Image by Chad Madden Words by Eve Davies Christmas traditions vary from family to family, from religion to religion, and from country to country, meaning that although Christmas is a globally celebrated holiday, it is not a homogeneous experience for everyone. You might spend Christmas day at home and open presents in the morning, while your best friend spends the day at her grandparentsÔÇÖ house … Continue reading Christmas Around the Globe
A Black Christmas, Hazel Ravu ‘Twas the night before Christmas and me and my mother are sweating in the kitchen trying to prepare as much food as we can. WeÔÇÖre hosting this year. That means a bunch of families, including a few expected unexpected guests are due to be arriving. On the day, me and my mother are back in the same positions, putting the … Continue reading The Culture of Our Christmas Traditions
Contributions by Alexa Price and Katie Waits. Alexa Price – A Letter from Santa Claus by Mark Twain Everyone can agree by now that nothing makes Christmas quite as special as the presence of children; that pure rush of excitement at 7 am is enough to make anyone believe in Santa Claus all over again. Mark Twain encapsulates this warm feeling in A Letter from … Continue reading Festive Books to Get You Ready for Christmas
Gremlins┬á┬á by Luke Hinton Gremlins, the 1984 comedy-horror executive produced by Steven Spielberg, may have all the hallmarks of a conventional Christmas movie ÔÇô presents, snowy landscapes and a soundtrack stuffed with holiday classics; but its style and message make it stand out within the genre. The premise is simple: Billy (Zach Galligan), a down-on-his-luck teen, receives a mogwai for Christmas ÔÇô an adorable hamster-like … Continue reading Unorthodox Christmas Movies
Image by Hannah Penwright Intro by Indigo Jones We can all admit 2020 has been horrific, but one positive to come out of this doomsday of a year is an increasing amount of meat free and vegan products. Since Veganuary earlier this year, supermarkets and fast-food places have doubled their number of vegan items allowing everyone to incorporate meat-free items into their diets thus encouraging more … Continue reading A Meat-free Christmas
Image by Maggie Gannon Frankfurt Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market), Germany – words by Maggie Gannon Germany is certainly well-known for its annual Christmas markets, so much so that English cities across the UK such as Birmingham and Manchester aim to give the same festive experience across the sea year on year. Unfortunately, this year restrictions in Germany meant the wooden stalls would not be able to … Continue reading The Worlds Most Wonderful Christmas Markets
A French Christmas By Scarlet Charles Christmas back home in France was always about food, drink, and the friends and family who’d join us. There, Christmas starts on the 24th, mostly because of religious reasons. France, despite being a secular country, has a history of Catholicism, and celebrates a midnight mass on the 24th and another mass on Christmas morning. Very few people actually attend these, … Continue reading Christmas cuisine from around the world
Image by Sabrina Ripke (via Pixabay) Christmas wouldnÔÇÖt be Christmas without food being the star of the show, and itÔÇÖs not complete with a cake to celebrate. The traditional Christmas cake began as Twelfth cakes, which were eaten at Twelfth Night parties. But over time, itÔÇÖs evolved as being a larger cake, decorated with marzipan and either fondant or royal icing. After the year weÔÇÖve … Continue reading Fed Up With Fruitcake? Here’s our Favourite Christmas Cake Alternatives to Celebrate the Festive Season in Style!
Will Pantomime save 2020? Adapting to new ways of life has been an inevitable process during the pandemic, with social distancing in every social setting and more hand sanitizing than anyoneÔÇÖs hands have ever known before. Yet, the creative and cultural industries are continuing to show us how they will still strive and entertain the world even in the midst of uncertainty. Following the success … Continue reading Pull Up For Panto!
Image by ymkaaaaaa (via Pixabay) By the time Christmas rolls around, many students have blown most of their student budget on one takeaway too many; leaving not much left over for presents. The next loan drop feels very far away, but you donÔÇÖt want to come home with piles of dirty laundry as the only present (Merry Christmas, Mum). If youÔÇÖre in this boat, then … Continue reading The Best Foodie Gifts to DIY this Christmas
By Luke Hinton ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà┬¢ The curse of the first Star Wars Holiday Special has lasted an awful long time. Released the year after 1977ÔÇÖs Star Wars to bridge the gap between that and the upcoming The Empire Strikes Back, the special primarily follows Han Solo and Chewbacca ÔÇô played by Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew ÔÇô as they meet with ChewieÔÇÖs family on Kashyyyk to … Continue reading Review: The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)
Phoebe Grinter – Columnistgrinterpm@cardiff.ac.uk As it is officially the most wonderful time of the year, I decided to create a modernised, Cardiff-esque rendition of the classic 12 Days of Christmas. On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,A partridge in a pear treeHead into town and treat yourself to my favourite cocktail at Be at One. Appropriately named ÔÇÿLivinÔÇÖ on a … Continue reading 12 Days of Christmas ÔÇô Cardiff Edition
By Lois Brooks With Christmas just around the corner, here is a short but sweet selection of beauty dupes as gift suggestions for loved ones at this festive time. Beginning with a classic present which is always greatly appreciated, some new makeup brushes. Starting the New Year off with a fresh set of brushes never disappoints and Real Techniques, created by YouTuberÔÇÖs Sam and … Continue reading The Best Christmas Beauty Dupes
By Laura Dazon and Mary Stephanie Israel Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà As an international student in the UK, I have been surprised many times by aspects of the British culture (seriously, please stop putting beans everywhere). But if anyone had told me about pantomimes before, I would have been a much happier person. The bright blue posters for the show are everywhere on the streets … Continue reading Cinderella: The Fairy Godmother of All Pantomimes | Theatre Review
By Manavi Mehrotra As a fascinated observer of Christmas, IÔÇÖve seen and adored the magic of it. How it brings together families and friends, how thereÔÇÖs a warm scent of comfort that hugs the air, and of course, the food. My astute observation has highlighted the importance of the traditional apple pie: a delicious tart enveloping crushed apples which is often served hot. As a … Continue reading Quick and Easy Budget Friendly Christmas Dinners
By Ilona Cabral Are you feeling Christmassy yet? Whatever your answer, head along to CardiffÔÇÖs magical Winter Wonderland to get in the festive mood! Jam packed with fun and festive attractions, this Christmas central is one of the must-go places this season. HereÔÇÖs a breakdown of some of the fabulous things available to do, see and eat there! Rides The Winter Wonderland is full of … Continue reading Review | Winter Wonderland
Merry (week and slightly under a half till) Christmas! Do make sure that you enjoy every second of your festive break- yes even try to enjoy revising and writing essays. I for one will be listening to Last Christmas┬áevery day until the 1st of January when the work-out motivational playlist will be on everyday. Well until I make a little detour to the nearest McDonalds … Continue reading Christmas edition: Agony Aunt
This film has everything you love about Christmas. Carol singers, snowmen, tinsel and most importantly, elderly women being shot out of windows. Fun for all the family. Gremlins is a bit quirky. Released in the Summer of 84 to rival against Temple of Doom and Ghostbusters, the film mocks the commercialisation of Christmas as well as tell a story which is particularly dark at times, … Continue reading Quenchmas Countdown: Day 2 – ‘Gremlins’
As we all know, Christmas can be an incredibly busy and stressful time of the year, but among the panic of present hunting and scouring the supermarkets for the finest biscuits, it is important to immerse yourself in the joy and festivities that Christmas brings with it. I have chosen a variety of the best places to go to enjoy a festive day-out, both in … Continue reading Festive day trips for December
With so much hype around coffee shops’ specialist Christmas drinks, sussing out the overall winner makes for a guilt-free reason to┬áwork your way through the entire menu… Here, Gabbi Wan tours them, all in the name of research! By Gabbi Wan We may only be part way through November but Christmas has well and truly arrived on the high street with everywhere lit up with … Continue reading Battle of the Christmas Coffees
