From a shrimp tree to soup in a stocking: readers’ unusual Christmas traditions Guardian readers
A Christmas catchphrase
My mum has a habit of telling us which bits of dinner she could have done better and one Christmas, almost 20 years ago, she said: “I overcooked the broccoli a bit.” I replied, with dramatic gestures of devastation: “You’ve spoiled Christmas for everyone!” Now, every year, whenever something minor goes wrong, we repeat those words with a big smile and a chuckle, to remind ourselves that you don’t need everything to be perfect to have a happy Christmas.
James Field, charity worker, Manchester