TS Your morning start sounds ghastly to me - so it's great that you have found the right job for you!
I have often deliberately chosen to fly on 25th and 31st Dec and one of the best was leaving BJL, Banjul in The Gambia, on Christmas Day 1988 on an ex-BCal/newly BA DC10 (or might have been Tristar??) I had chosen a week's mini break in the sun and to travel back on 25th Dec for a quiet ride, which it certainly was, cabin about 25% capacity. The inbound arrived before dawn 05:00-ish from LGW and was due out around 08:00.
I was chatting with the CC on board as it was so quiet and she told me to look out for an unusual departure. The inbound crew were going to be on the beach and the climb out took a non-SID line with a distinct port wing down salute!!!! Most of the pax would not have noticed but it was fun to see them waving at us. The flight was brilliant. We had great food that was much more BCal than BA, the CC wearing party hats.
In December 1997, we chose the 31st/1st for the JNB/LHR on a VS 340 and it was busy but quiet. So I hope that, by the time you read this TS, you had a quiet and enjoyable New Year's ride home.