‘We love spending Christmas in the nude – even in front of our guests at dinner’

One couple don’t have to think about what they’re wearing this Christmas as they spend the whole day in their birthday suits, even when eating dinner with their family

Some festive traditions are widespread like eating a full roast on Christmas Day or wearing a festive jumper to work. Others are much more personal traditions which look strange or even rude to those on the outside.

A couple from Kent has one of the more unusual Christmas traditions as they spend the big day fully nude – even when their clothed family comes round for dinner.

Helen and Simon Berriman decorate their tree, open presents, cook and eat their roast dinner all without putting on a stitch of clothing.

Dodging the Christmas party clothing, the pair enjoy the day totally nude but they aren’t alone – family members also attend their festivities.

Their naturist Christmas is joined by Helen’s mother and 15-year-old daughter but the couple are the only ones stripping off. Despite their nudity, none of their guests bat an eyelid and are used to Helen and Simon’s lifestyle choices.

The couple have known each other since school but rekindled a relationship in 2015 by chatting on Facebook. Simon quickly introduced Helen to his enthusiasm for being a naturist.

It wasn’t until 2020 that Helen decided to join him – stripping not only her clothes but her job as manager of an opticians in favour of writing for a nudist magazine.

Helen said: “We’re looking forward to another naked Christmas this year. Some people do look at us like we’re completely mad, especially when they find out that we host Christmas, but we’re all about accepting your body and everybody feeling comfortable.

“My teenage daughter and my mum both totally accept our lifestyle, and they really don’t think twice now when we answer the door in all our glory.”

The mum admits that her lifestyle change initially raised eyebrows, she added: “My daughter did tell me I’d gone weird at first – although now she is very supportive of me, although I don’t think she’s keen to join suit.

“We have had some people make unkind comments, suggesting that we’re swingers, or sexualising it, but it’s really not how it is.

“It’s not most people’s set up, but it works for us. We’ll exchange gifts, play some party games and raise a glass – just a completely normal Christmas day, it’s just that Simon and I won’t have any clothes on, with the exception of our cracker hats.

“We do have to crank the heating up, though.”

When decorating the tree the pair are totally naked, although they have to take extra care with all the pine needles. They also cook the roast without clothes on but Helen will put an apron on when using the oven and taking the roast potatoes out.

Christmas morning will be similar to many households around the country by exchanging gifts in their home in Bromley, Kent, with Helen’s 75-year-old mother and teen daughter.

Although she has now embraced the world of nudity, Helen initially found Simon’s lifestyle unusual.

She said: “When I first got together with Simon, he told me he preferred to live a clothing-optional lifestyle.

“I told him that was fine by me, but he had to wear clothes when he was around the house and I didn’t want any part of it.

“After a while, he started allowing himself to be ‘caught’ naked around the house – ‘forgetting’ I’d be home early, and still walking around naked.

“I was more concerned as to whether it bothered my daughter, but when I asked her, she said it really didn’t bother her at all.

“When I was furloughed in 2020, I realised that Simon worked from home naked anyway – and then he started being naked in the back garden, in full view of the neighbours. I was mortified, but then I realised that they really didn’t care.

“Then I realised, if they don’t care, why should I?’

“He asked if I would go along to a reverse life painting event, where I would be the clothed model and all the artists would be naked.

“I reluctantly agreed, and at first I didn’t know where to look.

“But afterwards while I was having a cup of tea with everyone, I was so relaxed, and I realised they were just a lovely, normal bunch of people.

“I decided to whip my dress off too, and amazingly, nothing bad happened. Nobody was sick and nobody was judging.

“I realised I’d wasted 20 years of my life worrying about what people think I should be wearing. Everyone has scars and stretchmarks, it’s just nice not to have to worry about covering them up.

“It’s even helped my daughter form a healthy attitude to body image too. She did think it was strange to start with, and so did my mum.

“But once they saw how happy it made me, they were fully supportive.

“Now, I can’t imagine spending Christmas any other way then in our birthday suits!”