Ulula is based at Rush Farm, a biodynamic farm in Worcestershire.

Between March and October, Rush Farm is supported by a wonderful group of volunteers who find us through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms Organisation – a movement linking volunteers with organic farmers and growers.

The volunteers are fondly known at the beginning of their stay at WWOOFers, but by the time we are all hugging goodbye, they have become one of the family. This means that we are now very much an international family on the Farm, as is Ulula with all its wonderful worldwide customers.

We may not be ‘together’ on the farm across the winter months (a time of ‘rest’ for the farm so no volunteers are needed), but sharing our winter traditions and memories is very special.

Our winter family and community traditions are instilled in us when we are little, and these memories and feelings stay with us as we grow up, and we bring them into our world anew when our own little ones arrive.

These traditions are unique to each family, region, country and each generation, and we carry them with us, whether we are stay in the country of our birth, or find ourselves somewhere different. ‘Different’ brings opportunities – for both enjoying, and learning other families’ traditions. We blend them into our very own happy ever afters. Just as it should be x

Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere:-

Very briefly, during my childhood in the nineties, my family and I would dine on Christmas eve and go to sleep only waiting to get up and open our presents the next day.

 As years passed by, we adopted the new tradition of opening presents at midnight right after Christmas eve and then play with them inside the house or on my aunt´s very big backyard, where we meet for special events.

About two Christmas ago, right after opening our presents at midnight, some people decided to start pushing someone else into the swimming pool. Many of us got soaking wet all the way from our heads to our feet!

Believe it or not it wasn’t bad, indeed it was very refreshing. Summer nights are so hot and swimming anytime between Christmas and torrid January is always welcome. That is the number one reason why Christmas in the southern hemisphere rocks 🙂

Joaquín

Ulula is based at Rush Farm, a biodynamic farm in Worcestershire.

Between March and October, Rush Farm is supported by a wonderful group of volunteers who find us through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms Organisation – a movement linking volunteers with organic farmers and growers.

The volunteers are fondly known at the beginning of their stay at WWOOFers, but by the time we are all hugging goodbye, they have become one of the family. This means that we are now very much an international family on the Farm, as is Ulula with all its wonderful worldwide customers.

We may not be ‘together’ on the farm across the winter months (a time of ‘rest’ for the farm so no volunteers are needed), but sharing our winter traditions and memories is very special.

Our winter family and community traditions are instilled in us when we are little, and these memories and feelings stay with us as we grow up, and we bring them into our world anew when our own little ones arrive.

These traditions are unique to each family, region, country and each generation, and we carry them with us, whether we are stay in the country of our birth, or find ourselves somewhere different. ‘Different’ brings opportunities – for both enjoying, and learning other families’ traditions. We blend them into our very own happy ever afters. Just as it should be x

“I think the best Christmas tradition in my country is the “PRESEPE”. It means we reproduce the nativity with some figurines in wood, plastic, clay…

The origins of the Presepe are referred to S.Francesco d’Assisi who first represented the nativity with statues of the virgin, St.Joseph, Jesus, the ox and the donkey with the magi.

Then the traditions arrived in the Kingdom of Neaples and here the Neapolitan made the most beautiful presepe in the world.

There is a street in Neaples called S. Gregorio Armeno in which every year the artisans show their statues of all the types: from the classic to the political satire or religious satire. There are also statues of actors and politicians such as Merkel, Berlusconi, Renzi and so on. It’s a way to rant some events happened during the year!

For families, the tradition is that we can build our Presepe in our own homes after the 8th of December. Here are some photos of my own presepe:

In each family the tradition in the Christmas eve is the following: after having the dinner, the oldest member of the family (in many cases the grandmother), take the statues of Jesus and make a procession with the children following her and then the adults. She sings some traditional songs and is in this tradition that the children learn the Christmas songs.

Arriving near the Presepe the grandmother give the statue to the littlest member of the family and she or he has to put it in the presepe, then all together people pray and only after this moment we exchange gifts.

A very very very big hug to my English family.
Michaelangelo