It’s officially December and for us busy University students, the festive season can sometimes seem to creep up on us. Long gone our our primary school days, when we had Christmas plays and festive wordsearches to remind us to get into the Christmas spirit, and after spending three solid weeks in the library we pretty much lose all concept of time and space. But, from All I Want for Christmas is You on the radio every half hour to the Christmas adverts on the TV, there’s no question that the world has descended into full on festivity. Here are nine signs that Christmas is, indeed, all around us.
1. The slow introduction of Christmas jumpers into everyday wardrobes.
In truth, this has been happening since mid-November. Slowly, you start seeing more and more novelty knitwear in the lecture theatre. After all, everyone who owns a Christmas jumper knows that they can only wear it for one month of the year, so they’ll damn well make the most of it.
2. Pringles and Quality Street are suddenly on offer.
Dieting is, quite frankly, impossible this time of year. Who is honestly going to miss the opportunity of a £1 Chocolate Orange? Definitely not me.
Also: the discounted Christmas alcohol. Yes please.
3. Movies start showing on TV. Constantly.
For some reason, TV stations think that nobody watches films unless it’s December. And apparently the only movie that they think anybody wants to watch is Love Actually.
(Which is kind of true, actually. Is it truly Christmas if you don’t watch Love Actually at least once?)
4. You start pinning wildly optimistic DIY craft projects on Pinterest.
There’s something about a homemade Christmas decoration that is too adorable to resist. I mean, you’re almost definitely not going to make that gingerbread house or the mason jar snowglobe, but you can dream, right?
5. Whenever you try to go shopping, you’re almost crushed to death. Especially if you decide to go on a Saturday.
Christmas shoppers are a rare breed of human being. They’re ruthless: they’ll hit you with their shopping bags, they’ll push in front of you in the queue, they’ll take the last pack of stuffing off of the shelf right as you’re reaching for it, and they won’t even apologise for it. Stay safe this year, and do your shopping online.
6. You have absolutely no idea what to buy anyone for Christmas.
Everyone, from your Secret Santa to your mother, will base their opinion for the entirety of the next year on the gift you give them for Christmas. The pressure is paralysing, and 9 times out of 10 we’ll cave and buy them chocolate or alcohol. Everyone loves chocolate or alcohol.
7. Fairy lights. Everywhere.
We might not have a musical light show on our uni houses, but that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate a good set of fairy lights. Our electricity bills are going to be through the roof for the month, but it’s worth it because they’re just so gosh darn adorable.
8. You’ve never been more excited to go home.
After a long term of deadlines and stress, Christmas at home seems almost too good to be true. Presents! Christmas dinner! A house that is actually warm! The holidays can’t come soon enough.