Tom and I tried to have a conversation. And then we all had a lazy lunch.

We’ve been swimming. Watched TV. Overeaten on cheese and chocolate.

I finally had time to absorb my Christmas presents, which were opened amid too much chaos on Christmas Day.

I’ve read two magazines.

I’ve hung out with the kids…. I’ve curled up with them… I’ve played games with them… I’ve stopped them squabbling… and Tom and I have rolled our eyes and barked at them every time they’ve asked for more Lego, even though they’ve only just built their Christmas present Lego (seriously, WTF?)

Essentially we’ve loafed about… as a family.

And I feel this post-Christmas, pre-New Year’s break is the total tonic.

Time to regroup, reconnect, and please nobody except us.

I’d much rather THIS downtime than a summer holiday.

Because, THIS time is my favourite time of the whole year.

The week between Christmas Day and New Years Eve is my absolute best.

I’ve always called it No Man’s Land.

Some of you call it Crimbo Limbo.

Hotel websites, I discovered last week, call it ‘Twixmas.’

Betwixt the celebrations.

The in between time. When nothing is prescribed. Nothing has to be done. We can just loaf, and chill, in whatever way we see fit.

I love this time so much because it feels like a collective sigh of relief. As if the whole country is putting their feet up, dropping their shoulders and finally relaxing.

Because, let’s face it, however much we love it… Christmas isn’t relaxing.

It’s fun. It’s exciting. It’s full of cheery traditions, and family meet ups and boozy conversations with long-lost friends. But it’s also knackering, and expensive, and a bit stressful.

It isn’t like THIS.

Likewise, the Summer, while amazing, doesn’t have the same feel to it; there isn’t a collective week when EVERYBODY is off. You can’t just loaf about at home without anyone noticing.

But during THIS time… this Crimbo Limbo… the time is all ours.

It’s as if we’ve all collectively stuck a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on our doors.

The phone doesn’t ring. People don’t email. Nobody expects you to be somewhere… unless you WANT to be somewhere.

If we see people during this week, we know they’re special. It’s an unspoken agreement that this is valuable family time, and everything else.. can wait.

Of course, some of us have to work. I once had to work at a newspaper on Boxing Day. But the great thing is that in Crimbo Limbo week, work doesn’t feel like work. It feels like playing at work, because there’s still a sense of festive spirit.

And we haven’t yet reached the pressure of New Years celebrations, or waking ourselves up again for the new year – and all that life will throw at it.

So here’s a festive cheer. Not to Christmas. Not to New Year’s Eve. But to chilling the hell out, in whatever way we like, for a glorious undisturbed few days.

This is it: THIS time.

THIS is the golden time.

And I’ll cherish this ALL YEAR LONG. 

Molly Gunn

Molly Gunn is the Curator of Goodness at Selfish Mother, a site she created for likeminded women in 2013. Molly has been a journalist for over 15 years, starting out on fashion desks at The Guardian, The Telegraph & ES Magazine before going freelance in 2006 to write for publications including Red, Stella, Grazia, Net-A-Porter and ELLE. She now edits Selfish Mother and creates #GoodTees which are sold via TheFMLYStore.com and John Lewis and have so far raised £650K for charity. Molly is mother to Rafferty, 5, Fox, 3 and baby Liberty. Molly is married to Tom, aka music producer Tee Mango and founder of Millionhands. They live, work and play in Somerset.

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