When the notorious Christmas adverts of John Le
wis and all the major British retailers start appearing on TV, you know that CHRISTMAS IS COMING. End of term is approaching, Christmas decorations are being set up and you’re drowning in deadlines and exams. Such a magical time… Or is it? Well, even though you might feel overwhelmed, there are things to be thankful for, including Costa’s Gingerbread Latte and Pret’s Mince Pies.
Get hung up on those Christmas ads
I must admit that I wasn’t aware of this trend until recently. When a Japanese friend of mine told me how excited she was about this year’s Christmas ads, I looked at her rather interrogatively as I didn’t really understand what her excitement was about. She explained to me that it was a big thing in the UK where retailers spend fortunes on Christmas adverts. I had to check them out, so after getting home I made myself cosy and watched all the big ads in one go. My favourite is M&S’s #LoveTheBear. Which one is yours?
Do you want to build a snowman?
I do. Sadly though, we don’t really get an opportunity here, in the South West. While I’m generally grateful for the nice weather, I’d be happy to see some snow now and then. But if you’re more of a summer person and don’t mind the lack of snow, then Exeter is your place to be! We get more sunshine and vitamin D in the South West, we just have to compromise and accept that White Christmas is not something to expect here.
A Gingerbread Latte to go, please
With plenty of Christmas specials on the menu, our favourite cafés do everything they can to make those deadlines feel less overwhelming. The yummy gingerbread latte is my favourite thing about Christmas! Being a coffee addict, I’m always one of the firsts to storm into Costa and ask for the Christmas flavoured coffee once it’s on the menu. Other festive treats that you can never get enough of include mince pies, gingerbread cookies, hot spiced apple (an all-time favourite winter warmer) and a variety of special Christmas sandwiches.
 ’Tis the season to be glamorous
With societies organising their traditional Christmas balls and dinners, this is your chance to dress up, forget about your deadlines and celebrate both Christmas and the end of the term. This year I went to the Hungarian Society’s Christmas Dinner in On The Waterfront. The food was really nice and decorations were beautiful. It’s always a great way to get together, celebrate that you survived the term and get into the Christmas spirit if you hadn’t yet got into it. Plus, Christmas is not complete without those bad Christmas cracker jokes. Here’s one if you want to roll your eyes:
– What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck? –Â A Christmas Quacker!
