In the Philippines, we don’t bother with place settings; there’s so much food that there’s no space for stuff you can’t eat.

In New Zealand, a typical Christmas table has ham, bread and some sides and a cake and that’s it. So there’s room to fluff up the table which I’m happy to attempt to do- because why not?

There’s something calming and soothing in this domestic exercise that I once dismissed as being too feminine and unnecessary. But as I’ve become older, I’ve realised that I actually have the freedom to rethink what’s necessary and what’s not in my life - and funny enough, I’ve stopped making a distinction. I just do it, and it’s fun. It brings joy. It keeps me sane. There’s just so much goddamned ugliness in the world that a little bit of beauty when you sit down to eat a piece of ham on white bread (!!!) does make a difference..(Imelda Marcos was right about how she described beauty - look up the quote!).

New plates, glassware and cake stand from Kmart; table-runner and mats from Stevens; Kiwiana coasters of native birds by Creative & Brave; cutlery from Momento and Villeroy and Boch.