Jean-Christophe Novelli moves his clocks forward on Christmas Eve.
The 58-year-old chef and his fiancée Michelle Kennedy like to embrace the festive traditions of his native France so trick their sons Jean, 11, Jacques, seven, and three-year-old Valentino by waking them on what they think is the early hours of December 25 and showing them proof Santa Claus has paid a visit to their home.
He explained: "On Christmas Eve, we’ll leave out a mince pie for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.
"But we’ll also carry out a custom that I grew up with in France.
"After the kids have gone to bed, we put the clock forward a few hours to make them think it’s later then it really is.
"Then, at midnight or so, we wake them to tell them that Santa has been.. They rush downstairs to find the window open and muddy footprints on the floor.
"When they look outside, we point to a light moving in the sky, which they think is Santa in his sleigh.
"We live near an airport so there’s usually a bright object flying in the distance.
"It’s wonderful to watch them play for a bit before they go back to bed and wake up to the magic of opening their presents."
And Michelle’s "present" to the ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ star is that she will cook a traditional roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings, as well as Christmas pudding and ice cream.
Jean-Christoph told Britain’s HELLO! Magazine: "It’s the only day I don’t cook. That’s her Christmas present to me. Mine to her is that I do the washing up."
Jean-Christophe Novelli makes festive time change
