In fact, this past week has basically been overtaken with thoughts of my favourite holiday of the year for a whole range of reasons.
The Christmas lights switch-on event itself on campus was a perfect way to kick things off, with Surge Radio and some special live musical performances providing plenty of those classic festive tracks to dance and sing along to, whilst the cheery yuletide spirit even spread as far as the next issue of The Edge, which I’m proud to announce will feature plenty of Christmas-themed entertainment fun. Yep, the University is definitely embracing Christmas in all its forms.
Whether you’re a Southampton newbie or a seasoned veteran of Christmas on campus, there’s plenty of new and exciting ways to spread the festive cheer around, especially if pre-exam nerves are getting you down. Below you’ll find just some of the many, many ways you can light up the lives of your fellow students this holiday season. The weather may well be inching towards arctic-level chilliness, but it’s easily counteracted with a smile and a tacky jumper.
Dress To Impress
Southampton is lucky enough to have a whole range of shops in its City Centre (and there’s the internet too), so you’re never far away from a huge, sparkly piece of Christmas clothing. With the temperature lowering dramatically by the day, now’s the perfect occasion to invest in one of those gaudy jumpers you’ve heard so much about.
Not only will it give you that extra layer of comfort in lectures or in the library (the fluffier the better), it’s also pretty likely to raise a smile around campus too, spreading the joy of Christmas even further. If you’re feeling extra cheery, you could even grab a novelty hat too. Any way to make even just walking to lectures that little bit more fun!
Tacky Christmas wear is the new black
Gaze in wonder at SUSU’s Christmas decorations
You may or may not have had the joy of wandering through the Students' Union building since last week, but if you have you’ll probably have noticed the gigantic fully-decorated Christmas tree now stands proudly in the main entrance. It’s pretty hard to miss and it really is a sight to behold. But of course, it’s not the only festive-themed decoration that’s just come out for the year.
The Bridge has recently been fully kitted-out with an insanely glitzy winter wonderland theme, so if you fancy kicking back with a Christmas-flavoured drink or snack and escaping the library for a quick break, it’s the perfect place to do so. No word of a lie, there’s enough tinsel in there to keep your eyes sparkling for days. It’s positively magical.
Obviously, we can’t forget the University’s trademark Christmas lights. Switched on this year by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Adam Wheeler and our very own world champion Enactus team, the lights are spread across all of Highfield Campus - but the best place to see them in action is on the green by the Interchange. It’s a simple beauty, but a beauty nonetheless, and it’ll no doubt cheer you on through these cold, early nights.
The Christmas Lights on Highfield Campus are well worth seeing
Secret Santa
Finally, why not spread a little more than just the gift of cheer, like, well, a real gift? Whether it’s between your flatmates or course friends, getting together and each anonymously buying each other gifts is a great way to make the gradual build-up to Christmas even jollier.
I’ve actually found from doing this the past two years that it can even lead to the creation of a whole new holiday entirely: ‘Uni Christmas’, where all of the excitement of regular Christmas is brought forward several weeks and celebrated right here in Southampton! What’s better than two Christmases? Nothing - nothing is better than two Christmases.
The SUSU Christmas tree stands tall and proud
There are of course many other ways of celebrating the festive period and keeping things lively on this last stretch of the first semester, but hopefully these are enough to get you started!
A very merry Uni Christmas to all!
Ben
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