I celebrate Christmas all year round – I eat a turkey dinner with all the trimmings in June and NEVER take my tree down
A MUM-OF-THREE has revealed she celebrates Christmas all year round - eating a turkey dinner with all the trimmings in June and never taking her tree down.
Her mates might think she's crazy, but Dawn Hurd, from Somerset, says the festive cheer keeps her sane.
The 47-year-old knitwear designer loves munching on mince pies in summer and listens to a different festive tune every day.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Dawn revealed how Christmas every day became her lifestyle. It is the most wonderful time of the year, after all...
"When my children, Joshua, 17, Jake, 12, Olivia, 11 have gone to school and my husband Wayne, 48, has left to go to work as a builder, I tiptoe over to my phone and stream my fave Christmas songs - it's my guilty little secret.
Lockdown has been a nightmare. I’ve had to invest in some wireless headphones - I tell the family I’m doing my guided meditation, just so I can listen to my festive tunes in peace.
My absolute favourite is Michael Buble Christmas Deluxe Special Edition, I listen to it every day. It’s definitely my daily lift.
Both friends and family think I'm insane and regularly tease me - as well as tagging me in early Christmas posts on Facebook. They joke I have ‘OCD’ - obsessive Christmas disorder.
Every summer, on June 25, we celebrate the halfway mark with a halfway to Christmas lunch. Turkey, cranberry sauce, the lot.
Both friends and family think I'm insane and regularly tease me. They joke I have ‘OCD’ - obsessive Christmas disorder
Dawn Hurd
I make my own crackers with personalised jokes in them, and of course we have the paper hats – it wouldn’t be Christmas without those!
Afterwards, we will watch a Christmas movie with a glass of Baileys – usually the Grinch, Olivia’s choice.
When the kids are in bed, I’ll sneak on the Muppets Christmas Carol because that one is my favourite.
In my kitchen, we have an all-year-round tree which I call ‘the tree of many seasons’, because I will dress it up for whatever the time of year is.
At Easter, for example, it has little decorated eggs, while Halloween is little glitter bats.
Friends and family do have a grumble, some say I'm wishing the summer away, but I don’t rate summer at all.
In my kitchen, we have an all-year-round tree which I call ‘the tree of many seasons’, because I will dress it up for whatever the time of year is
Dawn Hurd
Who wants to get their legs out when they can wrap up and be cosy? My head is so stuck in Christmas, I couldn’t concentrate anyway.
The pure escapism keeps me sane. Anything Christmassy conjures up such wonderful childhood memories and feelings for me, whatever the date.
It’s about making and sharing happiness, and that’s so important.
I can’t actually remember being told Santa isn’t real, so if you ask me then it’s never been confirmed. I still keep an eye out for him on Christmas Eve.
But one thing is for sure – Christmas is totally not about the presents.
I don’t like the commercial side of it, and know this pushes people to dislike it. It should be about the magic, not the money.
I know that people feel the financial pressure that can come with the big day.
It’s a definite reason that my friends moan at me, my constant Christmas cheer can be a trigger – reminding them of the incoming credit card bills.
We have had some Christmas horror stories. I once hung the boot (one of my Uggs!) out the chimney stack and my son was convinced Santa had got stuck, and was too terrified.
Another time, my daughter discovered Rudolph’s antlers only to conclude he must have fallen off the roof.
Since lockdown, I’ve been working on my belly, and I’m fairly certain that I’m finally morphing into Mrs Claus!
Dawn's year-round Christmas traditions
Every day: Listens to Christmas music.
All year round: Christmas tree is left up in the kitchen, then decorated for Easter, Halloween and other celebrations.
June 25: Full turkey dinner with all the trimmings, to celebrate 'half way to Christmas'.
July-October: Knits her Christmas gifts, to stock her website.
October: The house is transformed into a 'tinsel factory', with a Christmas tree in every room.
I’ve heard about families digging out the Christmas decorations and celebrating a Covid Christmas and I think it’s a great idea.
I would definitely take it even further but I think my husband would kill me.
Sometimes if I get a craving, I’ll pick up a Christmas home magazine to get a little festive fix.
My Facebook feed is littered with people making fun of my habit, it’s become a bit of a running joke.
But since I made my passion my business, the joke’s been on them.
It started off with handmade baubles, then I moved on to making and selling Christmas Eve boxes and now I make and sell cosy knitwear.
I knit all summer long from 4am to make sure I am ready to hit every Christmas event.
Last year, I couldn’t believe it when I made £2,000 in three days.
Running my own business means I can indulge in early festive prep as I need to be getting Christmas ready from July and have it all wrapped up by October.
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By then, I'm pleased to say the house looks like a tinsel factory and has a tree in every bedroom.
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Bad luck, schmad luck…. I couldn’t change if I wanted to. Christmas spirit and a bit of fairy dust is part of who I am."
You can shop Dawn's business .