For many couples, December is a time for festive joy, but for writer Polly Hudson and her husband Nick, it has become a traditional season of spirited squabbling. Over 15 years of marriage, they have discovered they are fundamentally Christmas incompatible, with Polly identifying as the 'Grinch' to her husband's unshakeable 'Buddy the Elf' persona.
The Festive Fault Line
Polly describes her husband as perpetually jolly and relentlessly cheerful, a man for whom the Christmas season amplifies his natural enthusiasm to extreme levels. He adores every element: the music, the decorations, the relentless cheer. Nick wears his cracker crown until it disintegrates, while Polly often leaves hers folded. This dichotomy sets the stage for their annual December disputes.
Their arguments, as detailed by Hudson, cover an exhaustive festive gamut. They have clashed over the appropriate day to erect the Christmas tree, the merits of flashing lights, and the eternal debate of whether tinsel is tacky or joyful. The contentious replacement of traditional turkey, the hanging of stockings, the vacuuming schedule, and even the provenance of Aled Jones's vocals have all sparked disagreement.
The Grinch's Defence and a Radical Proposal
Polly positions herself as representing the 'normal' majority who find Christmas a source of significant work, stress, and forced fun. Her radical solution, mooted to a friend, was that Christmas Day should mimic Leap Day, occurring only once every four years to allow appreciation to build through absence. This suggestion, overheard by her husband, caused more offence than if she had confessed to an affair.
The core tension, Hudson explains, is that any festive element failing to fill her husband's heart with instant glee becomes her fault. She has become the 'face of Christ-meh-as' in their household. Yet, she posits an intriguing theory: perhaps her role as the sceptical spectator is essential. Could her eye-rolling enable his full-throttle festive persona by giving him something to rail against?
Is the Grinch the True Spirit of Christmas?
In a final, playful twist, Polly Hudson turns the classic narrative on its head. She wonders if, by providing necessary balance and reality, she might actually embody the true spirit of Christmas, rather than her husband. While she admits she doesn't truly believe this, she plans to test the theory during their next seasonal row. Their story, spanning a decade and a half, is less about one partner converting the other and more about finding a fragile, bickering compromise amidst the tinsel and tension.
Polly Hudson's account serves as a testament to how deeply personal festive traditions are, and how navigating divergent seasonal spirits requires humour, patience, and the occasional argument about mince pies.
