Season’s greetings from Common Room! We’re excited to share a few heartwarming stories from our classroom to fill your holiday season with Christmas cheer!
Shoes, Potatoes and Christmas
by Dea
You want me to tell you the first thing that I saw on Christmas morning? Oh, sorry I actually meant SMELLED. What ? You do ? All right, no issues. But let me tell you that it’s not plum cake. Well, l smelled something rotten. Yes, I’m sure the smell wasn’t there in the room last night.
You know that I wet my shoe yesterday when I went playing in the snow and forgot to wear snow boots ?
I kept it on the windowsill to dry. What !?
How was I to know I’d find a rotten potato in it ?
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the rotten smell was a potato in my shoe.
Now, I’m just going down to throw it out .
……………………………………
I’ve thrown it out of the shoe, but ,gosh, it stinks really bad.
What should I do? If l spray perfume, it’s gonna smell of both
perfume and rotten potatoes, because when I said it stinks really bad, I meant it.
Got it! I guess I’ll just search on Google.
……………………………………
Oh dear, there’s nothing here about “How to get the smell of potatoes of shoes”. Though there is “ How to make your shoes smell better” and “ Why do rotten potatoes smell bad” No thanks, I don’t want to know. Oh, what’s this? I want to check it out, one second. Look at the search result!
The legend of potatoes and shoes !
Did you know ? There is a legend from Iceland about potatoes and shoes. Thirteen days before Christmas, children put a shoe on their windowsill; if they are kind, respectful and well behaved, they will find treats or toys ,while if they are not- as the story goes, the Yule Lads will reward them with rotten potatoes.
……………………………………
Hey ! I’m not naughty! Er… we-ell
Maybe I pinched my little sister yesterday and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before……. Um, I don’t really want to go on, if you don’t mind. What shall I do ! You know, I’m sort of desperate for treats right now, and… okay! I got a masterplan ! I’m gonna go and give my sister a hug, and read her that story she really badly wanted me to read her tonight! Let’s see what happens! It’s time to make amends.
Christmas Traditions
by Diviana
The air is thick with excitement . We all gather around the Christmas tree and sit down on the sofas beside it . My little brother is screeching, “Let’s start! Let’s start the caroling ! Come onnnn!” And jumping up and down.
The enticing smell of plum cake wafts around my nose , inviting me to eat it. We have paper poinsettias adorning the Christmas tree, and we’ve covered it in tinsel , so the poinsettias are barely visible. Suddenly, the doorbell rings and I rush to open it. A delivery guy stands at the door, handing me a box and wishing me merry Christmas. I thank him and open the box, to find a yule log inside! My parents must have ordered it.
I run to the drawing room, right now the Christmas room , and put the cake on the table. Suddenly I trip. Ouch ! I tripped over the tinsel and now I’m tangled in it . My cousins and sisters help me untangle, but despite the tricky situation, I can’t help but feel happy. It feels just like how Christmas is supposed to.
After all the grown ups assemble, we start the caroling. Even though we sound inharmonious, we enjoy it just as much. After singing Silent night about twenty times, we move on to the most anticipated part of the celebrations : Secret Santa! We all sit back and decide to start from the youngest to the oldest. My brother declares that his secret Santa is ‘mohmeeee! ’ smiling slyly, our mother shakes her head. The brother decides to throw a fuss. After calming him down with a lot of effort, we finally continue. My secret Santa is, as I correctly guessed, our grandad. I got a plain black coloured BELT and two overly large brown socks. Still, I appreciate the efforts.
Now, there’s only one thing left before the feast, and that’s breaking open the pinata! We decide that the oldest in the family should take a stick and break it. I dive in and grab everything I can. In the end, I get an eraser, three toffees and a bunch of pens and pencils. Still better than the belt.
It’s now late afternoon and it’s time to eat turkey and pudding! After eating a sumptuous meal I lie down on the sofa, too full to move. My heart smiling and feeling a warm feeling in my tummy, I drift off to sleep, dreaming about all the Christmas celebrations to come ahead.
Zero to Christmas
by Adhvika
Christmas is celebrated with love and family time but not for me. I’m Kolby Richman but people call me “zero” because I’m ‘empty’ there. Just too introverted to realise I only love me and my room, my classmates are annoying, but worse is my sister Alice (you could call her a gremlin). Small, annoying, and loves trouble. She would annoy me by messing my room or just screaming.
And I don’t even know where to start about Christmas. I prefer fall than winter. It’s too cold and I can barely step outside, and the library is closed because it’s Christmas holiday. It’s the worst but today I decided to see what my family is doing but get pulled into a party of laughing people and the smell of plum cake. I roll my eyes at my aunts and uncles saying the same things like “you have grown tall” or “you’re growing into a strong boy” but one thing that catches my attention is the present for me, why me? I never attend Christmas and all of a sudden I have gifts. I don’t really like gifts so I reluctantly opened it to see a gaming console. I’ve never felt this happy in years. I guess Christmas is not so bad after all. After Christmas I spend time with family and friends more often but my sister is still annoying but she is fun at times I guess. That Christmas was the best i’ve had, I hope the next Christmas comes soon!
A Christmas Adventure
by Anahita
My family inherited a mysterious Christmas candle from my great-grandparents, a relic wrapped in whispers and intrigue. My great-grandparents were quiet, enigmatic people, known for their strange traditions. Every Christmas Eve, they would light a peculiar blue and white candle, sit together in its glow, and murmur softly to each other, words no one else could understand. This annual ritual fascinated and unsettled those who knew them, but no one dared to ask about its meaning. Over time, stories began to spread: the candle was no ordinary decoration—it was magical. Some claimed it granted a single wish every Christmas Eve, but no one could verify the
truth of these rumors.
One year, a young and ambitious reporter named Riayna Jocoles became intrigued by the mystery. Determined to uncover the truth, she began her investigation by digging into historical archives and interviewing people who had lived near my great-grandparents. She found scattered mentions of a “guardian family” and a strange candle linked to protecting Christmas traditions. Encouraged by these findings, Riayna decided to visit their home on Christmas Eve.
Arriving at dusk, she saw a faint glow through the window and decided to investigate. What she witnessed was beyond anything she’d imagined. Through the glass, she saw my great- grandparents seated around a table with the blue and white candle burning brightly in the center. The light from the candle seemed alive, growing until it formed the shape of a woman in a green gown. Mesmerized, Riayna continued to watch, but when the woman turned and seemed to look directly at her, a sudden flash of light erupted, forcing Riayna to stagger back. Shaken but determined, she left with notes on what she had seen.
In the days that followed, Riayna tried to piece together the truth, but before she could share her findings, she vanished mysteriously. The only clue left behind was a note in her handwriting that read, “The light reveals all.” The legend of the candle grew, and people whispered of its magical power: “It grants one wish on Christmas Eve.”
For years, I thought it was just a story. But one Christmas Eve, everything changed.
That night, I heard a noise coming from downstairs. I crept quietly down the stairs and saw a bright light emanating from the hall. I followed it, my heart pounding, and found the source: the candle, glowing brilliantly on the table. Suddenly, a lady appeared before me. She had lovely red hair, fair skin, warm brown eyes, and pink lips. She was wearing a loose green gown with a white flower printed in the center.
“Hello, Destiny,” she said.
“H-How d-d-did you know m-my n-n-name?” I stammered.
She smiled. “Destiny, I am your family’s Christmas spirit. I will grant you one wish. Choose carefully,” the lady said.
“I wish for three more wishes!” I said sternly.
The lady sighed. “Fine, but no more wishes after this.”
“Okay, my first wish is to find my family’s largest secret. My second wish is to uncover my life’s true meaning, and the last is to have an adventure on the magic of Christmas Eve,” I said.
“Done,” said my family spirit.
An old book appeared in my hands.
“Your family’s secret is in this book,” she said.
I flipped it open and gasped. It said that my family received this magical candle from God himself. My family is tasked with protecting Christmas!
“I forgot to tell you my name,” the lady said. “It is Lesia, and yes, your family protects Christmas!”
I was shocked. My family loved Christmas, but I should have known.
“Your life’s true meaning is adventure, by the way,” Lesia said, moving across the room.
“What about the Christmas Eve adventure?” I asked.
“That will happen now!” Lesia smiled and snapped her fingers, and suddenly the world went black.
I woke up feeling disoriented and noticed I was in a carriage. It looked a lot like the carriage Gerda used to find Kay in The Snow Queen, except it was silver, had three black horses, white seats, and a driver wearing a blue suit.
We came to an old black castle with broken windows and dead trees surrounding it.
“Satan has 85 deadly…’”
“…ministers whose job is to stop the good side from spreading its wings. Your family is the only one that can stop those ministers. One of them lives here, and his name is Ricisteus. He is very powerful. You can stop him, but we can wait for three or four years if you like,” Lesia said, smoothing her wavy red hair.
“It’s okay, I will go now,” I said. Lesia accompanied me up the stairs and said goodbye at the door.
I took a deep breath and stepped inside. It was dingy and cold. I felt uneasy. Suddenly, a shadow appeared and morphed into a clearer shape.
“Ricisteus!” I thought.
Ricisteus smiled. “Hello there, Destiny. I have a present for you!” he said.
“Really?” I replied. I should have stayed silent because he added, “It is your death.”
After dodging and defending, I was finally cornered. Just as things seemed hopeless, I noticed a candle on the table beside me, similar to my family’s Christmas candle. I grabbed it, and suddenly, a bright light filled the room with happiness and hope.
“NOOOO!” yelled Ricisteus, and I blacked out.
I woke up to find my family members surrounding me.
“Where have you been?!” asked Mom.
I smiled but didn’t answer, and all was well again.
The Christmas Tree
by Aymaan
I found a strange ornament nestled close to the Christmas tree which was glowing with festive ornaments. The strange ornament which looked like a jewel glimmered in the dark room. Curiously I went close to it and touched it. Suddenly the world started to shift around. I started to become dizzy and suddenly the dizziness disappeared. When I looked out of the window instead of being in a busy city I was surrounded by a lush pine tree forest. I got a mini heart attack. I was scared I started shouting “mom, dad where are you?”. I looked around and I saw a calendar that said the 4th century CE. I got terrified even more, was I teleported back in time? “Hello young one I guess you found the precious jewel my friend had given me a long time back for my birthday” the man spoke in a gruff manner. The voice came from the shadows. The jewel ornament had been an ancestry treasure. “No that’s not yours this is my great great great great great grandfathers” I said. “My name is Saint Nicholas. What’s yours?”. “Paul Nicholas” I said with fear. “See double barrelled name coincidence or maybe I am your ancestor?”. I started feeling relieved Saint Nicholas was coming out of the shadows. I could now clearly see him. “Wait you actually look like my great great great great great grandfather” I said “see I told you” Saint Nicholas replied. “Do you want to meet the elves?” said Saint Nicholas. “Su…” “WAKE UP!!! It’s time to go to school. I’ve been calling you for the past half an hour. The bus came and left” screamed my mom”. It was getting interesting but my mom ruined it. I hope my dream comes back next night” I said.
